Houghall Colliery

1840 - Boring operations commenced on Houghall estate, near Durham.

1841 - A sinking was put down from surface to the Hutton Seam on Houghall estate by the Elvet Coal Company.

1842 - Houghall Colliery and Brancepeth Colliery commenced shipping coal.

1880 - A couple of bore-holes were put down below the thill of the Hutton Seam at Houghall Colliery, proving the lower coals to be worthless at this point.

Atkinson, Michael, 19 Jan 1846, aged 26, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, left a wife and three children

Collings, Thomas, 12 Feb 1884, aged 52, Hewer, fall of stone from roof while working in a broken jud, Buried: Shincliffe, St. Mary the Virgin on 15 Feb 1884 {NBI}

Crasswell, James, 30 Nov 1856, (accident: 29 Nov 1856), Banksman, he was lengthening a rope with the help of some other men in the engine house. He was in a stooping position with the rope between his legs, when it slipped through a pair of clams fixed to it to support it, and he was thrown violently against the engine house roof and fell a distance of 20 feet. His head was cut and bruised, and he was unconscious. He died the following morning, 30 November

Cresswell, Thomas, 30 Apr 1865, aged 13, Branch Driver, run over by waggons on the branches

Crooks, Robert Smith, 18 Jul 1873, aged 49, Hewer, crushed by horse and set of tubs

Crossthwaite, Henry, 30 Jan 1884, (accident: 29 Jan 1884), aged 22, Driver, severely crushed by being knocked down and trampled on by his horse

Dodsworth, James, 29 Aug 1866, aged 50, Screenman, was crushed to death between two waggons at the screens

Higgins, John, 08 Jun 1868, aged 16, Pony Putter, fall of stone in broken [More information ...]

Jackson, Thomas, 17 Jul 1877, (accident: 27 Jun 1877), aged 32, Deputy, burnt by explosion of gas in East Way; went into place at a fault, surrounded by goaf, with a candle, in order to make it ready for removing pillars, Buried: Shincliffe, St. Mary the Virgin, on 19 Jul 1877 {NBI}

Jarvis, James, 23 Oct 1867, aged 23, Hewer, fall of stone in broken

Race, Robert, 22 Nov 1870, aged 13, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Robson, Joseph, 11 Jan 1877, aged 16, Putter, fell out of cage while descending, too many boys crushed in overloading cage [Sunderland Daily Echo reports: accident - 12 Jan 1877 pg 4 col 2]

Soulsby, Abraham, 30 Oct 1861, aged 15, Driver, killed by a fall of stone

Sutherland, Robert, 15 Sep 1874, aged 39, Engineplane Man, crushed by engine set, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Houghton Colliery, cause: run over by coal tubs (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/82)

Tindle, William Martin, 08 Feb 1872, aged 38, Blacksmith, crushed by set of tubs on an incline, Buried: Shincliffe, St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard

Willis, William, 15 Feb 1879, aged 45, Overman, fall of stone while drawing a jud, Buried: Shincliffe, St. Mary the Virgin on 19 Feb 1879 {NBI}

Winham, Walter, 12 Mar 1866, aged 36, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone