St. Helen's Colliery

1828 - A series of borings was started on Sir P. Musgrave's estate, near Saint Helen's Auckland, from surface, proving the Main Coal or Brockwell Seam.

1830, Mar 24 - Commenced to sink the Engine Pit at Saint Helen's Auckland Colliery from surface to the Brockwell Seam.

1831 - Sunk the Emma Pit, Saint Helen's Auckland Colliery, from the surface to the Yard Coal or Harvey Seam.

1835, Mar 26 - Commenced to sink the Catherine Pit, St. Helen's Colliery, Auckland, from the surface to the Main Coal or Brockwell Seam.

1847 - A series of boring operations from the surface was in progress in the neighbourhood of St. Helen's, Auckland, and on Burnhope estate.

1858 - Sunk a staple in the Engine Pit, St. Helen's, Auckland, Colliery, below the thill of the Brockwell Seam.

Adamson, John, 19 Jul 1870, aged 47, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Atkinson, James, 12 Apr 1898, aged 15, Driver, he was sitting at the bottom of an incline when the tub, by some means, came amain and crushed him to death

Atkinson, John, 21 Aug 1898, aged 30, Sinker, Shots were being fired in a sinking pit, and as soon as the fuzes were lighted an explosion of gas occurred and killed these two men., Buried: West Auckland Cemetery [More information ...]

Bird, John, 19 Mar 1907, aged 70, Labourer, he was blown by the wind off a gantry, and, falling 19 feet, was fatally injured; he fell beneath the fence rail of the gantry

Bradley, John, 13 Jan 1863, aged 48, Keeker, fell off erections

Briggs, George, 22 Apr 1887, aged 46, Fitter, severe sprain while at work, died from inflammation of the bowels

Calvert, Ralph Smith, 22 Apr 1848, shaft rope broke [More information ...]

Close, Henry, 24 Nov 1848, struck by cage; left a widow and six children [More information ...]

Collins, James, 09 Apr 1872, aged 36, Hewer, removed a prop, stone fell on him

Dixon, Jonathan, 14 Nov 1832, fell down shaft [More information ...]

Dowson, Christopher Benison, 11 Aug 1921, (accident: 09 Aug 1921), aged 15, Landing Lad, died from injuries received through being crushed between a tub and the roof

Edwards, Ernest, 15 Aug 1912, (accident: 14 Aug 1912), aged 19, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Elles, Thomas, 15 Jan 1849, Hewer, killed by a fall of roof [More information ...]

Forster, Joseph, 05 Apr 1900, aged 49, Stoneman, Engaged with others breaking a large stone which had fallen, when it unexpectedly broke and, falling over, crushed deceased against a tub and killed him.

Gardner, William, 29 Jun 1882, aged 23, Hewer, fall of stone while working in a broken jud

Heslop, Henry, 02 Feb 1912, aged 16, Hanger-on, he was improperly and illegally riding on the chain at the front end of a set of four tubs which were being hauled up an incline by an electric hauler, when he slipped off and was crushed between a tub and a rope drum, Buried: St. Andrew's Churchyard, Bishop Auckland

Hodgson, Alfred, 24 Mar 1906, (accident: 17 Mar 1906), aged 26, Coke-burner, Hurt himself in some way whilst at work, probably by assisting to lift a tub on the way. He died in hospital a week later from strangulation of the bowel.

Hodgson, William, 29 May 1830, kibble fell on him while sinking a pit, left a wife and five children [date of report]

Houlder, Charles, 21 Jan 1868, aged 22, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone [More information ...]

Hutchinson, Joseph, 16 Jul 1908, aged 26, Hewer [More information ...]

Jackson, Whitfeld, 07 Jan 1913, aged 15, Waggon Ticketer, there was no rule as to where the deceased had to put tickets on to the wagons, but usually it was done in the sidings near the weigh cabin; he was found crushed between a full wagon of nuts and the retaining wall of an old coke bench, having apparently fallen into the space whilst attempting to do his work; it was not a proper place for a boy to work. and the manager stopped it after the accident, Buried: West Auckland Cemetery

James, William, 11 Oct 1854, aged 12, fell between two railway waggons and two passed over him. [The Durham County Advertiser - 20/10/1854]

Labron, Henry, 27 May 1919

Lamb, Bartholomew, 25 Nov 1901, (accident: 12 Nov 1901), aged 66, Cartman, he was standing on a spoke of a cart wheel to get something out of the cart when he slipped and scratched his leg; blood-poisoning set and caused his death on November 25th

Laycock, William, 18 Jun 1857, Hewer, he was killed when a ton of coal and five hundredweight of stone fell on him, in the board where he was working. He was taken home and died an hour later

Martin, William, 10 Sep 1888, aged 50, Hewer, died from natural causes while at his work; ventilation all right

Mason, Michael, 02 Jun 1847, (accident: 26 Jan 1847), Hewer, died from injuries received from a fall of coal

Morgan, George, 04 Jan 1885, aged 68, Engineman, scalded on hands and face by falling asleep and engine primed hot water from the condenser onto him

Mundell, James Simpson, 05 Oct 1899, aged 51, Shaftman, He was riding up the shaft, with some iron pipes on the cage top, when the ends caught a bunton and this threw him off the cage, and he fell a distance of 120 yards., Buried: West Auckland Cemetery

Musgrave, Thomas, 09 May 1872, aged 15, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Oates, John George, 28 Jul 1919, aged 57, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone

Parkin, R., 08 Dec 1920, (accident: 03 Dec 1920), aged 38, Hewer

Pearson, John, 02 May 1863, aged 42, Graither, burnt by explosion of gas in staple [More information ...]

Pollard, Benjamin, 11 Jan 1859, aged 43, Hewer, fall of coal while kirving

Richardson, Anthony, 11 Apr 1853, aged 54, he was too hasty in getting out of a moving cage [More information ...]

Richardson, John Harrison, 21 Aug 1898, aged 52, Sinker, Shots were being fired in a sinking pit, and as soon as the fuzes were lighted an explosion of gas occurred and killed these two men., Buried: West Auckland Cemetery [More information ...]

Robinson, Nathan, 15 Jun 1864, aged 22, Fireman, scalded or drowned in delivery drift

Scott, William, 31 Jan 1899, aged 18, Screen Engineman, He was leaning on the fencing of a belt wheel and was caught by the belt and killed.

Simpson, John R., 02 Apr 1923, (accident: 24 Mar 1923), aged 41, Hewer, died from injuries received

Smith, Jacob, 15 Jun 1895, 5:30 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 14, Driver, fall of stone in station as he was entering with an empty set of tubs

Snowdon, John, 22 Feb 1837, Putter, fell down shaft

Taylor, William, 13 Aug 1899, (accident: 12 Aug 1899), aged 35, Deputy, Altering a pair of gears when the stone fell away and caught him on the back, injuring him on the spine. Died the following day., Buried: West Auckland Cemetery

Tones, William, 1917, [approximate date]

Whitfield, George, 18 Mar 1862, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal

Wilson, Luke, 16 Jul 1912, (accident: 21 Jun 1912), aged 16, Pony Driver, another driver left the landing with a pony and empty set and turned along a road to the right which dipped slightly outbye; deceased followed with his pony and empty set intending to take a road to the left, but, for some unknown reason, the limbers of the first pony became detached from the set, with the result that the tubs ran back and caught deceased as he was passing the road end; he died in hospital on July 16th; a cotter is now used to secure the pin connecting the limbers to the tubs where the gradient requires it