Oakenshaw Colliery

1855 - Commenced to sink the Oakenshaw Colliery for Messrs. Straker and Love ; the shaft was put down from the surface through the Hutton to the Brockwell Seam.

Armstrong, Joseph Robert, 06 Aug 1889, aged 20, Bankrider, in jumping off the waggons at pit he fell between them and was run over [More information ...]

Atkinson, Joseph, 14 Feb 1871, aged 10, Trapper, improperly hewing coal and caused the roof to fall upon him [More information ...]

Barber, James, 28 Apr 1881, aged 33, Hewer, fall of stone while holing a jud through, got a breaker

Bell, John William, 27 Mar 1910, aged 19, Hand Putter, He was coming outbye with a full tub following behind another putter. The tub of the putter in front got off the way, and Bell went forward to assist him to lift it on. While they were so engaged the tub bumped a prop supporting a crossing plank and knocked it out, causing a stone to fall on Bell and fatally injuring him, Buried: St. Stephen's Churchyard/Willington Cemetery

Bewick, John, 08 Jun 1878, aged 50, Deputy, fall of a large stone while drawing props out of an old bord

Bowden, Andrew, 24 Feb 1891, 4:00 p.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 21, Hewer, heavy fall of stone while driving a place alongside an old working [More information ...]

Brierly, John, 17 Apr 1865, aged 13, Driver, struck by crank pump when oiling

Challenger, Charles, 07 Nov 1881, aged 43, Deputy, fall of stone while drawing out a jud in the broken

Challenger, Joseph, 21 Mar 1887, (accident: 19 Mar 1887), aged 14, Driver, severe lacerations to body by rope on engine plane ; while crossing it he became entangled and was drawn against binding sheave

Close, Thomas A., 26 Jun 1900, aged 52, Deputy, he had just commenced to draw a jud when some stone fell from the roof behind him and killed him (he was the local treasurer of the Miners' Permanent Releif Fund - JG), Buried: St. Stephen's Churchyard/Willington Cemetery

Cole, John, 01 Aug 1889, aged 46, Stoneman, heavy fall while engaged in taking down some bad and loose stone ; he removed some baulks and in baring the baring it fell suddenly

Collingwood, Thomas, 17 Dec 1916, (accident: 22 Nov 1916), aged 16, Shaft Boy, died in hospital as a result of an accident; he had been running to catch some tubs when he tripped over a pick lying on the ground, the point of which entered his left thigh, the cause of death was 'septic absorbtion following the injury to his leg'

Corbett, Albert Kenneth, 31 Jul 1949, aged 22, Blacksmith, he was fatally injured while carrying out structural maintenance at the Oakenshaw shaft, he was crushed between the cage and a girder, Buried: St. Stephen's Churchyard/Willington Cemetery

Cowen, William, 29 Sep 1908, aged 32, Hewer, This man was hewing in a broken jud in the B Seam. He was working alone, and was taking a lift up along the goaf edge, 5 yards wide. The roof was shale for 5 to 7 inches, with solid rock above. As he was hewing a piece of the shale about 3½ feet by 1½ feet fell out and struck his head on the left side and crushed it against the thill. His skull was broken. He walked so far outbye and then lost consciousness. The maximum distance apart of the timber allowed was 3 feet, and this rule had been complied with

Elie, James, 04 Mar 1869, aged 19, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Elliott, Matthew, 11 Sep 1873, aged 22, Hewer, fall of stone, his brother Thomas was killed in the same colliery three months later, Buried: St. Stephen's Churchyard/Willington Cemetery

Elliott, Thomas, 26 Dec 1873, aged 20, Hewer, fall of stone, his brother Matthew was killed in the same colliery three months earlier, Buried: St. Stephen's Churchyard/Willington Cemetery

Fenwick, George, 22 Feb 1872, (accident: 20 Feb 1872), aged 32, Stoneman, fall of side stone

Grundy, Joseph, 18 Jul 1919, (accident: 15 Jul 1919), aged 21, Motor Attendant, by machinery [More information ...]

Haley, Uriah, 21 Nov 1918, (accident: 1895), aged 72, he funeral took place on 21st November, twenty-three years ago he had been seriously injured in an accident at the colliery and "had been bedfast since then"

Hall, Peter, 04 Jun 1878, aged 14, Helper Up, fell down a ladder at bank and died from concussion of the brain

Hall, William, 10 Sep 1874, aged 40, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Hamshaw, Thomas, 26 Feb 1863, aged 44, Hewer, fall of stone in pillar working

Harrison, Richard, 09 Oct 1865, aged 34, Hewer, fall of stone in broken

Horton, Robert, 09 Jan 1858, aged 17, Puuter, killed by a fall of stone

James, John, 04 Mar 1873, aged 58, Stoneman, fall of side stone

Lear, Albert, 26 Oct 1907, aged 17, Putter, he was hewing with another putter, in a back lift, when a stone fell from between two joints and killed him; the two props set under the stone were swung out, Buried: St. Stephen's Churchyard/Willington Cemetery

Lydon, John, 17 Jan 1868, aged 25, Hewer, crushed in shaft while ascending, he had apparently put his head out of the cage [More information ...]

Manners, Joseph, 03 Jul 1894, 8:20 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 16, Waggon Greaser, Riding on a wagon, where he had no business to be, he fell off and was run over

Mason, Edward, 31 Aug 1870, aged 46, Hewer, killed by a fall of roof

Moody, George, 31 May 1870, aged 31, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Moore, John, 21 Feb 1923, aged 26, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Newcombe, Thomas, 18 May 1931, aged 44, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. Stephen's Churchyard/Willington Cemetery

Race, William, 25 Aug 1892, 2:15 p.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 26, Hewer, fall of a large stone at a slip in his working place

Redhead, Gawin, 18 May 1862, aged 62, Shifter, fall of stone in horse road - taking off coal

Reed, H., 21 Jun 1928, (accident: 16 Apr 1928), aged 23, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Richardson, John, 13 Feb 1906, Joiner, Died from apoplexy whilst at work.

Robinson, James, 21 Jun 1887, aged 16, Shaft Boy, run over by a set of tubs while being taken out of shaft siding; he fell before the

Scollins, Patrick, 01 Apr 1882, died from natural causes while at work on the screens

Scott, Curry, 10 Apr 1858, (accident: 09 Apr 1858), aged 16, he was killed by a waggon passing over him on the incline from Oakenshaw Colliery. The boy's left leg was broken at the knee and his left arm also broken. He already had a wooden leg after a previous accident. He died from his injuries at 5a.m. on Saturday, 10 April

Thornton, John, 24 Jan 1872, aged 40, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Toward, J., 27 Mar 1881, aged 5, [Not employed], drowned in the pit pond [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Walker, John, 09 Oct 1882, aged 48, Hewer, fall of stone while siding over a place on broken

Wilkinson, Edward, 08 Jan 1859, aged 9, Coupler, killed by a fall of stone