North Hetton Colliery

1857, Mar 23 - Sinking was begun at No. 2 or Upcast Pit, North Hetton Colliery, by William Coulson; the Hutton Seam was reached and sinking finished on 29 January, 1858.

1872 - In this year there were seventeen Guibal ventilators at work in South Durham alone. Air compressing plant was erected at Ryhope and at North Hetton Collieries for working underground machinery, coal-cutters, &c.

1915 - Three Quarter, Five Quarter, Main Coal seams abandoned

Allison, John, 24 Nov 1913, aged 15, Pony Driver, deceased was driving into a passbye with three full tubs; he loosed the pony off before coming to rest and the pony in quickly turning round knocked out two props supporting one end of a heavy balk; the balk struck him on the head and killed him

Anderson, Anthony, 24 Jul 1853, aged 19, killed by a fall of stone

Atkinson, John, 14 Aug 1862, aged 26, Onsetter, fell down shaft from hanging on at main coal

Bell, Jonathon, 22 Aug 1846, (accident: 20 Aug 1846), aged 46, He was crushed by a large stone. He was taken home and died on the 22nd.

Bell, Richard, 02 Jun 1863, aged 12, Greaser, fell off and was crushed by surface waggons

Bell, William, 13 Nov 1862, aged 16, Pony Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Bell, William, 13 Nov 1864, aged 16, Pony Driver, killed by a fall of stone

Best, William, 03 Mar 1846, aged 30, was crushed to death when a large quantity of stones were thrown from the roof and sides of the board he was working in at Moorsley Pit; the fall had been caused by a portion of the coal in an adjoining board being blasted through; Best died an hour after the accident

Biggerton, Edward, 12 Oct 1842, aged 14, An inquest was held on 12 October at Houghton-le-Spring into the death of Edward Biggerton, 14, who was killed by a cage at the bottom of Moorsley Pit Staple. He had been attempting to pass from one side of the staple to the other, when the cage was lowered onto him, crushing him severely [date of inquest]

Blunt, Benjamin, 08 Dec 1876, aged 13, Putter, head jammed between tub and roof while taking empty tub in-bye

Bradfield, George Henry, 28 Feb 1878, aged 18, Waggon Rider, run over and killed on the branch railway at North Hetton Colliery, Buried: St. Cuthberts Churchyard, East Rainton

Browell, Robert, 24 Aug 1921, (accident: 23 Jun 1919), aged 32, Hewer, died as a result of injuries received on the head with a timber baulk

Browell, William, 26 Jul 1898, (accident: 17 May 1898), aged 44, Foreman Enginewright, while measuring the apparatus chain the crook, which fastens the chain to the drum, caught his coat and drew him on to the drum, causing severe injuries to his thighs and body [More information ...]

Cowell, Edward, 10 Jan 1861, aged 12, Driver, fell from main coal mouthing to Hutton seam

Defty, R., 01 Aug 1928, aged 44, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone

Dumbling, James, 04 Aug 1862, aged 38, Way Wright, fell down shaft from low main hanging on

Fletcher, John, 30 Apr 1866, aged 14, Pony Putter, crushed by tubs

Garthwaite, Richard, 15 Jul 1921, (accident: 13 Jul 1921), aged 53, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Greenhow, John, 28 May 1870, aged 13, Ticketer, run over by waggons

Hall, Robert, 11 Dec 1901, aged 38, Hewer, While kirving he touched a slip and the jud of coal fell over the sprags and killed him.

Halliman, William, 30 May 1856, he was attending to the engine drum on which the rope coiled; it was used for drawing tubs along the rolley way; suddenly, he fell between the drum and the wall and was crushed to death

Hills, John, 04 May 1875, (accident: 16 Sep 1874), aged 68, Wasteman, from injuries received by the cage

Howe, Robert, 10 Jul 1902, aged 41, Keeker, alleged to have died from blood poisoning, the result of his leg having been injured by hauling rope on surface, but at the inquest there was no evidence of his having been injured at all

Jackson, James, 06 Sep 1845, aged 51, Joiner, Was going home from Moorsley on Saturday evening, 6 September, had mistaken the road and fallen down Moorsley Pit. His body was found the following morning

Jarvis, William, 18 Jan 1907, aged 18, Putter, he was in the flat putting on his clothes at the end of his shift, when a side-waver fell over from an unseen slip and killed him

Johnson, John, 17 Apr 1873, aged 34, Shifter, fell down staple by rope breaking [More information ...]

King, Isaac, 01 Oct 1874, aged 27, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Lark, William, 15 Sep 1879, aged 53, Wasteman, fall of stop stone while working in the waste in 5/4 seam

Laverick, William, 21 Nov 1918, (accident: 04 Nov 1918), aged 68, Shifter, died from injuries received through being struck by the pony's limbers

Lisle, Thomas, 15 Feb 1868, aged 23, Coal Filler, crushed by a waggon on branches, through falling down in front of it

Lumsden, Thomas, 18 Nov 1884, aged 68, Screener, fell off the top of a waggon while trimming it, and fell on his head

Matthews, George Henry, 01 Oct 1919, (accident: 25 Sep 1919), aged 39, Hewer

Mayes, James, 04 Jun 1899, aged 58, Furnaceman, Alleged to have died from gangrene, resulting from an injury in the pit, but at the inquest there was no evidence of his having received any injury.

Mitchell, William, 06 Apr 1868, aged 14, Pony Putter, crushed between tubs and roof

Moor, Robert, 25 Mar 1902, (accident: 17 Mar 1902), aged 13, Driver, he went in front of his pony to open a door, and when it was passing it kicked and hit him in the bowels

Morton, George, 04 Jan 1929, (accident: 07 Dec 1928), aged 35, Stoneman, fall

Nicholson, James, 13 Aug 1924, (accident: 20 Jun 1924), aged 64, Platelayer, slipped

Palmer, William T., 30 Jul 1864, aged 18, Fireman, killed by a boiler explosion [More information ...]

Parkinson, Frank, 11 Sep 1907, aged 27, Waggonrider, when uncoupling moving waggons, he was caught between the buffers and killed, Buried: Easington Lane Cemetery

Patrickson, Joseph, 25 Jun 1920, aged 38, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Peel, John, 06 Nov 1845, aged 10, Was at the bottom of North Hetton Pit and about to ascend it. He got into the cage at the wrong side at the moment it was about to be drawn up and was severely crushed between the cage and a bunting. He was taken out, but died on his road home

Prest, Joseph, 25 Jun 1920, aged 40, Deputy Overman, killed by a fall of stone

Rutter, John, 23 Apr 1857, Driver, he was found lying dead behind a coal tub

Smiles, Thomas, 05 Jan 1848, aged 12, While playing with several other boys on 5 January, Thomas Smiles, 12, got on the crank of the Moorsley Pit engine to ride round at the time it was in motion. He lost his hold, fell off and suffered a broken thigh and crush injuries; he died the same evening.

Spence, Robert, 18 Dec 1857, Sinker, knocked out of the kibble by a rock from a blast, fell 24 fathoms to the shaft bottom and was killed. [More information ...]

Stabler, William, 04 Dec 1928, (accident: 31 Jul 1928), aged 48, Hewer, shot, Buried: Hetton-le-Hole Cemetery

Stones, Thomas, 18 Oct 1917, aged 33, Hewer, found dead in his working place

Straughan, John, 28 Apr 1853, aged 12, Driver, he had brought a set of laden coal tubs to within a short distance of the shaft, when his horse, after being detached, stepped in front of some empty tubs and Straughan going after it fell before the tubs in motion and his head was severely crushed, he died at home three hours later

Swift, James, 03 Jan 1868, aged 22, Waggon Rider, crushed by waggons at screens

Taylor, Edward, 30 Jul 1864, aged 17, Fireman, killed by a boiler explosion [More information ...]

Teasdale, William, 21 May 1862, aged 33, Joiner, fell down small coal apparatus hole

Teasdale, William, 07 Jul 1908, aged 14, Driver, when driving along a road and sitting on the limbers, when a piece of stone fell from a slip in the roof and killed him

Urwin, George, 24 Oct 1861, aged 13, Pony Driver, crushed by a tub

Watson, Thomas, 19 Mar 1878, aged 14, Greaser, severe injury to leg by slipping his foot into wheel hole while in motion, died shortly after

Wild, John, 30 Jul 1864, Infant, 11 months old. Killed by a boiler explosion [More information ...]

Wilson, Mark, 05 May 1864, aged 50, Screener, crushed by waggons at screens

Wilson, Matthew, 26 Oct 1860, aged 23, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone