Etherley Colliery

1826 - Boring operations were commenced at Etherley.

1847 - A bore-hole was put down in the Phoenix Pit, Etherley Colliery, below the thill of the Main Coal Seam; nothing was found.

1862 - Boring operations were commenced at Etherley by William Coulson.

1869 - Rush Pit, Old Etherley Colliery, was sunk from the surface to the Harvey Seam.

1892, 24 Sep - Harvey seam abandoned

1894 - Jane Pit - Five Quarter or Busty seam abandoned - coal exhausted

1912 - Busty, Brockwell seams abandoned

1916, 23 Dec - Constantine seam abandoned

1917 - Constantine, Hutton, Harvey, Busty, Brockwell seams abandoned

1929, 09 Mar - Busty, Brockwell seams abandoned

Alton, George, 23 Jan 1847, Fireman, boiler exploded [date of report]

Barrett, John, 21 Dec 1884, (accident: 05 Dec 1884), aged 54, Shifter, scalded by sludge water from underground boiler ; while cleaning the sump the boilerman opened the sludge valve [More information ...]

Bell, William, 17 Jul 1888, aged 28, Hewer, while ascending a ladder in the pit he fell down and died from natural causes

Bellis, J. W., 22 Jun 1883, aged 23, Incline Man, died from the effects of a sprain received on 22nd January last while lifting a tub on the way

Briddick, Jacob, 13 Apr 1864, aged 17, Pony Putter, was killed while driving his pony in the pit; he had been sitting on the limmers when his head was caught between the tubs and a crowntree; he died 18 hours later

Charlesworth, William, 21 Oct 1871, aged 15, Putter, riding on limmers, head caught by a baulk

Clatworthy, Thomas J., 20 Nov 1883, aged 19, Putter, limbers bolt came out and he fell and was run over by tubs

Cockcroft, Joseph, 06 Oct 1859, aged 15, Rolleydriver, crushed by tubs drawn by his horse

Crossfield, John, 18 May 1868, aged 14, Rolley Driver, a set of tubs struck him on the chest

Dixon, George Henry, 17 Jan 1885, aged 18, Blacksmith, killed by fall of an arching in travelling drift, Buried: St. Cuthbert Parish Churchyard, Etherley [More information ...]

Dobbinson, Robert, 15 Sep 1880, (accident: 08 Sep 1880), aged 39, Deputy, while setting timber in a narrow bord, a horse back fell out from between the props and crushed them; Dobbinson survived till 15th September [More information ...]

Dobson, R., 29 May 1886, aged 42, Engineman, Died from heart disease after coming out of a hot underground boiler which he had been cleaning

Dufton, Arthur, 25 Nov 1901, aged 15, Driver, driving a pony out-bye with two tubs when pony stopped, and as he was passing from back of tubs the pony moved away again, and he slipped and fell between tubs and was killed

Firbank, Thomas, 18 Mar 1867, aged 15, Pony Putter, fall of stone while he had exchanged occupations with the hewer

Furbank, Thomas, 13 Aug 1879, aged 65, Shifter, while taking a tub along the engine plane he was met by the set, run over and killed

Gray, Joseph, 10 May 1877, aged 39, Collier, fall of stone from the roof of his bord while engaged in filling a tub

Grey, John, 29 Apr 1878, aged 14, Bankhead Boy, run over by engine set after knocking off the rope

Hall, Evan, 15 May 1899, aged 39, Hewer, Killed by an explosion of firedamp which ignited at his naked light ; residence: Black-road, Witton Park [More information ...]

Heron, John, 17 Jul 1884, aged 40, Deputy, fall of stone while drawing a broken jud

Iceton, James, 01 Jul 1899, aged 29, Blacksmith, These two men were repairing syphon pipes in the upcast shaft and for the purpose had a baulk across the shaft at the top Busty Seam level, and when they were standing on it it broke and they fell to the Bottom Busty, a distance of 28 yards, and were killed., Buried: West Auckland Cemetery [More information ...]

Iceton, Joseph, 01 Jul 1899, aged 26, Blacksmith, These two men were repairing syphon pipes in the upcast shaft and for the purpose had a baulk across the shaft at the top Busty Seam level, and when they were standing on it it broke and they fell to the Bottom Busty, a distance of 28 yards, and were killed., Buried: West Auckland Cemetery [More information ...]

Inman/Briddick, Jacob, 13 Apr 1864, aged 17, Pony Putter, was killed while driving his pony in the pit; he had been sitting on the limmers when his head was caught between the tubs and a crowntree; he died 18 hours later

Jopling, Morris, 01 Dec 1849, aged 9, [Not Employed], run over by waggons [More information ...]

Lamb, George Thomas, 29 Nov 1881, aged 23, Hewer, fall of stone on travelling way while he was going to work, Buried: West Auckland Cemetery

Lee, Robert, 20 Nov 1903, aged 41, Hewer, they were travelling up a putting jigger, when a tub ran amain, and killed him and injured another man [Recorded in the Inspectors Report as Robert Walton, aged 31], Buried: Escomb Old Cemetery [More information ...]

Lodge, Thomas F., 01 Jan 1907, aged 25, Joiner, caught and crushed between a truck and an upright support of the coal-hopper

Maddison, Anthony, 09 Mar 1864, aged 15, Minding Chocks, crushed by tubs in inclined plane

Marshall, Robert, 23 Apr 1905, aged 35, Shifter, died suddenly of heart disease while sitting outside of the mine previous to going down; had been treated for heart disease for some months; no inquest was held [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Mason, Joseph, 24 Sep 1870, aged 64, Waiter On, gin ran amain and hit him

Maughan, William, 17 Jul 1869, aged 55, Rolleyway Man, killed by a fall of stone

Metcalfe, John, 11 Mar 1873, aged 22, Engine Plane Man, crushed by tubs on engine plane

Moor, William, 20 May 1876, aged 20, Locomotive Fireman, truck run under screens when he was caught and run over

Murphy, Barnard, 26 Jan 1856, (accident: 25 Jan 1856), killed by a fall of stone

Naisbit, Nicholas, 30 Apr 1882, (accident: 27 Apr 1882), aged 64, Horse Driver, crushed between truck and frame at screens

Narry, Lewis, 28 Sep 1905, (accident: 27 Sep 1905), aged 19, Hanger On, struck by a full tub running amain on a jigger 12 yards long, owing to his having failed to attach the rope end to the empty tubs, he died on Sept. 28th

Oxley, Thomas, 09 Jan 1894, (accident: 09 Sep 1893, 1:30 p.m., 3rd hour of shift), aged 31, Hewer, Died to day from injuries received to spine and ribs, caused by a fall of coal on 9th September 1893. [More information ...]

Parkin, Matthew, 27 Apr 1870, aged 29, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal

Patterson, William, 05 Oct 1883, aged 56, Labourer, was lifting a sack of corn at the stables when he is said to have received a sprain, from which he died; the coroner and doctor, however, did not consider death was due to this cause and deemed an inquest unnecessary [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Pedley, John, 11 Aug 1905, aged 55, Shifter, he was preparing a place for a gig incline when a fall of stone occurred , causing severe injuries, from which he died the same day; the roof was full of "slips." [More information ...]

Raine, John Thomas, 11 Mar 1914, aged 25, Hand Putter, Deceased was going into a bord out of a crosscut to seek a full tub, and had not a tub with him. When under the crossing baulk, it, and the planks carried by it, fell, letting down a large stone. The deceased was covered, but was soon got out. He died on the way outbye from injury to the bowels. It was found that due to a slip at the left side just over the coal, the stone had lain heavy on the coal and timber. The coal gave way and the stone fell, knocking out the prop under one end of the crossing baulk., Buried: Witton-le-Wear Cemetery

Sewell, Thomas, 10 Jun 1878, aged 45, Engineman, while screwing up the hand hole of a boiler the bolt broke, causing a rush of hot water, which scalded him severely all over his body

Thompson, George, 11 May 1846, shaft accident [More information ...]

Thompson, George, 24 May 1865, aged 24, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Thompson, Michael, 11 May 1846, shaft accident [More information ...]

Thompson, Nathan, 21 Sep 1917, aged 50, Buried: St. Cuthbert Parish Churchyard, Etherley

Vickers, William, 11 Nov 1891, aged 14, Helper Up, was found dead in the entrance to an adit; death supposed to have been caused by suffocation from gases, but a post-mortem examination revealed that the symptoms were not consistent with gas-poisoning, and that it probably resulted from syncope, caused by over-exhaustion while playing at football

Walker, Charles H., 01 Sep 1909, aged 28, Hewer, He was hewing under an unsupported caunch of top stone, when it fell and fatally injured him. The stone ought to have been supported. The timbering distance in this seam was too great and was reduced by the manager

Walton, John, 21 Mar 1899, aged 23, Hewer, He was sent to work in a broken lift, but had gone into the goaf to reach some coal which had been left next to a "hitch," when a large stone fell upon and killed him., Buried: Evenwood Cemetery

Webster, Thomas, 11 Jul 1863, aged 15, Driver, crushed by rope in underground engine plane

Wilkinson, Ephraim, 08 Sep 1880, aged 36, Collier, while setting timber in a narrow bord, a horse back fell out from between the props and crushed them; Dobbinson survived till 15th September [More information ...]

Yarker, John, 22 Dec 1886, aged 22, Putter, Received slight injury to fingers he afterwards got cold and died from inflammation of the lungs

Yetts, Thomas, 05 Jun 1869, aged 42, Sinker, fell out of kibble

Young, William, 16 Jan 1865, aged 74, Furnaceman, crushed by set of tubs on plane, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Escomb on 29 Jan 1865 {NBI}