Ellesmere Colliery

Bolsworth, Thomas, 24 Jun 1908, aged 21, Dataller, Fall of roof. In main haulage road while repairing. No support to roof. A fall of roof occurred before 6 a.m., four or five tubs in quantity. Thomas Tyldesley, fireman, sent Brooks and two others to remove this fall. Tyldesley got to the place soon after and examined the roof, knocked at it and said it was safe. He left the men and in three or four minutes a large fall of roof ocourred. Bolsworth was killed. Brooks injured, and another man had a narrow escape. The latter was just about to step under to remove a stone, a stride forward and he would have been killed. On one side of fall a slippery, glassy parting, clearly showing the fatal fall came from this. The first fall should have been a warning to pull down or support a further impending fall. (Good roof) (Trencherbone seam) [More information ...]

Burton, William, 13 May 1892, 8.30 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 37, Dataller, Piece of shale about 1½cwt. fell from a slippery parting in roof, undetected. Repairing an old water level

Cook, Joseph, 16 Jun 1893, aged 25, Collier, Whilst building a pack in goaf 9 feet from face a large fall 6 yards square by 5 feet thick caught him. It came over a number of props. Probably from a weighting

Cooke, Ralph, 27 Apr 1910, (accident: 21 Apr 1910), aged 60, Manager, Crushed by tub against roof. Riding in an empty waggon, one of a train of 24 being drawn by a main and tail haulage rope, travelling 1¼ miles per hour. Only 4 inches clearance from top of waggon. Probably deceased's attention was taken from looking forwards by his looking at side pulley just before he got to the low place. Died 27th (Trencherbone seam)

Cooke, William, 13 Aug 1908, aged 46, Collier, Fall of roof. In roadway while repairing, from pronounced slips, plainly to be seen, was preparing to set a bar. Ought to have had three temporary props set in middle of the road. (Good roof, locally bad) (Trencherbone seam)

Coucill, R., 05 Mar 1883, aged 39, Miner, Slip

Duddle, Joseph, 16 Apr 1873, aged 26, Coal Miner, Side stone falling as he was holing

Farnworth, J., 26 May 1883, aged 17, Waggoner, Slips

Fletcher, James, 23 Jul 1881, aged 28, Sinker, Thrown out of the hoppet, through its catching the banking waggon at a mouthing below which the shaft was being deepened ; a misunderstanding as to the signal

Flood, Michael, 16 May 1879, (accident: 03 Apr 1879), aged 33, Miner, Died apparently from a slight injury 3rd Apr when a piece of coal knocked his head against a prop

Gorton, James, 04 Nov 1874, aged 12, Wagoner, Roof falling between two props at a slip as he was filling his tub

Hall, James, 27 Mar 1885, aged 45, Miner, Fatal fall of top coal which burst off the face through a bump in the Trencherbone Mine, while he was getting up bottom coal.

Hodgkinson, Alfred, 01 Dec 1921, aged 58, Dataller, Neck dislocated caused by tubs

Lane, George, 11 Apr 1874, aged 43, Coal miner, Roof falling as he was taking out props

Langan, James, 24 Nov 1908, aged 38, Collier, Fall of roof. At face, pulling coal, roof fell from between two pronounced slips, both well known, fall 16 ft. long 4 ft. wide ; great recklessness. 7 ft. in length between slips unsupported in this space he stood ; two props would have saved his life. In such places bars should be used. The officials should have seen to this. (Good roof, locally bad) (Trencherbone seam)

Leach, William Henry, 05 Nov 1907, 11.30 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 21, Collier, At working face from between a pronounced slip and a weight break, both known. Timbering distance 4 feet, the distance from props to face was 5 feet and two props in the row were 5 feet 2 inches apart Fall 11 feet long. Father to deceased was prevented attending work by an accident. He was a good man and would have carried out the rules. (Roof good) (Trencherbone seam)

Lofthouse, Percy, 03 Jul 1914, aged 26, Blacksmith's Striker, Deceased and his mate were removing an iron bar from the iron store. The bar overpowered them, and in falling disturbed some other bars which also fell away. These bars in their descent caught deceased and knocked him down. He sustained a fractured skull and died almost immediately

Naylor, Peter, 20 Jun 1882, (accident: 15 Jun 1882), aged 49, Miner, Roof from pot hole. Died 20th Manchester Infirmary

Partington, Jesse, 25 Nov 1880, aged 31, Leg broken, &c. When gigging, he turned the break wheel the wrong way, which allowed the empty tubs to run against him

Percival, William, 23 Sep 1890, aged 26, Miner, Killed by roof from slips where he was cutting bottom

Pollitt, Adam, 23 Nov 1874, aged 12, Boy, Head caught by the acsending cage as he was descending

Royle, Richard, 25 Sep 1873, aged 22, Coal Miner, Coal and dirt falling off an unseen slip

Stones, John, 24 Jun 1902, 11.50 p.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 39, Dataller, Fall of roof in roadway whilst repairing. Although deceased expressed to the firemen a suspicion, the fireman failed to act. He ought to have directed the suspicious part either to have been pulled down or supported (Good roof) (Trencherbone)

Thornley, Thomas, 18 Feb 1882, aged 45, Dayman, Roof taking props

Thornley, Walter, 13 Feb 1907, 7.40 a.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 33, Shunter, Riding on the locomotive engine, got off on the opposite side to that of the points lever, was attempting to cross directly in front of the moving engine to open the points, when he slipped on the frozen ground and the engine passed over him

Tinsley, Edwin, 11 Jun 1913, aged 48, Dataller, Fall of roof in airway whilst repairing. One prop only supporting a large stone ; the prop was pushed out (Trencherbone seam)

Tonge, James, 19 Oct 1894, aged 53, Collier, Fall of roof in working place from pothole which ought to have been seen and supported

Twigge, Samuel, 20 Apr 1900, 11.30 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 41, Collier, Fall of roof in working place whilst taking out a prop ; striking with hammer standing on goaf side of prop, stone from roof above prop fell on him. There was a gablock annmd chain a few yards away. (Good roof.) (Trencherbone Mine)

Walton, James, 03 Jan 1898, (accident: 30 Dec 1897), aged 65, Collier, Fall of coal from working face. Reckless disregard of slips and want of sprag at loose corner. Died 3rd January 1898

Worthington, Isaac, 22 Jul 1873, aged 13, Pony driver, Caught between loaded tub waggons in the pony road

Worthington, James Ernest, 09 Jan 1914, aged 33, Fireman, Deceased was crushed by a set of empty tubs in a self-acting jigbrow. The first of ten descending full tubs left the rails at the top end of meetings, and with the assistance of the jigger, deceased put the tub on the rails again. The jigger then ran the set, but when the empty set arrived at the bank head, he found the deceased inside the first empty tub seriously injured. Worthington died on the way to the Infirmary. He probably rode up the brow and was crushed against a low portion of the road

Yates, M., 12 Dec 1883, aged 22, Miner, Fall of roof