Mains Colliery

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Adamson, James, 17 May 1929, aged 24, Haulage hand, Killed by runaway tubs — breakage of lashing chain

Barker, James, 26 Sep 1901, (accident: 03 Sep 1901), aged 14, Lamp-carrier, Inspection made and inquest attended. He went to assist one of the haulage hands to unhook the lashing chain off a full tub when in motion, and got his head crushed against other tubs standing in the shunt. It was not his regular work. He succumbed to the injuries received on the 26th instant

Barwell, Joseph, 22 Feb 1897, aged 27, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased was working in a strait place the seam being six feet high and had holed partly across with a sprag three feet long set against the coal but on holing to a parting the coal came bodily over the sprag and fell upon him. A longer sprag might have prevented the accident

Bellis, Jesse, 11 Mar 1909, aged 45, Metalman, When engaged clearing dirt after two shots had been fired in the main downbrow, a portion, of the side came over upon him, capping two sprags

Burke, Michael, 12 Feb 1885, aged 46, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. He was going down the engine plane to his work when by some unexplained means he came in contact with the gang of loaded tubs and was knocked against the side

Carney, Christopher, 12 May 1915, aged 44, Collier, Killed by a fall of stone

Darbyshire, William, 10 Dec 1904, (accident: 31 Oct 1904), aged 38, Fireman, Fall of roof. Inquiry made and inquest attended. A stone fell from a step at a fault, fracturing deceased ankle as he was making an examination of the workings. He succumbed to the injuries received Dec. 10, 1904

Evans, William, 09 Apr 1920, aged 31, Fireman, Killed by a fall of stone

Gerrard, James, 23 Aug 1882, aged 42, Metalman, Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased, with others, were repairing a roadway, and were told by the contractor to at once reset any timber which had become displaced. These instructions were not carried out, and the deceased was killed by a stone falling out at a place from which he had removed a prop and which he neglected to replace before going on with his work

Giles, Thomas, 14 Oct 1927, aged 42, Drawer, Caught by tubs when rope broke — head and legs injured

Green, William, 30 Mar 1893, (accident: 28 Mar 1893), aged 50, Examiner, Inquiry made. He was examining the brake of the haulage engine and had taken a bolt out of same when he instructed the engineman to bring the journey up and remained inside the fencing when his clothes got entangled with the rope and he was crushed with the drum. He succumbed to the injuries received on March 30, 1893

Griffiths, James, 08 Mar 1899, aged 15, Pony driver, Inspection made. The deceased had instructions to run alongside his pony instead of riding in or on the tubs. He was running alongside a quiet pony going a quick walk, when he appears have slipped and fallen in front of the tubs, which crushed him. The road appeared to be in good order

Hayes, George, 04 Apr 1896, aged 38, Fireman, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased was knocked over by two full tubs which had got loose from the endless rope through lashing chain breaking. At the inquest it was recommended that stronger lashing chains should he used

Healy, Albert, 14 Jul 1920, aged 57, Slack cleaner, Found buried in a waggon of coal

Higginson, John, 27 Feb 1883, aged 34, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. An explosion of gas caused by a shot [More information ...]

Hughes, William, 06 Feb 1918, aged 58, Packer, Killed by a fall of roof. Buried St Thomas Ashton-in-Makerfield

Jones, William, 01 Jan 1926, aged 30, Baker, Stone fell while packing

Jones, William, 27 Sep 1927, aged 44, Dataller, Killed by a fall of roof

Kilshaw, John, 30 Sep 1881, aged 18, Drawer, Inquiries made and inquest attended. The deceased was holding a light for the collier (deceased's father) whilst he got down some coal and was, as they thought, out of danger, but a piece of top coal fell unexpectedly on the lad, who was standing behind his father

Knowles, James, 24 Oct 1892, aged 64, Waggon greaser, Inspection and inquiry made. The deceased was an old man greasing waggons. He got between a standing waggon and one that was lowered from under the screens at about four miles an hour and was crushed the person who let the waggon loose did not see the deceased at the time to warn him

Litherland, Solomon, 30 Jul 1915, (accident: 12 Jul 1915), aged 29, Collier, Crushed between tubs while walking outbye. Died 30th July

Littler, Joseph, 16 Jan 1893, (accident: 29 Dec 1892), aged 55, Timber drawer, Inspection and inquiry made and inquest attended. The deceased was drawing props and whilst drawing one the roof fell upon him. He did not use the gablock and chain. He succumbed to the injuries received Jan. 16 1893

Lowe, George, 21 Mar 1899, aged 45, Timber drawer, Inspection made. The deceased was drawing timber out of a finished ribbing about twenty yards in length, which was barred. They had only drawn a bar or two, at the far end, when the roof came with a rush, capping the bars, and burying the deceased

Lyden, Patrick, 20 Jan 1909, aged 19, Haulage hand, Whilst engaged coupling haulage tubs, some others which had been unlashed from the rope, ran forward and jammed him between those he was coupling

Lyons, Edward, 20 Dec 1902, aged 26, Dataller, Inquiry made and inquest attended. There were sixteen empty tubs, instead of eight as usual, resting against a warwick; and it was believed a broken strand in the haulage rope, which passed over the top of the tubs, caught them and forced them against the warwick, breaking it, and the tubs ran down the brow, crushing the deceased, who was repairing the road

Malone, John, 29 Oct 1890, aged 27, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. As he was taking his tub to rise shunt a stone fell from between the bars and crushed his head against the tub

Martlew, Peter, 27 Nov 1882, aged 14, Drawer, Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased was passing down a steep incline on his way to the pit bottom which is worked by an endless rope, when one of the chains broke, and the tub it which struck the boy. Refuge places were provided. It has been decided to stop the rope when men are passing up or down until the separate travelling road has been completed

Mather, Jacob, 20 Oct 1871, aged 23, Sinker, Falling out of the cage while ascending

Moore, Joseph, 27 Feb 1883, aged 24, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. An explosion of gas caused by a shot [More information ...]

Mullahey, Thomas, 21 Jun 1912, (accident: 03 May 1912), aged 29, Packer, He was clearing dirt from under a "caunch" when a fall of roof, 5 feet by 2 feet by 1 foot, occurred, inflicting injuries to his back from which he died on 21st June

Ollerton, John, 19 Jun 1912, aged 28, Drawer, When taking a full tub down a drawing road he was killed by a fall of roof, 8 feet 4 inches by 7 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 6 inches thick. Two bars, about 3 feet apart and supported by props, were displaced by fall

Owens, Owen David, 24 Dec 1914, aged 23, Packer, While assisting a contractor to build a stack with old timber he appears to have gone about a dozen yards away into a disused road to seek some old timber. As he did not return a search was made and he was found dead under a large fall with two props lying across his body. It was surmised he had been throwing timber out of the place when he accidentally knocked out a prop and caused the fall

Peet, William T., 06 Jul 1920, aged 40, Coal cutter, Killed by coal cutting machine

Rhodes, John, 30 Jan 1896, aged 48, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. He was making a refuge hole in the shaft siding and was warned about the loose stone on top of the coal and told to get it off. He got some off but not all and it afterwards gave way and fell on him. His drawer mentioned he advised him to sprag it but he declined thinking it was safe

Roberts, John, 24 Sep 1914, aged 44, Packer, Deceased was taking up rails at the face of a level road between the front of the canch and the coal face, preparatory to shots being fired. While so engaged, a stone, 7 feet by 3 feet 6 inches by 9 inches, fell from the roof and killed him instantly. The stone parted from a "slip" which was not visible before the accident, and in falling it displaced four props

Robinson, Daniel, 10 Feb 1899, aged 13, Haulage hand, Inspection made and inquest attended. This boy by some means got caught in the junction, or clutch haulage wheels. The wheel was fairly well fenced. He probably put his hand on the rope and got drawn in, but the evidence did not disclose any cause for his doing so, nor did the other boys see hom do so

Rogerson, James, 06 Sep 1879, (accident: 07 May 1879), aged 39, Collier, Fall of coal as he was peparing to set a sprag. Died 6th Sept

Scott, James, 11 Apr 1903, (accident: 02 Apr 1903), aged 44, Fireman, Inspection made and inquest attended. He fired a shot of westfalite in the coal, the point where he stood on the roadway with the battery being in a line to the shot at a distance of only 14 yards, without any protection, when a piece of coal flew from the shot, severely injuring his head. He expired on the 11th instant

Shipley, Henry, 06 Apr 1869, aged 21, Collier, An explosion of gas [More information ...]

Speakman, Peter, 28 Jul 1902, aged 17, Lasher-on, Inspection made and inquest attended. A full tub became unlashed at some pulleys in the endless rope downbrow, and in running back detached another, which struck deceased before he could get clear, fatally injuring him

Speakman, Samuel, 21 Jan 1925, aged 27, Drawer, Fall of coal — fractured skull

Taylor, John, 07 Nov 1952, aged 55, Killed by an explosion of gas [More information ...]

Unsworth, John, 02 Feb 1880, aged 19, Drawer, While drawing timber with his father the top coal fell unexpecedly

Walsh, William, 13 Mar 1882, aged 16, Gangrider, Inquest attended. Deceased was getting off the gang when coming up the incline and fell under the tubs. He was unable to say why he got off or how he fell

Winstanley, James, 04 Oct 1916, aged 18, Haulage hand, Crushed between haulage rope and haulage wheel

Woodcock, James, 03 May 1897, aged 50, Dataller, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased was sent to an airway in cut bottom to make more height for the ponies to travel it but he commenced sawing a bar taking the rock roof to be strong enough when a stone fell across the roadway about six inches thick tapering at the other end to nothing crushing the deceased before he could clear himself

Worrall, Samuel, 24 Aug 1925, aged 46, Packer, Killed by a fall of roof

Wyke, Benjamin, 04 Aug 1899, aged 40, Fireman, Inspection made. The deceased was following the haulage gang up the brow rising 1 in 3, when the coupling gave way between the first and second tub, causing eleven full tubs to run back, crushing the deceased before he could get clear. The deceased had placed the drag on behind the gang, but it did not hold the journey