Penshaw Colliery

1792 - The Lambton Pit, Penshaw Colliery, was commenced and sunk from the surface to the Main Coal Seam.

1830, Oct 30 - The Dor Whitfield Pit, Penshaw Colliery, was commenced and sunk from the surface to the Hutton Seam.

1831 - The new D Pit, Penshaw Colliery, was commenced and sunk from the surface to the Hutton Seam.

1932, 27 Feb - Main, Maudlin, Low Main, Hutton seams abandoned

Agar, William, 17 Jun 1842, Hewer, he was riding in the cage which the brakeman ran up to the pully and upset it, the jink threw Agar out and he fell head-long down the pit, the brakeman alleged that, the bell did not ring and the Coroner's Jury, brought in a verdict of Accidental Death. The brakeman, Wanless, was however dismissed, as I cannot but think he had been guilty of gross negligence (NEIMME Ref: Bud-48-14-163)

Baister, Charles, 23 Jun 1874, aged 31, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Barber, Charles, 12 Aug 1842, aged 10, [Not employed], boiler explosion [More information ...]

Bland, Robert, 10 May 1838, Sinker, he was employed with other two men, in putting the slides into the shaft for the apparatus for drawing the coals with tubs. They had 2 cradles hung on ground ropes — one on each side of the middle bunton when the cradles were to lowered, as they were working downwards — the men stood upon one of the cradles, while the other was being lowered. In lowering the cradle on this occasion however Bland refused to get off it with the other two men, and in lowering it the ground rope surged round the leg of the pulley-frame, and the cradle ran amain with him, when by a kink in the tail end of the rope, it was suddenly stopped and the jerk threw Bland off — when he fell nearly 30 fathoms to the bottom, and was killed. They were working at about 30 fathoms from the top of the pit, and the cradle ran amain for about 60 fathoms (NEIMME Ref: Bud-48-8-70)

Chicken, Benjamin, 03 Dec 1869, aged 14, Staple Boy, crushed in staple

Conn, William, 30 Mar 1850, aged 14, he had been standing at the Maudlin Seam of Whitefield Pit, Shiney Row, when he was struck by the descending cage, which knocked him 126 feet to the bottom of the shaft; he was supposed to have been looking down the shaft at the time and had failed to notice the cage; he was still alive when he was taken out, but died shortly afterwards, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Penshaw on 31 Mar 1850

Davison, T., 07 Oct 1867, aged 21, Hewer, fall of top coal

Grey, Thomas, 09 Nov 1854, (accident: 30 Oct 1854), aged 43, he was crushed by a mass of refuse coal known as "black brass", which fell from the roof, his back and sides were severely injured; he died on 9 November

Hall, John, 06 Jul 1872, aged 20, Hewer, attempting to lower himself down a staple from one seam to another, jumped out of the cage when near the bottom and was crushed by the framing

Hann, Stephen, 12 Aug 1842, aged 22, Engine man, boiler explosion [More information ...]

Havelock, William, 17 Jan 1872, aged 22, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Horn, William, 03 Oct 1856, Brickmaker, boiler exploded [More information ...]

Hunter, John, 27 Mar 1862, aged 14, Switchkeeper, struck by railway rope flying off sheaves

Hunter, Joseph, 04 Oct 1859, aged 20, Hewer, crushed by a set of tubs in engine plane

Kirk, Owen, 02 Jul 1868, Onsetter, killed in a drop staple by cage [More information ...]

Langan, Michael, 17 Sep 1877, aged 58, Labourer, run over by waggons after being warned to get out of the way

Lax, John, 20 Sep 1842, Waggon Rider, killed by being jambed between the waggons (NEIMME Ref: Bud-48-15-42)

Reary, William, 12 Sep 1860, aged 38, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Robson, Robert, 16 Jun 1866, Driver, crushed by tubs

Simpson, Robert, 26 Nov 1877, aged 14, Driver, found lying under the third tub of set of four ; supposed to have been riding on the tubs, which at this point is against orders

Southern, John, 03 Sep 1871, aged 60, Screenman, fell off a gangway

Ward, Robert, 14 Dec 1877, aged 17, Putter, chain broke in a set being drawn up an incline ; deceased, who was travelling out-bye with his pony, having finished his shift, was caught be the descending tubs