Esh Colliery

1866 - Esh Colliery was sunk down to the Main Coal Seam.

1910, 01 Mar - South Harvey seam abandoned

1913, 12 Dec - South Yard seam abandoned

1929, 01 May - Victoria seam abandoned

1930, 21 Oct - Yard seam abandoned

1930, 29 Nov - Ballarat seam abandoned

1950 - "B" seam discontinued

Argent, Ambrose Frederick C., 16 Feb 1925, aged 29, Putter, explosion [More information ...]

Backhouse, Alfred, 07 Dec 1918, aged 37, Conveyor puller, he and his marrows were moving a coal conveyor when some stone came away between two "jacks" without any warning, burying him. The fall of stone took four hours to remove, and he was dead when taken out. James Dobinson, a miner called Russell, and Alfred's brother Thomas, were fortunate to escape without serious injury

Baker, Cuthbert Turnbull, 17 Dec 1917, (accident: 06 Dec 1917), aged 14, Pony Driver, he died in Durham County Hospital from septic poisoning in his right hand. While he was coupling a tub in the pit, one of his fingers was badly crushed. Despite the injury he continued to work the next two days, but was later admitted to hospital when the finger became infected

Bennett, Thomas, 04 Dec 1929, aged 22, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Brighton, John, 12 Dec 1945, (accident: 11 Dec 1945), aged 21, Hand Putter, run away tub hit him, Buried: St. John The Baptist, Hamsteels

Brown, Richard William Dawson, 15 Mar 1958, aged 34, Hewer, crushed between tubs, address: 11 College View, Waterhouses [Inquest 17 Mar 1958 & 28 Mar 1958]

Brown, W., 29 Apr 1947, (accident: 24 Aug 1946), aged 53, Hewer, died from injuries received

Brown, William, 21 Sep 1918, (accident: 06 Sep 1915), aged 68, Hewer, died from injuries received

Chapman, Michael, 17 Jun 1913, aged 31, Hewer, deceased was finishing a stook and hewed away too many coals without setting timber; the roof was very broken and some stone fell and killed him, Buried: B.V.M. Queen of Martyrs Church, Newhouse, Esh Winning

Coney, John, 25 Jun 1874, aged 14, Driver, crushed by tubs, full and empty set meeting

Corrigan, Andrew, 24 Sep 1918, aged 59, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: B.V.M. Queen of Martyrs Church, Newhouse, Esh Winning

Crosby, James, 15 Jun 1918, (accident: 28 May 1918), aged 39, Hewer, he was crushed by a fall of stone

Dodds, Charles, 28 Mar 1917, aged 47, Deputy, found dead in the Hutton Seam

Dove, Thomas W., 23 Jul 1907, aged 14, Driver, he was standing at the top of an incline near some full tubs when five other full tubs went amain and, running into those already standing at the foot of the incline, the tubs at the top were violently jerked back against him

Elliott, Maurice Dale, 11 Nov 1918, (accident: 31 Oct 1918), aged 66, Shifter, he was carrying some drills when he slipped and was slightly cut over the right eye. A doctor was called in, but was unable to stop the bleeding. On 7th November he was taken to Newcastle Infirmary where doctors also failed to stop the bleeding and he died on 11th November from heart failure caused by the continual bleeding

Fenwick, Emmanuel, 17 Nov 1900, aged 57, Hewer, Pushing a tub out of his working place. when he slipped and fell. He walked home, but was never at work again. He died from cellulitis and acute nephritis, and at the inquest the jury returned a verdict that the cellulitis was accelerated by a sprain.

Fletcher, George, 22 Feb 1875, aged 13, Driver, crushed between tubs and side

Franks, George, 25 Sep 1867, he was looking down the shaft when he was struck by the cage and killed instantly

Gair, Richard, 31 Mar 1924, 12.50 p.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 14, Driver, Deceased was dead when found lying on his back under the first of three full tubs, which he had been taking outbye. The pony was standing quietly and was yoked to the tubs. It is presumed he slipped and fell in front of the tubs

Gray, William, 18 Nov 1896, (accident: 17 Nov 1896), aged 17, Helper Up, He was attempting to push an empty tub up a gradient that was too heavy for him, the tub ran back and crushed his head against a prop. Died the following day, Buried: Esh Winning Cemetery

Hall, Henry, Jul 1916, aged 24, An inquest was held on 18th July into the death of Henry Hall, who was employed at the motor conveyor. On the day of the accident, at about 5:40, he slipped and fell from a ladder and got fast in the end of the conveyor scraper and the floor, where he remained until 8 o'clock. He was severely crushed about the lower part of his body [date of inquest]

Heron, Nicholas, 27 Jun 1883, aged 46, Mason, died from natural causes while at work [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Hodgson, Thomas, 07 Jul 1893, 1:30 p.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 32, Deputy, Engaged drawing the timber out from a broken jud, when a sudden fall of roof took place.

Hopper, Thomas, 17 Dec 1881, aged 12, Driver, fell of tub while driving outbye and was run over, Buried: Esh Winning Cemetery

Hull, Hunter, 25 Nov 1909, aged 16, Helper up, The putter and he went into a place to bring out a full tub. He was in front of the tub pulling and the putter at the inbye end pushing. A few yards from the face there was a hitch and the roof dropped about eighteen inches. Against this caunch his head was squeezed by the fore-end of the tub

Kenna, Patrick, 20 Nov 1889, (accident: 31 Oct 1889), aged 50, Hewer, back broken by a fall of stone which came off from between two slips

Lee, William, 09 Sep 1899, (accident: 19 Aug 1899), aged 40, Deputy, Died to-day from inflammation of the brain caused by slipping when lifting a syphon pipe, and catching his head against the roof timber on August 19th last.

Liddle, J., 23 Oct 1916, aged 62, he was fatally injured while working in the Hill House Seam: "The tubs were returning to the bankhead and jumped the points several feet from where Liddle was working," as he attempted to run to safety he was caught by the tubs, he died at home a few hours later

Maddison, Anthony, 29 Nov 1915, (accident: 22 Nov 1915), aged 66, Shifter, died from carbon monoxide posioning resulting from shot firing

Marchant, Alfred A., 28 Oct 1901, aged 13, Driver, he was taking a set of three full tubs into a landing and was too long in drawing out the limber bolt, and the horse joined up against the tubs in front; the timbers caught his neck and killed him

More, John Thomas, 15 Aug 1902, aged 15, Driver, skull fractured by being crushed against a prop by a full tub ; he had, without permission, taken an empty tub in-bye from the flat, and attempted to put it into a place end, but was caught by a tub a putter was bringing out ; the putter did not know he was there till he was caught [More information ...]

Morris, Victor, 15 Jun 1961, aged 53, he collapsed and died while working in the pit, Buried: Parkland Cemetery on 15 Jun 1961

Pinkney, Richard Thompson, 30 Dec 1909, aged 32, Hewer, He was hewing in a headways lift in the five quarter seam when the roof displaced the timber and fell right across the face. The soft brat had been left up and the timber had been set under it; this did not give the props a chance to hold the weight when it came on, Buried: Esh Winning Cemetery (unmarked grave)

Potts, James William, 21 Jun 1902, aged 15, Driver and Coupler, the centre bar of a tub broke as a set was coming over the kip, and part of the set ran amain and caught and killed him, Buried: Esh Winning Cemetery

Redden, John, 04 Sep 1917, (accident: 11 Jun 1914), aged 52, Hewer, died in Sedgefield Asylum, fell off with miners' nystagmus and his doctor was strongly of opinion that the nystagmus had accelerate death

Rochford, William, 25 Sep 1929, (accident: 19 Jan 1929), aged 29, Hewer, died from injuries received

Shoulders, John Joseph, 03 Feb 1930, (accident: 21 Jan 1930), aged 37, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Telford, Robert William, 04 Nov 1916, aged 19, Assistant Rolleywayman, kicked by a horse

Vizard, Martin, 10 Dec 1901, aged 35, Small Runner, three small-runners with their full tubs, one behind the other, were standing on a gangway waiting for a man in front getting his tub weighed, when a baulk of timber 12½ ins, by 11 ins. broke; deceased and his tub fell over the gangway side followed by the tub of one of the other men, which fell upon and killed him, Buried: B.V.M. Queen of Martyrs Church, Newhouse, Esh Winning [More information ...]

Wade, Peter, 11 May 1878, (accident: 07 May 1878), aged 65, Collier, fall of stone in a jud ; he had fired a shot which loosened the timber, and having taken in a tub the road was blocked so as he could not get out of the place, although he heard the fall coming on

Wallis, Benjamin, 22 Jan 1914, aged 59, Deputy Overman

Ward, John William, 24 Jun 1898, aged 25, Coke Burner, while attempting to get on to a railway truck in motion he slipped his foot and fell amongst the wheels ; three trucks and the guard's van passed over and killed him [More information ...]

Watson, Matthew Ernest Dodds, 21 Dec 1925, (accident: 28 Aug 1925), aged 30, Filler, he was bitten on the hand by a pony and developed pyaemia, or general blood poisoning, from which he died in Newcastle Infirmary

Welsby, Nicholas, 08 Dec 1954, aged 63, Buried: Esh Winning Cemetery

Wilkinson, Jackson, 24 Jan 1914, (accident: 21 Jan 1914), aged 68, Deputy, suffocated by gases from powder smoke [More information ...]

Young, George, 22 Oct 1884, aged 43, Hewer, fall of stone from goaf edge while working in a broken jud