	Holditch Colliery	Index	Holditch Colliery

Holditch Colliery

Location:	Chesterton 3 miles [5 km] WNW of Stoke-on-Trent
Map Ref:	(Sheet 118 Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield) SJ838481, 53° 1' 47" N, 2° 14' 30" W
Opened:
Closed:	1989
Owners:	Holditch Mines Ltd.
	1947 - National Coal Board (N.C.B.)
Output:	1947 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing. (400,000 tons)
Employment:	1933 - 780 (570 below, 210 surface)
	1940 - 1,450 (1,120 below, 330 surface)
	1947 - 1,485 (1,150 below, 335 surface)
Notes:	Current Status - Page under construction! and is far, far from complete!

Description

Disasters (5 or more killed)

2nd

Jul

1937

Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut, 30 lives lost (Show Names)

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

						Adkins, Haydn L., 02 Jul 1937, aged 35, Under Manager, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Allison, H., 12 Nov 1964, aged 35, Haulage, Crushed between tubs
						Ashley, John, 17 Oct 1932, aged 42, Collier, Apparently coalcutter machine left on — lacerated legs. Died
						Ayres, Walter Stanley, 29 Oct 1934, aged 33, Loader, Piece of roof fell and pinned him — fractured skull
						Bloor, James Alfred, 02 Jul 1937, aged 51, H.M. Sub-Inspector of Mines, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Brockley, William, 16 Apr 1955, aged 56, Haulage, Struck by steel rope
						Cocks, John, 02 Jul 1937, aged 57, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Condcliffe, Percy, 02 Jul 1937, aged 35, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Cooke, Josiah, 02 Jul 1937, aged 37, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Cooper, A. Leslie, 02 Jul 1937, aged 30, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Cornes, Albert Edward, 02 Jul 1937, aged 26, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Finney, Harold John, 02 Jul 1937, aged 41, H.M. Senior Inspector of Mines, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Forester, James William, 02 Jul 1937, aged 40, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Green, James Arthur, 19 Mar 1949, aged 32, Haulage, Crushed by tubs [date of inquest]
						Harris, T., 02 Jul 1937, aged 46, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Harvey, John, 02 Jul 1937, aged 39, Fireman, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Hassell, John, 02 Jul 1937, aged 35, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut, body recovered 7 months after the explosion [More information ...]
						Haystead, W., 02 Jul 1937, aged 45, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Hodkinson, William Stanley, 02 Jul 1937, aged 38, Colliery Engineer, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Hough, William, 02 Jul 1937, aged 37, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Howle, Frederick J., 02 Jul 1937, aged 36, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Jackson, Reginald, 02 Jul 1937, aged 35, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Jarvis, Edgar Jeffrey, 20 May 1954, aged 39, Face worker, Killed by a fall of roof
						Johnston, Harry, 02 Jul 1937, aged 34, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Jones, Arthur, 30 Dec 1951, aged 63, Face worker, Killed by a fall of dirt
						Jones, Ernest, 02 Jul 1937, aged 51, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Jones, Thomas Henry, 02 Jul 1937, aged 28, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Kiley, Daniel, 02 Oct 1959, aged 52, Packer, Killed by a fall of roof
						Latham, Samuel, 02 Jul 1937, aged 28, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Mayer, Abel, 02 Jul 1937, aged 39, Underground Fitter, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Mitchell, Harry, 02 Jul 1937, aged 44, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Pass, George Edward, 10 Dec 1951, aged 46, Face worker, Killed by a fall of roof
						Pepper, W., 02 Jul 1937, aged 39, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Pickerill, George Thomas, 02 Jul 1937, aged 30, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Potts, Thomas, 13 Nov 1950, aged 43, Ripper, Buried in a Roof Fall [date of inquest]
						Price, Charles, 02 Jul 1937, aged 33, Collier, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Rushton, George Thomas, 02 Jul 1937, aged 41, Dataller, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Seaton, Alfred Warwick, 02 Jul 1937, aged 26, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Stanton, Arthur Richard, 02 Jul 1937, aged 31, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Tilstone, Daniel, 13 Jul 1951, aged 44, Haulage, Fell, cut head some weeks previous [date of report]
						Trever, John William, 02 Aug 1956, aged 55, Face worker, Killed by a fall of dirt [date of inquest]
						Turner, Frank, 02 Jul 1937, aged 22, Electical Engineer, explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by fire at coal cutting machine, caused by friction of the picks in the cut [More information ...]
						Wainwright, Thomas, 29 Feb 1952, aged 54, Face worker, Killed by a fall of roof [date of inquest]
						Walters, James R., 26 Jan 1967, aged 39, Face worker, Killed by a fall of roof

						44 names found

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

Those names marked with , have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may also include a photograph of the deceased. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the web page.

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this page have been kindly provided by Ian Winstanley of the Coal Mining History Resource Centre (CMHRC) and are marked with . The CMHRC is available here.

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Holditch Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Holditch Colliery

Credits

Sources:

1933 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1940 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1947 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
OS Grid Reference from Adit Now website