Frickley Colliery

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Abbott, John W., 26 Dec 1924, (accident: 28 Nov 1924, 11 a.m., 6th hour of shift), aged 57, Collier, Two hewers were bringing a full tub from the face to the gate and one of them had his thumb crushed between the tub and another one which was already standing in the gate. The wound was dressed and he went out of the pit, calling at the hospital on his way home. He attended as an out-patient and the wound was dressed daily but it turned septic and tetanus supervened, resulting in his death on 26th December

Barsley, J. W., 28 Aug 1913, aged 22, Collier, Whilst barring down a piece of coal it rolled off sideways owing to an end slip running into an ordinary back slip. The coal knocked out a prop, the end of which hit deceased in the stomach and caused a rupture which was not discovered until peritonitis set in

Bassindale, Dennis Arthur, 15 Oct 1936, aged 37, Ripper, Cutting was in progress when three rippers were going outbye at end of shift and there was heavy fall displacing several steel supports. They were completely buried. Bodies recovered following day [More information ...]

Bolas, J., 09 Feb 1914, aged 19, Run-rider, Deceased came out by the haulage road, and when in the shaft siding was caught between some tubs and juts which were fixed to regulate the traffic. Had the rule prohibiting persons travelling on the haulage road been strictly enforced the accident could not have happened

Bradley, John, 03 Feb 1933, aged 61, Collier, At start of shift he was proceeding up a passbye 30 yards outbye of face when there was a fall of side and knocked him against set of tubs

Brown, John Robert, 14 Sep 1945, (accident: 06 Sep 1945), aged 50, Manriding accident. He was severely injured on 7's unit paddy road in the Barnsley bed seam, both femurs crushed and he later of blood poisoning

Caulton, Joseph, 14 Jan 1940, (accident: 04 Mar 1939), aged 50, Stone contractor, A ripper attempted to loosen a piece of band and he was pushing at a ringer with his forehead. It was found later spine was dislocated. Continued to work. Died in hospital when spinal condition discovered after second dislocation. Died 14th Jan. 1940

Coates, William, 23 Sep 1910, aged 18, Pony Driver, Whilst bringing seven full tubs down a road, dipping from 3 ins. to 13 ins. in the yard, with a pony harnessed with sling gear, he was run over by the first tub and killed instantly. He had three lockers in the wheels

Collins, John, 26 Sep 1911, aged 38, Stoneman, He was pulling some loose coal from the side of a Main Gate in the shaft pillar preparatory to setting a sprag, when a triangular piece of coal and bind weighing 1½ tons fell upon him and partially buried him. He died shortly afterwards from fracture of the spine

Danks, Mark, 15 Oct 1936, aged 41, Cutting was in progress when three rippers were going outbye at end of shift and there was heavy fall displacing several steel supports. They were completely buried. Bodies recovered following day [More information ...]

Evans, William, 28 Dec 1931, Deputy, overcome by gas while making an inspection before the pit restarted after the Christmas holidays [More information ...]

Foley, John, 17 Dec 1914, aged 37, Bricklayer's Labourer, They were sitting in a cabin erected at the foot of a reinforced concrete retaining wall when part of the wall fell away, burying them. The wall was built to retain a dirt heap and was 12 inches thick for a height of 18 feet from a point 4 feet from the ground with a batter against the dirt of 1 in 3 2/3. The wall was built up in horizontal sections and gave way at a horizontal joint for want of sufficient tying and cohesion of the adjoining sections for a length of 50 yards along the wall [More information ...]

Frost, Charles Herbert, 20 Aug 1924, 10.30 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 56, Stoneman, Deceased and his mate were renewing timber and girders on a main engine plane, the roof and sides of which were bad. On previous shifts they had put up four girders, three of which were supported by means of jockey props on a running girder across a refuge hole. This running girder had previously supported the old girders, but was low on account of the increased height of the roadway, and had therefore to be raised to the height of the new girders. At the time of the accident the men were clearing the floor preparatory to setting props under the cross girders in order to get out the running one, when, without warning, the girders fell together with about three tons of loose material resting on them, burying deceased, who was dead when got out six hours later. There is no doubt that the clearing away of the stone near the floor caused the loose stone on the sides and roof to run, and the jockey props were swayed out, with the result stated

Godley, A. E., 15 Sep 1909, (accident: 03 Sep 1909), aged 40, Main Road Corporal, He was lifting a full tub on to the rails when the pulley holding the full rope broke, allowing the rope to fall. It caught on the hook of a timber tram pulling some full tubs forward. Godley was crushed between the tubs and the side, and so seriously injured that he died on 15th September

Gray, Thomas, 14 Dec 1924, (accident: 01 Dec 1924, 2.30 a.m., 4th hour of shift), aged 44, Stoneman, Two stonemen were sent to take out a bar on the engine plane as it was too low for the tubs to pass beneath. When they got to the place they came to the conclusion that they had not sufficient time to take out the bar and as it was a thick one they decided to cut out a portion on the under side. They did not take the precaution to put in any lining timber. They made four incisions with a saw and then began to wedge the cut portions away. While they were doing this the bar gave way and the running timber and debris fell and deceased was struck by the timber and partially buried. He was seriously injured and died 13 days later. Had they taken the precaution to put up lining timber the accident would probably not have occurred

Griffin, Thomas, 29 Oct 1908, aged 45, Dataller, He was engaged in building a gate side pack but went to the next place to borrow a saw, and, when standing at a junction, a large stone fell from the roof and killed him. The stone was 15 ft. long by 3 ft, 6 ins. wide by 2 ft. thick, and it fell from an unforeseen slip

Haugham, R., 17 Jan 1910, aged 27, Assistant Shunter, He was sent by the shunter to lower two full wagons on to five more, about 100 yards on the low side of the screens. He was trying to couple one of these on to the five, when his pole got fast, probably between the link and drawbar, and he went between the wagons to liberate it. Whilst he was doing this, the other waggon bumped into the train and he was crushed between the buffers

Hinchcliffe, Horace, 01 Jul 1909, aged 15, Trapper, He was found with his head crushed between full tubs which were being lowered by gravity to the pit bottom. There was no reason for his going between the tubs

Howarth, Thomas, 28 Dec 1931, Deputy, overcome by gas while making an inspection before the pit restarted after the Christmas holidays [More information ...]

Jefferson, George, 24 Jun 1933, aged 36, Stone worker, Four men were laying a turn at a junction of a gate supported by three girders resting on running girders set across the gate — single wood props were set when there was a bump and running girders collapsed striking him and killing him instantly

Jeffrey, Walter, 27 Aug 1934, aged 56, Pit bottom hand, Lowering set of empty tubs in shaft siding with a scotch in rear wheel when following set gravitated and he was crushed. Died 6 days later

Jones, Kenneth, 06 Oct 1934, (accident: 05 Oct 1934), aged 18, Haulage hand, He pushed a set of 4 empty trams from main return airway near shaft and entered a road dipping 1 in 16 — he followed tram through separation door and held door open and pressure of air closed door violently which struck his head. Died following day

Kitching, Joseph, 28 Dec 1931, Deputy, overcome by gas while making an inspection before the pit restarted after the Christmas holidays [More information ...]

May, William, 17 Dec 1914, aged 40, Bricklayer, They were sitting in a cabin erected at the foot of a reinforced concrete retaining wall when part of the wall fell away, burying them. The wall was built to retain a dirt heap and was 12 inches thick for a height of 18 feet from a point 4 feet from the ground with a batter against the dirt of 1 in 3 2/3. The wall was built up in horizontal sections and gave way at a horizontal joint for want of sufficient tying and cohesion of the adjoining sections for a length of 50 yards along the wall [More information ...]

Melding, J., 17 Sep 1937, aged 45, Miner, killed by a fall of coal

Miles, Jesse, 14 Oct 1911, aged 26, Assistant Onsetter, He and others were pushing empty tubs off the cage at the pit bottom. The "fallers" were not in position to catch the surface cage, with the result that it dropped about 15 feet and jerked up the bottom cage. Miles was crushed between the cage and the inset bar

Mills, Leonard Charles, 15 Oct 1936, aged 26, Machineman, Cutting was in progress when three rippers were going outbye at end of shift and there was heavy fall displacing several steel supports. They were completely buried. Bodies recovered following day [More information ...]

Mills, Thomas, 03 Jun 1933, aged 21, Underground fitter, Travelling outbye on endless rope haulage road and was found lying in full tub track — lamp was found on a set 30 yards away. Presumed to have been riding. Died ten and half months later

Page, Alfred, 07 Jul 1933, aged 33, Contractor, At a crossgate he went under a ripping to attach chain of a Sylvester to a prop to withdraw a girder from under ripping. He had successfully withdrawn the girder and was waiting for the roof to settle when it suddenly collapsed and killed him

Parsons, James, 28 Dec 1931, Deputy, overcome by gas while making an inspection before the pit restarted after the Christmas holidays [More information ...]

Perkins, Wilfred, 04 Oct 1933, aged 17, Engine driver, Going to short length of passbye in a new gate it was necessary to adjust usual haulage operations — full tubs were drawn out by rope, empty tubs attached at lower end and combined set removed from crossgate into gate passbye — he was standing at junction

Pickup, James, 28 Dec 1931, Deputy, overcome by gas while making an inspection before the pit restarted after the Christmas holidays [More information ...]

Platts, T. A., 26 Nov 1909, aged 21, Driver, He was running in front of a train of full tubs drawn by a horse, when he stumbled and was run over

Pratt, E. W., 22 Mar 1909, aged 24, Assistant Boiler Fireman, Deceased was caught in an overhead shafting which drives the mechanical stokers, and was whirled round and killed. It is conjectured that he was oiling the machinery when in motion

Reed, Thomas, 10 Jan 1908, aged 38, Stoneman, He was working in a level taking some side off, and he and another man were fixing a drilling machine. To do this, it was necessary to cut a hole in the stone. He was in the act of doing this, when he fell backwards with his neck on a loose sleeper lying by the side of the road. Death was almost instantaneous, his neck being broken by the fall

Rhodes, Ernest, 19 Jun 1934, aged 16, Haulage hand, Reducing number of loops on haulage rope of a lashing chain attached to front set of slow moving tubs and walking backwards when he stepped into space between sleepers and trapped his foot — run over and killed

Richards, Harry, 12 May 1908, aged 17, Pony Driver, He was bringing a set of four full tubs out from the face to the pass-bye and was in front of his pony when he stumbled and fell. The first tub ran over and killed him

Ryles, John, 31 May 1910, aged 30, Collier, He was trying to pull down holed coal from under which he had previously drawn a sprag. When the coal fell, it knocked the end of the bar he was using into his stomach, and fatally injured him

Smedley, Thomas, 04 Dec 1909, aged 49, Collier, Fall of side. A bump burst a large slab of coal off the face. Smedley was pinned between the coal and a face prop and killed on the spot

Smith, Norman, 23 Oct 1937, aged 23, Miner, he was struck by a stone weighing 2 cwt., which fell from the roof while he was shining a light for a workmate who was preparing to set a girder

Speight, John William, 25 Nov 1913, aged 51, Collier, Deceased was engaged in ripping a gate road. After taking down a small portion of soft coal he began to fall the coal into a tub, and while so occupied a fall of stone occurred from the upper part of the ripping and killed him. The fall came away from joints in the stone opened up, no doubt by removing the coal underneath. The road was 9 feet wide by fully 9 feet high, and the face of the ripping being in line with a branch road to the left (which tended to weaken the strata), it would have been safer to have secured the lip of the bind by a stay, tightened against the nearest crown, or set sprag fashion from the floor

Stables, W., 08 Mar 1903, aged 58, Labourer, Unknown to anyone he had gone under some trucks to grease the axles. The trucks were moved by the locomotive and he was run over. The trucks were small ones used to convey excavated soil at a sinking pit, and had no axle boxes, but Stables could have greased them without going under them

Turner, J., 06 Jan 1938, aged 34, Fitter, killed by the fumes from an underground fire [date of inquest]

Turner, J. W., 28 Dec 1937, aged 34, Fitter, overcome by fumes from an underground fire [More information ...]

White, Joseph, 15 Jun 1934, aged 20, Haulage hand, Set of 12 empties were usually drawn from terminus of haulage beyond loading point by hand as there as a breakage — when uncoulpling they moved and his head was crushed between tubs

Williams, Edgar Kilsby, 20 Mar 1931, aged 42

Wood, Thomas, 22 Nov 1912, aged 45, Screen Greaser, He was trapped by a picking belt when working alone during the 15th hour of work. He was found crushed between the picking belt and a shoot. There was no evidence to show what he was doing at the time, but he was probably climbing over the belt to a platform a few feet above. A proper ladderway was provided to give access to this platform

Woodhouse, T., 15 Jun 1910, aged 14, Lamp Carrier, He was walking down a road on which empty tubs run away from the pit bottom when a train of three tubs ran over him. A notice is posted up at the road end forbidding anyone to travel that way, and he had no business at the place of accident

Woolverton, Thomas, 13 Apr 1910, aged 46, Collier, A fall of roof in a working place. The fall displaced timber and disclosed converging slips