Hamstead Colliery

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Adams, John, 14 Sep 1910, aged 26, Loader, A "bump" occurred in a Thick Coal working, and was immediately followed by a heavy fall of roof coal over an area 20 ft. by 15 ft. and 5 ft. thick. Six props were discharged and the two deceased were killed instantly [More information ...]

Aldridge, George, 01 Mar 1909, (accident: 07 Jan 1909), aged 36, Loader, Fall of Side. Deceased was taking off coal from the side of a Thick Coal stall, when a "bump" caused a piece of coal weighing about 4 cwts. to fall, exposing a slip at the back of it. The piece of coal knocked deceased down and fractured one of his legs. He was taken to the hospital where he died on March 1st from pneumonia following upon the injuries received

Ashton, Richard, 04 Mar 1908, aged 33, Haulage Man, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Aston, J., 06 Oct 1936, aged 61, Pikeman, killed by a fall of roof

Atkins, Norman, 20 Aug 1934, aged 32, Loader, buried by 60 tons of material

Bail, Henry, 12 Jul 1887, aged 56, Pikeman, Fall of coal in a thick coal opening which injured deceased fatally and another seriously. Cause: a sharp bump

Bailey, Joseph, 21 Nov 1911, aged 56, Stallman, Deceased had finished his work in the opening, and was walking down the side of a heap of coal towards the gate road, when a large piece of coal and top dirt fell off the lip of the road and struck him down. Simultaneously a quantity of loose coal rolled from the upper part of the heap and buried him. When released he was found to have died from suffocation. There was a visible line of fracture at both ends of the piece of coal which fell. It should have been got down

Banks, James, 19 Dec 1914, aged 45, Loader, Deceased was working at some side laning in a Thick Coal stall. He had partly undergotten a length of coal, but as the coal was very strong, the stallman thought a shot necessary to get it down. Deceased was cutting it a little at the fast end when the piece fell, and he apparently stepped in front of it, being killed instantly. The fall was 10 feet long, 4 feet thick at the top, and the height of the place 6 feet. It came off to a slip at the back, running to the loose end

Beison, John Edward, 23 Feb 1909, aged 37, Loader, Deceased was redding and packing on a main haulage road which dipped 1 in 9 inbye. The haulage was by endless rope at a speed of two miles per hour. The loaded tubs were attached to the rope in sets of four by a screw-down clamp in front, and a two-pronged fork was attached to the back of the last tub in each set. The empty tubs were attached in sets of eight by similar clamps fore and aft, on account of irregularities in the gradient. An empty set had apparently become derailed and the clamp in front of it broken. Pressed forward by the rear clamp, the set buckled across the road, caught an outgoing full set, broke the clamp in front of it, and set the tubs amain. The strain on the rope at the point lifted it off the floor, and the fork being astride, slid along without derailing the tubs or impeding their motion. Deceased presumably concluded from the noise made by the empty tubs that they had broken away, and stepped across to the full road to avoid them The loaded tubs ran back rapidly and comparatively noiselessly, and crushed him against the following loaded set, killing him instantly. The accident shows the unreliability of a two-pronged fork under such conditions

Bradley, James, 04 Mar 1908, aged 45, Haulage Man, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Broomhall, George William, 23 Jun 1910, (accident: 09 Jun 1910), aged 18, Gripper, Deceased was working at a curve in the haulage road when, owing to the breakage of a drawbar of a tub, two full tubs ran back, and a piece of coal, thrown off one of the tubs, struck him in the abdomen and caused injuries from which he died 14 days later

Burton, Enoch, 04 Mar 1908, aged 39, Loader, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Bytheway, Edward, 18 Dec 1900, (accident: 09 Dec 1900), aged 25, Loader, Explosion of fire-damp. Died December 18th

Carter, Thomas, 04 Sep 1893, aged 38, Dataller, Fell from scaffold into sump of upcast shaft

Cole, Thomas, 04 Mar 1908, aged 34, Loader, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Collins, James, 10 Oct 1913, aged 29, Stallman, Deceased was engaged in taking down the top layers of the Thick Coal in a small opening. The opening was apparently adequately timbered, but a "bump" occurred which reeled out the timber and a fall resulted. Deceased was almost liberated from the first fall when a second one occurred completely burying him

Collins, John, 15 May 1933, aged 66, Pipeman, killed by a fall of roof, brother of Samuel [More information ...]

Collins, Samuel, 15 May 1933, aged 56, Pipeman, killed by a fall of roof, brother of John [More information ...]

Courthnall, Alfred, 09 Jun 1891, aged 24, Loader, Fall of coal from bump

Courtnell, William, 18 Aug 1901, aged 20, Stallman, Explosion of fire-damp. Cause, naked lights and inadequate ventilation [More information ...]

Curtis, Alfred Thomas, 04 Mar 1908, aged 34, Loader, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Dolan, Francis George, 27 Oct 1913, aged 38, Deputy, Deceased had been in the stall where the accident happened and had carefully examined it three times previously during the shift. The stall was almost finished and deceased was evidently anxious for the safety of his men. He took two stallmen with him on to some fallen coal and sounded the roof over the whole area of the stall, even sounding the piece which afterwards fell and caused his death. After sounding the roof deceased and the stallmen turned and were coming down off the coal when the stone fell and struck deceased on the back of the neck, fracturing it. Dolan was an experienced and careful man, being respected by officials and workmen alike

Edwards, Alfred, 06 Nov 1919, Explosion of gas [More information ...]

Edwards, Alfred, 16 Dec 1921, Buried a month previous at the Hamstead Colliery and had still not been recovered (Colliery Guradian) [More information ...]

Evans, James, 21 Jun 1907, 11 a.m., aged 55, Stallman, Deceased and another man were working in a small opening in Thick coal seam about 6 feet in height, when there was a heavy "bump" and the top coal, about 3 feet 6 inches thick, and a tough shale, 8 inches thick, fell all over the opening, breaking over the timbers. Deceased was completely buried and it took nearly two hours to recover the body. He had tapped the top coal shortly before the accident. The under-manager visited the place at 8 a.m. and remarked upon its good condition

Finch, Albert, 18 Jul 1911, aged 36, Loader, Killed by fall of roof

Flavell, John, 19 Jun 1902, aged 24, Deputy's companion, Poisoned by carbonic oxide from an underground fire while travelling return airway [More information ...]

Gill, Thomas, 01 Jun 1888, aged 25, Stallman, Fall of coal in a thick coal stall. Cause, a bump which knocked out a tree

Goodwin, Charles H., 30 Apr 1890, aged 13, Door boy, Crushed between tub and door

Guest, John, 04 Mar 1908, aged 27, Deputy, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Gwilliams, Thomas, 21 Aug 1902, 7 p.m., aged 28, Driver, Crushed between tub (drawn by horse) and post at side of road. No one saw how the accident occurred

Hall, John, 21 Apr 1898, aged 39, Stallman, Fall of rock roof in a thick coal stall

Hancox, James, 04 Mar 1908, Driver, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Hands, William, 24 May 1911, (accident: 08 Feb 1911), aged 34, Loader, Deceased had been down the pit, but as there was no work for him he, with eight others, returned to the surface, some of the men alighting from one side of the cage and some from the other. Deceased was the last to pass the banksman, who then proceeded to push the empty tubs on to the cage, but on turning round he saw deceased fastened under one of the drop cages used for the simultaneous decking. He was severely crushed and died on 24th May. Why deceased went under the fence and beneath the drop cages instead of taking the proper road is inexplicable

Harper, William, 22 Sep 1908, aged 43, Pikeman

Hinchcliffe, Ernest, 26 Jan 1911, aged 27, Loader, He was assisting a pony driver to turn an empty tub at the tumbling place in a gate road of a Thick Coal working when a "bump" occurred, rending the coal floor and discharging two settings of timber, immediately followed by a heavy fall of roof which fell upon deceased and killed him instantly

Hodgkins, William, 03 Nov 1896, aged 28, Pikeman, Fall of coal in main return airway

Hodgkiss, John, 04 Mar 1908, aged 17, Timekeeper, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Hodgson, John, 04 Mar 1908, aged 29, Minding Dams, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Hollyoak, Thomas, 04 Mar 1908, aged 39, Haulage Man, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Howell, Joseph, 04 Mar 1908, aged 35, Deputy, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Hughes, Charles, 19 Jun 1911, aged 42, Loader, Deceased was filling a tub in an opening in the Thick Coal, when a "bump" occurred, causing a piece of coal to be projected from an unseen slip. He was struck on the back and severely injured. He died on the same day

Hughes, Joseph, 29 Feb 1908, aged 48, Under Manager, Deceased, the Manager, and a deputy were spraying water upon a fire in the main return aircourse, presumably caused by a small furnace which had been in use for about two years for the purpose of drying the return air, the moisture in which had been found to affect the strata forming the roof and sides, and to cause frequent falls. Deceased inadvertently turned the spray upon the heated side, when the rock immediately cracked, and a heavy fall took place completely burying him and slightly injuring the others. Deceased was covered by about three tons of heated rock. He was extricated in an hour and a-half but was found to be dead

Humphries, Walter, 28 Aug 1905, 1 p.m., aged 38, Examiner, Poisoned by gob-stink

James, Alfred, 26 Jul 1889, aged 15, Errand boy, Drowned in canal basin

Jenkins, John, 08 May 1902, 1 p.m., aged 67, Dataller, Crushed between tubs and door. The tubs appeared to have been insufficiently lockered when left in shunt, and they ran by gravitation to where Jenkins was repairing a door frame

Johnson, Edwin, 04 Mar 1908, aged 30, Loader, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Jones, Ernest, 04 Mar 1908, aged 31, Loader, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Jones, Thomas, 12 Jan 1901, aged 29, Pikeman, Fall of roof, coal, and timber in the thick coal seam. Cause, "a bump"

Knowles, Joseph, 17 Jul 1899, aged 42, Pikeman, Fall of roof undergoing in a Brooch Coal head when resetting timber

Lawley, William, 04 Mar 1908, aged 27, Minding Dams, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Little, Albert, 23 Mar 1905, 3.10 p.m., aged 26, Loader, Fall of roof (coal) in an opening in the Thick coal when the coal had only been got out to a height of 6 feet. On the occurrence of a bump a large piece of roof coal fell from between two slips knocking out two or three posts set under it

Lockley, Henry, 21 May 1886, (accident: 07 May 1886), aged 35, Loader, Died 21st May. A piece of coal which was on a heap 14 feet high rolled down and crushed him against a tub

Lunn, Benjamin, 01 Nov 1905, 6.30 p.m., aged 39, Loader, While repairing in a steep part of an endless rope haulage road a tub which had been left at the top of the steep part with two lockers in the wheels, was bumped by other tubs shoved by a waggoner, and ran uncontrolled down the steep part and ran on to deceased

Mascall, John, 15 May 1888, (accident: 14 May 1888), aged 14, Door boy, Died 15th May. Hs head was crushed against the roof when riding in an empty tub. The tub bad by some means left the rails

Merrick, Arthur, 04 Mar 1908, aged 23, Driver, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Mitchell, Samuel, 04 Mar 1908, aged 44, Stallman, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Morley, Edgar, 18 Aug 1901, aged 22, Loader, Explosion of fire-damp. Cause, naked lights and inadequate ventilation [More information ...]

Morris, Frank, 15 May 1933, aged 47, Pit Carpenter, killed by a fall of roof [More information ...]

Nightingale, Job, 14 Dec 1900, aged 44, Stallman, Fall of coal in thick coal opening from side of a pillar. Cause, a bump

Nightingale, Richard, 26 Aug 1889, aged 34, Stallman, Rate of coal from side. Cause: a heavy bump

Nightingale, William, 14 Sep 1910, aged 46, Pikeman, A "bump" occurred in a Thick Coal working, and was immediately followed by a heavy fall of roof coal over an area 20 ft. by 15 ft. and 5 ft. thick. Six props were discharged and the two deceased were killed instantly [More information ...]

Page, Thomas, 31 May 1878, aged 50, Sinker, Fall of the side of a roadway in red measures driven for pound-room near sinking pit [More information ...]

Peckover, John, 31 Oct 1901, aged 30, Loader, Fall of roof. For some reason he went under the coal which the stallman was getting down. It fell upon him and killed him

Peniket, Charles, 01 Apr 1924, 10.0 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 36, Stallman, Deceased was engaged getting down top coal. He was standing on a heap of loose coal in order to use his pick on the top coal, and it is thought that he slipped, because the coal came away (from a hidden slip) easier than he expected, and fell under the falling coal. He is said to have been an exceptionally experienced man. and it is difficult to see how the accident could have been avoided

Peniket, John, 08 Oct 1908, aged 46, Stallman, Deceased was working at the side in a stall of the Thick Coal, his son and another man being also employed in the stall, when suddenly a "bump" reeled out part of the timber and brought down a quantity of top coal. Deceased was knocked down, partially buried with his face on the floor, and was suffocated. The deputy had been in the stall less than five minutes before the accident, and considered it safe and well timbered

Pershouse, Joseph, 02 Jun 1882, aged 47, Sinker, The engineman ran the descending bowk with great force into the bottom of the shaft, killed this man, and injured two others

Richards, Thomas, 27 Jul 1896, aged 40, Pikeman, Fall of coal caused by heavy bump

Riley, George, 09 Apr 1906, 7.30 p.m., aged 29, Driver, Deceased was taking a loaded tub of coal outbye in the thick seam when a "bump" took place and about 20 tons of coal fell, killing both him and his horse

Roberts, Alexander, 06 Nov 1919, Explosion of gas [More information ...]

Roberts, C., 16 Dec 1921, Buried a month previous at the Hamstead Colliery and had still not been recovered (Colliery Guradian) [More information ...]

Rowley, James, 04 Sep 1924, 5.0 a.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 40, Loader, Deceased and a pikeman were engaged in enlarging a main road preparatory to the extension of the haulage rope. The road was supported by means of wooden bars of a length of 9 .ft. and these were being taken out one at a time and replaced by bars 12 ft. long. Shortly before the accident the removal of one of the old bars had left a piece of side of a length of 6 ft. to 7 ft. overhanging to an extent of 2 ft., and in order to make room for the new bar, the pikeman, without first having made the side secure by means of some temporary support, started to cut into it, and while thus engaged the side, weighing upwards of 2 tons, fell away, injuring both men, deceased so seriously that he died on the way to hospital. The fall disclosed the presence of four slips, none of which had been previously visible. Had the side been secured by temporary supports, as required by Section 52 (1), or otherwise taken down, the accident would have been avoided. The deputy had examined the side and had not considered the use of any support necessary. Results proved his judgment to be at fault

Spittle, Z., 11 Jun 1904, 2.30 a.m., aged 55, Pikeman, Fall of side (coal) while assisting to extinguish a fire in a thirling between main intake and return in Thick Coal seam

Steele, George, 23 Nov 1910, aged 37, Stallman, Deceased was preparing to drop top coal in an opening 7 yards by 6 yards. He was loosening one of the trees with a pricker when the roof collapsed over the whole area, knocking out the trees, and burying and suffocating deceased near the bolt-hole. After the fall, slips were exposed along two sides of the opening

Summerfield, Charles, 04 Mar 1908, aged 34, Stallman, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Summerfield, John, 04 Mar 1908, aged 26, Driver, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Summerfield, Walter, 04 Mar 1908, aged 21, Haulage Man, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Taylor, James, 19 Jun 1902, aged 35, Deputy, Poisoned by carbonic oxide from an underground fire while travelling return airway [More information ...]

Taylor, Thomas, 06 Sep 1907, 4.30 p.m., aged 14, Doorboy, Deceased was walking outbye along an engine plane at the close of his shift. The endless haulage rope which travels at a speed of 1½ miles per hour is usually stopped while persons are travelling ; but on this occasion, as the landing was blocked with tubs, and the men could not get out of the level, the rope was kept going to clear the road. Deceased was walking on the "empty" road where the engine plane was 10 feet 7 inches wide, and there was a clear width of 6 feet between the full tubs and the empty side of road. Some one shouted "Look out ! the horses are coming." The shouting was apparently a clumsy attempt at a practical joke, as no horses were coming ; but it alarmed deceased who attempted to step on the coupling between a full tub and a watertank which were passing him at the time. He slipped and fell under the tub, which crushed his head severely, resulting in his death a few minutes afterwards. The identity of the person who shouted could not be discovered, but his mischievous or thoughtless act was undoubtedly the cause of the boy's death

Thompson, William, 26 Jan 1884, aged 29, Boiler fitter, Crushed by a boiler

Thornes, Samuel, 23 Apr 1888, (accident: 21 Apr 1888), aged 40, Cager, Died 23rd April. Crushed by cage at pit top through some misunderstanding as to signals

Titley, Joseph, 04 Mar 1908, aged 25, Loader, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Turley, Alfred, 15 May 1933, aged 19, Haulage Man, killed by a fall of roof [More information ...]

Turner, Samuel, 04 Mar 1908, aged 40, Loader, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Tycer, Thomas, 03 Nov 1924, 1.0 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 58, Repairer, Deceased and his mate — two competent workmen — were ordered by the deputy to take down an unsafe piece of roof and side on the main haulage road, which was supported by a tree and lid and a sprag set close to the side of the roadway. They first set two long sprags and then withdrew the tree and lid, after which they tried to get part of the rock down by means of an iron bar and then by driving a wedge over it. These efforts proving unsuccessful, they decided to try to split it, and while deceased's mate was driving the wedge in for this purpose, the whole of it, weighing about half a ton, fell away in three pieces, one of which, striking deceased, who had been told to stand clear, so injured him that he died shortly after his admission to hospital some two hours later. Had deceased exercised only a little intelligent anticipation and stood a few feet farther away, the accident would have been avoided

Underhill, Henry, 04 Mar 1908, aged 17, Driver, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Underhill, William, 04 Mar 1908, aged 48, Stallman, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Wall, Joseph, 06 Apr 1886, aged 20, Horse driver, A very loud bump caused a fall of timber and roof coal on him and killed him

Watts, Henry, 04 Mar 1908, aged 47, Loader, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Welsby, John, 05 Mar 1908, (accident: 04 Mar 1908), Rescue Man, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle, died on 5th March [More information ...]

Wilkins, John, 30 Jun 1904, 1 p.m., aged 37, Stallman, Fall of roof (coal) in bolt hole in Thick Coal. A lump of coal fell out from between a slip and a break in the roof of the bolt hole

Williams, Havelock, 13 Jul 1934, aged 48, died from a fractured skull as the result of having his head crushed between two trucks

Williams, James, 09 Nov 1913, (accident: 07 Nov 1913), aged 47, Pikeman, An old road which had been standing for many years was being reopened. The road had arched itself, and on one side an open break ran in the coal parallel with the road. Deceased had tried to pull with his pick part of this rate of coal, but failing to do so continued to dress off sufficient to enable him to get a setting of timber in. Suddenly a portion of the rate broke off and knocked deceased down. He fell on his back across the rails, and sustained a fractured dislocation of the spine, from which he died two days later. The rate should have been got off with a bar

Williamson, A., 04 Mar 1908, aged 44, Pikeman, Underground fire, caused by lighted candle [More information ...]

Wood, Charles, 30 Aug 1892, 8 a.m., aged 38, Loader, Run over by full tubs