Leasingthorne Colliery

1842 - A 10 ft. shaft was sunk at Leasingthorne Colliery from the surface to the Main Coal Seam.

1932, 31 Oct - Beaumont, Harvey, Busty, Five Quarter, High Main, Hutton, Main seams abandoned

1950 - Merged with Dean & Chapter Colliery

Ainsley, Walter, 02 Jan 1853, aged 43, explosion of inflammable gas, left a wife and 5 children, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington [More information ...]

Askerley, John, 05 May 1864, aged 42, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Bainbridge, James, 30 Nov 1927, (accident: 21 Nov 1927), aged 18, Putter, crushed

Barrass, Thomas, 02 Jan 1853, aged 33, Deputy, explosion of inflammable gas, left a wife and 4 children, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington [More information ...]

Bates, John, 04 Feb 1876, aged 36, Collier, crushed by a fall of coal while holing; it came off at a "slip" or "back"

Bedingfield, William, 11 Jan 1907, aged 26, Hewer, crushed against a pulley leg by the empty tubs being moved up on the heapstead, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington

Bell, Thomas, 02 Jan 1853, aged 16, explosion of inflammable gas [More information ...]

Bestford, William, 29 Oct 1924, (accident: 27 Oct 1924, 8.0 p.m., 6th hour of shift), aged 45, Hewer, Deceased was filling some loose coal from near the loose end in a brokens lift. This was to enable him to complete the setting of a plank which he had set about 6 ins. from the face with only one prop under it. A bump occurred and a stone, 4 ft. by 15 ins. by 18 ins., fell from an oblique slip in the roof. It broke the end off the plank and pinned deceased to the floor, inflicting injuries from which he died 2 days later, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Blenkinsopp, J. W., 14 May 1931, aged 34, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Boland, John William, 24 Dec 1951, aged 66, Shaft Man, he was killed by a falling cage. He was born at South Wingate, he had been shaft man at the colliery for 31 years, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Bowden, Joshua, 02 Oct 1922, (accident: 03 Aug 1922), aged 45, Onsetter, caught by a set of full tubs

Brooks, Isiah, 25 May 1910, aged 40, Hewer, He died in Sedgefield Asylum, and the jury returned a verdict that he died from acute mania following injury to his ribs accidentally received while following his employment. He was supposed to have been injured by being crushed between a prop and a tub whilst lifting the latter on the road. It was a very doubtful case and probably should not have been included as a fatal accident, as the relatives failed to prove a case for compensation before the County Court Judge

Brown, John, 06 Jun 1900, (accident: 21 May 1900), aged 18, Putter, Died to-day from alleged injuries received on May 21st last by being crushed between a tub and prop, but the doctor gave a certificate that he died from natural causes and no inquest was held.

Burey, John, 08 Mar 1886, aged 16, Driver, collapsed and died in the pit

Burns, James, 09 May 1895, 11:00 a.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 46, Hewer, while waling out-bye on the engine plane he was run over by a set of tubs, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Butterworth, Jonathan, 24 May 1878, aged 46, Collier, fall of a large stone while sitting nicking his jud next to goaf

Catchpole, George William, 09 Jun 1929, (accident: 11 Jan 1928), aged 35, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Charlton, James (Lofty), 26 Dec 1942, aged 37, Deputy, explosion, address: 28 Osborne Terrace, Leeholme [More information ...]

Cheesmond, Henry, 07 Jan 1920, aged 58, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington

Clarey, J., 28 Sep 1943, (accident: 11 May 1943), aged 40, Filler, blood poisoning

Coates, Joseph, 19 Jun 1899, aged 16, Putter, He was coming out of a working place with the first tub, when he slipped and fell in front of it, and was hit on the head, causing such injuries that he died about ten minutes afterwards., Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington

Craig, John, 27 Aug 1895, (accident: 18 Aug 1895, 10:00 a.m., 4th hour of shift), aged 46, Shaftman, scalded arms and face by a steam joint blowing out at pit bottom

Curran, Joseph Wilfred, 29 Oct 1914, aged 16, Driver [More information ...]

Dick, William, 1917, [approximate date]

Dixon, William Steel, 11 Jul 1917, aged 50, Fore Overman, accidentally killed whilst riding on the set [Inquest: 13 Jul 1917], address: Windsor Terrace, Leeholme, Coundon

Dobbin, Joseph, 18 Feb 1918, aged 23, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Dodds, William, 23 May 1892, (accident: 09 Nov 1888), aged 30, Hewer, died from injuries received by a fall of stone while following his employment in the pit on November 9th 1888 [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Dukes, Henry, 26 Dec 1942, aged 30, Electrician, explosion, address: 6 Leeholme Road, Leeholme [More information ...]

Dunn, George, 17 Jun 1898, aged 39, Hewer, he was kirving in a band in the middle of the seam, and had left the top coal up. which suddenly fell away and killed him [More information ...]

Dunn, Richard, 26 Sep 1842, aged 25, killed in sinking the pit, residence: Chilton; 2 other men seriously injured [date of burial], Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington [More information ...]

Easby, Henry, 20 Dec 1906, aged 27, Waggonwayman, When about to pass a tub on the straight road a large stone fell from the roof and killed him. Side coal was being taken off at the time to widen the road.

Edwards, Richard, 04 Sep 1884, aged 17, Driver, head crushed between top of tub and cross plank

Errington, Peter, 16 Jun 1886, aged 15, Driver, was knocked off his set and run over by tubs which had been run into another set running amain, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington

Fitt, Noah, 15 Jun 1934, aged 62, he was removing wood from the old coal depot when he fell 16 feet to his death; it was thought a piece had broken off causing him to overbalance

Flaxman, John, 14 Aug 1873, aged 26, Bank Rider, accidentally fell from and was run over by a truck on colliery railway, lived eight hours, inquest held 16 Aug 1873, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington

Garnett, Stephen, 30 Jul 1918, aged 15, Driver, he was crushed by a runaway tub

Ghent, Peter, 11 Feb 1904, (accident: 01 Feb 1904), aged 23, Hewer, when kirving in the bottom of the seam a piece of coal fell from the front of the jud and crushed him about the abdomen

Goulding, James, 29 Jun 1897, aged 53, Hewer, While kirving in a band, 27 inches thick, in the seam he pricked a slip and the stone fell and killed him. He had been warned by the hewer next to him that the stone was dangerous [More information ...]

Gregg, Robert W., 15 Jun 1931, aged 19, Offtakes Lad, caught by wrench handle

Hagan, Thomas, 19 Dec 1912, (accident: May 1912), aged 26, In May he had complained of having sprained himself while at work. A post mortem examination showed that death was due to 'tubercular ulceration of the bowels' accelerated by the accident

Hall, William, 18 Jun 1936, aged 15, Landing Lad, run over by tubs [More information ...]

Henderson, John T., 09 Feb 1942, aged 70, Datal, crushed by tubs

Henderson, Ralph, 27 Apr 1876, aged 13, Incline boy, the person at the top of the incline neglected the chocks and coupling, and sent too full tubs down at full speed which caught the deceased at the bottom

Hodgson, John, 26 Oct 1909, aged 27, Hewer, He lost his life when hurrying from his place in the dark and taking a wrong turning [More information ...]

Holiday, J., 19 Oct 1929, aged 27, Hewer, lifting tub

Humphrey, Thomas, 06 Aug 1850, killed by a fall of stone from the roof

Hunter, James Ernest, 17 May 1955, aged 52, broke his neck in a man riding accident, address: Wye Terrace, Coundon, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon [More information ...]

Hunter, Robert, 26 Dec 1942, aged 36, Electrician, explosion, address: 13 Hopkinsons Place, Kirk Merrington, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington [More information ...]

Jackson, Wilfred Spedding, 05 Feb 1948, (accident: 17 Jul 1947), aged 44, Cutter, crushed by cutter, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Johnson, William, 02 Dec 1853, aged 21, Bank Rider, locomotive accident [More information ...]

Jukes, Solomon, 15 Dec 1905, aged 57, Labourer, he was struck by waggons running amain, which were switched into a runaway siding; he apparently saw the trucks coming, but did not anticipate they would be switched into the runaway siding in which he was standing [More information ...]

Kell, Thomas, 25 Oct 1894, 1:00 a.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 60, Shifter, Died in the pit from syncope on his way out-bye. Ventilation all right [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Lake, James, 26 Jun 1888, (accident: 08 Jun 1888), aged 30, Hewer, severely crushed by a fall of coal while kirving, did not use proper sprags, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Lambert, William, 14 May 1928, aged 48, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Town Cemetery, Bishop Auckland

Lidster, Thomas, 20 Jul 1888, (accident: 15 Jul 1888), aged 22, Branchman, knocked down and injured while spragging a truck on the sidings

Lindsay, James, 23 Jun 1870, aged 14, Coupler, crushed between tubs

Lishman, William, 21 Aug 1885, aged 37, Hewer, fall of a large piece of band stone after a shot had been fired

Little, John, 05 Jan 1882, aged 60, Shifter, fall of stone while drawing timber

Maddison, Thomas, 06 Apr 1889, (accident: 31 Mar 1889), aged 71, Shifter, severe injuries by falling off a gangway

Mallanby, Thomas, 24 Jul 1888, aged 22, Traffic Manager, crushed to death between trucks on the branch railway

Marshall, William, 20 Aug 1925, aged 58, Waggonway Man, caught by set, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington

McGartling, Hugh, 30 Jan 1891, 8:00 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 16, Driver, an incline chain broke, the set ran amain, and he was run over

McLochlan, J., 22 Dec 1888, aged 49, Hewer, fall of a large piece of band stone while engaged drilling a hole; he was told to remove it; neglected to do so

Mills, Thomas, 11 Apr 1911, (accident: 09 Apr 1911), aged 59, Engineman [More information ...]

Mong, James, 26 Mar 1896, (accident: 05 Jan 1896), aged 49, Waggonwayman, While pulling a hauling rope he strained himself, and died on March 26th

Moore, W., 03 Aug 1933, (accident: 28 Jul 1933), aged 22, Shaft Lad, caught by set

Mudge, William, 08 Jun 1884, (accident: 24 May 1884), aged 51, Deputy, severely crushed by being knocked down and run over by tubs

Murdoch, William, 27 Feb 1885, aged 14, Wailer, run over by trucks under the screens

Naisbett, James, 24 Dec 1845, inundation of water [More information ...]

Nicholson, Joseph, 02 Sep 1908, aged 37, Stoneman, He and three others were clearing away the debris from a shot. He had noticed a piece of bad stone at the right hand side of the place, and was preparing to put a prop under it when it suddenly fell on to him. There were two slips, one of which was invisible prior to the stone falling

Norton, George William, 31 Jul 1957, (accident: 08 Oct 1945), aged 34, he was crushed between a coal tub and a door, he suffered a spinal injury and had not worked since; death was due to uremia caused by chronic inflamation of the kidney and a direct result of the spinal injury

Oliver, George, 13 Feb 1907, aged 51, Ropeman, he was run over and killed by a set of full tubs; he was standing at the foot of an incline and his attention was probably taken up by an engine set, which was being hauled inbye on the engine plane, Buried: St. Andrew's Churchyard, Stanley

O'Neil, James, 21 Oct 1879, aged 54, Collier, struck by a shot which blew through from a bord nearly holed into a wall where he was working ; he did not appear to have had sufficient warning

O'Neil, James, 21 Aug 1920, (accident: 20 Aug 1920), aged 60, Shifter, died as the result of injuries received by a fall of stone

O'Neill, Albert Latimer, 25 Apr 1935, aged 19, Landing Lad, crushed

O'Neill, Daniel, 09 May 1911, aged 15, Shaft Bottom Lad, while engaged coupling tubs at the shaft bottom at the Busty Seam level a set of 30 full tubs ran amain down a stone drift dipping 6 inches per yard from the Harvey Seam owing to the tail rope becoming disconnected at an offtake link; the link was of an improved type and it was difficult to see how it had become disconnected, as the set had previously been stopped at the top of the incline and the weight of the set was then on the tail rope and its connections; possibly the offtake connection had not been properly secured at the link; deceased was caught by the runaway tubs whilst engaged in coupling empty tubs near the shaft, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

O'Neill, T. W., 07 May 1937, aged 30, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Paley, John, 11 Jul 1935, aged 58, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Palmer, Alfred J., 17 May 1955, aged 53, received serious head injuries, address: Pembroke Street, Leasingthorne, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon [More information ...]

Parker, Joseph, 08 Dec 1887, aged 34, Hewer, accidentally trod on engine plane rope while it was in motion and was thrown violently down, causing internal injuries

Porter, Jonah, 28 Jun 1888, aged 14, Driver, while engaged coupling his tubs, another set came out and joined his, crushing his head between the tubs and a balk of wood

Proudlock, Thomas, 08 Oct 1926, aged 61, Foreman Blacksmith, thrown from a runaway wagon on an incline; address: Eden Terrace, Leasingthorne [Inquest: 11 Oct 1926]

Quinn, Terence, 17 Jan 1911, aged 14, Flatter, the deceased was on his way outbye, and left a landing about two minutes before a set of 42 full tubs started for the shaft; on the arrival of the set near the shaft he was found on the kip with his head under the axle of a tub towards the rear portion of the set; some men who were walking outbye noticed a person riding on the set as it passed; there is little doubt the deceased was illegally riding on the set when his skull was fractured by coming into contact with a girder on the kip; his lamp was found 77 yards further inbye, and his damaged bottle nearer the shaft

Raine, Thomas Robinson, 16 Feb 1949, aged 40, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Raisbeck, John, 02 Sep 1895, 3:00 p.m., 9th hour of shift, aged 17, Attending Belts, he descended from screen shaker by a road he had no right to use, and was run over by two trucks, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington [More information ...]

Richardson, George, 02 May 1907, (accident: 01 May 1907), aged 39, Blacksmith, when doing some repairs to a cleaning belt, he fell 17 feet to the ground; he died from shock the following day

Robinson, George, 10 Oct 1907, (accident: 09 Oct 1907), aged 31, Labourer, caught between a tub, laden with stones, and a girder and killed, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Robson, R. J., 02 Aug 1940, aged 57, Labourer, collapse of wall

Rodda, John, 05 May 1913, aged 56, Hewer, some stone fell from between slips at the face and killed him; the place was properly timbered, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington

Roxby, W., 06 Nov 1938, (accident: 08 Apr 1935), aged 34, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Shaw, Henry, 14 Aug 1906, aged 17, Putter, He slipped when getting on to the limbers and was crushed by the tub against a prop.

Shaw, Joseph, 07 Nov 1956, aged 62, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Smith, William, 11 Jan 1910, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Stones, Thomas, 02 Jan 1853, aged 35, Deputy, explosion of inflammable gas, left a wife and 2 children, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington [More information ...]

Strong, William, 28 Jan 1858, aged 49, Stone Worker, killed by a fall of stone

Surtees, Thomas William, 18 Jul 1929, aged 39, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Swift, Myles, 20 Sep 1949, aged 37, fall of roof from a "slip" on a longwall face, Buried: Town Cemetery, Bishop Auckland

Taylor, James, 20 Sep 1906, aged 40, Labourer, He was cleaning up the road under the coal-washer, when some trucks were bumped into others already under the washer. He jumped aside, but was caught and killed between the side of a truck and a retaining wall. [More information ...]

Teasdale, Wilfred, 27 Sep 1913, aged 14, Screen Boy, deceased had a dual duty, to pick stones out of coal at a picking belt and to keep clear small coal spilt over the sides of the troughs in which worm conveyors operated; when leaving the latter work to go to the former he fell into a trough and was frightfully mangled; he was killed before the machinery could be stopped; he was employed amongst moving machinery where no person should have worked, much less a child of 14 years

Thompson, Addison, 22 Jan 1900, aged 42, Hewer, When filling his tub, a large stone fell from roof at a feather-edge, canted the timber out, and caught him on the head and killed him instantly., Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Kirk Merrington

Tuthill, William, 02 Sep 1884, (accident: 09 Jun 1884), aged 36, Hewer, injury to shoulder and back by a fall of coal, died from blood poisoning - the result of this and a previous accident

Unwin, James, 12 Nov 1881, aged 15, Joiner, while riding in a cage to bank, while another man with some metal pipes was on the cage top, the pipes struck the side knocking the cage out of the guides and the deceased fell to the bottom, 60 yards

Wandless, Anthony, 03 Aug 1870, aged 60, Shaftman, a piece of timber fell down shaft

Watson, W., 07 Sep 1947, (accident: 29 Dec 1946), aged 55, Stoneman, pneumoconiosis

Wheatley, William, 11 Jun 1941, (accident: 10 Jun 1941), aged 62, Stoneman, crushed between tubs, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

White, Tom, 18 Aug 1918, Fitters Labourer, an inquest was held into his death at the Lady Eden Cottage Hospital, Bishop Auckland; he had died there following an injury sustained when he was caught in the face by an endless rope at bank [date of inquest]

Williamson, Dixon, 23 Mar 1911, aged 72, Greaser, he was at an offtakes junction, and knowing the set was going one way he went into the other; the off take lad when changing his ropes had forgotten to change the switch; the set got off the way, and Williamson was crushed against a brick wall; if he had been a younger and more active person he might have jumped clear of the tubs

Wilson, John, 24 May 1878, aged 18, Coupler, while running to get out of the way of incline set he went through the bottom of the shaft, and the cage coming down at the time caught him, causing death