Polmaise Colliery

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Agnew, Walter, 01 Jul 1934, Miner [More information ...]

Aitken, William, 26 Oct 1922, 4.45 a.m., 6th hour of shift, aged 29, Brusher, He was crawling into the face to put up a building when he was killed by a fall of half-a-ton of fakes from between a joint and a weight break. The place had been inspected within a few minutes by the fireman, brushing contractor and deceased himself. A slight roof weight was the cause of the fall. Two props were swung out.

Allardice, Alexander, 20 Sep 1912, aged 40, Fireman, He was in the act of charging a hole for some miners when a smooth flat stone, 10 feet by 4 feet by 9 inches, with feather edges, swung out three props and fell on him

Anderson, John, 15 Dec 1910, aged 34, Fireman, He and another man were engaged removing a face of stone on the long wall face which was impeding the ventilation. They were unable to remove a large stone from the intake side and therefore proceeded to the return side of the face, and while there their lamps were extinguished by an accumulation of fire-damp. In attempting to get out Anderson missed the road head and got further into the accumulation of fire-damp and was suffocated. The other man fortunately came in contact with the rope working a self-acting incline and was thereby enabled to get out [More information ...]

Brown, James, 19 Jun 1916, aged 42, Killed by a fall of roof

Brown, Richard, 23 Jun 1908, aged 29, Miner, Fall from side of a road while sitting taking his breakfast

Carruthers, Thomas, 11 Mar 1907, aged 51, Labourer, He appears to have been mounting one of four waggons to disload props when a Caledonian Railway locomotive moved them, and he was crushed between the buffers

Clyde, Thomas, 24 Nov 1918, aged 42, Crushed by hutch

Cowan, John, 11 Feb 1920, aged 25, Explosion of gas [More information ...]

Darrock, Peter, 09 Jan 1906, aged 16, Hanger-on, When at the foot of a self-acting incline he was caught by a runaway hutch which a drawer at the top pushed over the brow of the incline without having attached it to the rope

Davidson, George, 06 Nov 1907, aged 35, Miner, Fall of roof at working face of a machine wall

Dick, James, 15 Mar 1910, aged 36, Roadsman, Fall of roof at coal face while engaged securing it with a wooden pillar

Elliott, William, 28 Jan 1929, Fall of roof. Assistance was soon at hand but eight men had to be procured before the stone could be removed and it was then found that the unfortunate man was dead. He won the Military Medal for bravery and was afterwards the recipient of a presentation

Forbes, George, 03 Feb 1934, Oncost Worker, Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by sparking inside fan motor switch, explosion while engaged on dismantling operations [More information ...]

Given, Frank, 22 Feb 1923, aged 19, Bencher, Killed by a fall of roof

Gray, George, 10 Feb 1914, aged 20, Haulageman, He climbed on to an iron bench in the Lamp Room to get some matches and a cigarette which had been hidden above a switchboard, and, slipping, brought his hand into contact with an exposed terminal and received a fatal electric shock. Unauthorised persons were forbidden to enter the room, and there was a notice on the door to that effect

Harper, Archibald, 18 Feb 1913, aged 25, Machineman, He was working in front of a Coal Cutting Machine when a stone fell out between the trees and killed him. Another man was also badly injured. Straps instead of trees would have prevented this accident

Hilley, John, 15 Sep 1909, aged 37, Brusher, While he and his neighbour were illegally firing a shot of arkite electrically, his neighbour fired the shot before he retired. Another man was injured

Jackson, Hugh, 15 Nov 1906, aged 40, Brusher, He fired two shots in a road which he was enlarging, and, on returning, a stone from the side fell on him

Johnstone, William, 02 Oct 1925, aged 30, Brusher, Roof fall

Kane, William, 07 Dec 1914, (accident: 23 Nov 1914), aged 37, Miner, He was caught by a stone coming away while setting a tree under it, the vibration causing it to part away from a keen lype. He died on December 7th

Kaney, Patrick, 1911, (accident: 19 Dec 1910), aged 20, Drawer, When drawing on a "cuddy" road the wheel tree broke and the balance bogie ran back and fatally injured him. Died (no date of death given in report)

Kennedy, Joseph, 28 Jan 1906, aged 22, Drawer, They were allowed to enter workings which had not been previously inspected by a fireman, and they walked into an accumulation of fire-damp which ignited at their naked lights [More information ...]

Kerr, Archibald, 10 Feb 1910, aged 28, Repairer, Injured by pony race which he was taking along a level

Kerr, George Penman, 01 Jul 1934, Fireman [More information ...]

Ketterick, Michael, 11 Dec 1920, aged 54, Killed by a fall of roof

Laird, Thomas, 28 Jan 1906, aged 23, Roadsman, They were allowed to enter workings which had not been previously inspected by a fireman, and they walked into an accumulation of fire-damp which ignited at their naked lights [More information ...]

Livingstone, David, 18 Mar 1914, aged 38, Oversman, Livingstone was anxious to get to the face of a heading, rising 1 in 2, which was full of firedamp for 40 feet and which was nearing a mine approaching it to "knock through," and to measure how much of it had been driven. In spite of two warnings from two firemen, and a direct order from the manager not to try to get to the face, and he sent Marshall up into the gas with a wire round his waist to get to the face. Marshall collapsed when about 30 feet up, and his legs becoming entangled in some timber he could not be pulled back. Livingstone then went up to get him down, and was overcome when 25 feet up the heading. The bodies were not recovered until some hours afterwards [More information ...]

Macdonald, John, 18 Apr 1911, aged 22, Miner, A visible fault and "lype" ran diagonally across the place about 3 feet 6 inches apart, and deceased continued to hole the coal without propping a stone, which, in addition to having the exposed "lype" and fault on either side of it, also had one end exposed, owing to a piece of stone having already fallen out, when the fall occurred and killed him

Malcolmson, William, 14 Nov 1913, aged 17, Door Attendant, Three hutches were allowed to run away down a steep brae, and struck deceased, who was attempting to open a separation door, thinking it was the rake. There was no contrivance to enable him to open the door without coming into the brae in the way of the rake

Malley, John, 02 Mar 1915, aged 40, Fall of roof [More information ...]

Marren, Patrick, 17 Jul 1922, 1 p.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 28, Coal cutting machineman, He was ratchetting in the bar of a coal cutting machine while in a kneeling position. Owing to the machine making a sudden slip away from him he overbalanced. The picks caught his loose clothing and he was drawn round the bar.  He received severe abdominal injuries and  died 17 hours later

Marshall, John, 18 Mar 1914, aged 35, Brushing Contractor, Livingstone was anxious to get to the face of a heading, rising 1 in 2, which was full of firedamp for 40 feet and which was nearing a mine approaching it to "knock through," and to measure how much of it had been driven. In spite of two warnings from two firemen, and a direct order from the manager not to try to get to the face, and he sent Marshall up into the gas with a wire round his waist to get to the face. Marshall collapsed when about 30 feet up, and his legs becoming entangled in some timber he could not be pulled back. Livingstone then went up to get him down, and was overcome when 25 feet up the heading. The bodies were not recovered until some hours afterwards [More information ...]

Martin, John, 02 Mar 1915, aged 26, Fall of roof [More information ...]

McAulay, Peter, 28 Dec 1919, aged 40, Brusher, Fatal accident

McClumpha, John, 29 Apr 1915, Killed by coal cutting machine

McConnell, John, 20 Oct 1919, aged 21, Brusher, Killed by a fall of rock

McDonald, Alan, 10 Dec 1928, aged 52, Killed by pit bing hutch

McEwan, Thomas, 11 Feb 1923, aged 42, Killed by a fall of roof

McGoogan, Andrew, 16 Nov 1928, aged 53, Killed by a fall of roof

McGregor, Peter, 07 May 1914, (accident: 30 Apr 1914), aged 63, Pithead Worker, He was oiling a pulley on the pithead when he was crushed by a hutch of dirt against the side of the pithead. Died of pneumonia on May 7th

McLaughlan, John, 11 Feb 1920, Explosion of gas [More information ...]

McNaught, John, 16 Dec 1909, aged 35, Machineman, While working the controller of coal-cutter he got electrocuted when leaning over the machine

McNaughton, William, 10 Oct 1918, aged 56, Washing plant fall

McVicar, John, 27 Apr 1909, 7.45 p.m., aged 38, Fireman, While examining an outburst of gas, it apparently ignited at his safety lamp. Three other men were injured [More information ...]

Moore, John, 18 Jan 1922, 11.30 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 14, Shute attendant in washer, He went inside the fencing to sweep the top of the riddles whilst the machine was in motion and his coat was caught by a revolving shaft.  He was whirled round and killed

Morton, Alexander, 04 May 1925, aged 43, Miner, Fall of roof

O'Brien, Francis, 01 Jul 1919, aged 29, Brusher, Explosion of gas

Orr, David, 30 Jul 1929, aged 18, Electocuted

Orr, Robert, 08 May 1923, aged 38, Overcome by firedamp

Perry, David Andrew, 17 May 1924, 10.15 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 27, Repairer, He was widening the foot of a brae, taking out the pack from underneath the sandstone on the roadside when about 5 tons of sandstone fell and killed him instantly. If a sprag had been set before he had commenced undermining the accident might have been avoided

Philliban, Patrick, 05 Jan 1923, aged 56, Miner, Killed by shot firing

Quinn, William, 03 Feb 1934, Fireman, Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by sparking inside fan motor switch, explosion while engaged on dismantling operations [More information ...]

Rae, Colin, 20 Dec 1905, (accident: 25 Jan 1905), aged 36, Miner, Fall of roof at working face while taking down coal. (Died 20th December)

Richardson, George, 31 Oct 1911, (accident: 17 Oct 1911), aged 21, Miner, While engaged in holing at the coal face a large stone fell from the roof on to him, and fractured his spine. He died on 31st October

Samson, John, 03 Feb 1934, Oncost Worker, Explosion, firedamp, ignition caused by sparking inside fan motor switch, explosion while engaged on dismantling operations [More information ...]

Scobie, James, 19 Aug 1916, aged 67, Pithead fall

Smith, William, 19 Dec 1907, aged 19, Haulage engineman, On taking hold of a switch handle he got a shock of electricity. Apparently the casing had become live [More information ...]

Somerville, Robert, 03 Dec 1928, aged 58, Killed by a fall of roof

Stewart, Peter, 08 Nov 1915, aged 34, Killed by a fall of roof

Walker, John, 06 Jun 1919, aged 35, Haulage Roadman, Shaft fall

Weir, W., 25 Jan 1938, Foreman Engineer, a number of pipes fell on top of him and threw him into the water-filled sump