Swadlincote Colliery

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Ball, William, 04 Mar 1879, aged 48, Stallman, Explosion of firedamp. Working place inadequately ventilated

Biddle, Thomas Henry, 28 Mar 1913, (accident: 21 Mar 1913), aged 48, Carpenter and shaft repairer, Advantage was taken of the Easter holidays to make some alterations to the winding engine drum and to fix a controller to the engine. This prevented the pump attendant from using the usual shaft to get the pump stationed at the Woodfield Seam, and it was arranged that he should descend in No. 3 shaft, which is used for the Little Coal Seam at a depth of 78 yards. The scaffold at this level was removed to allow the cage to descend to the Woodfield at a depth of 193 yards. Some trouble was anticipated in getting the cage through owing to incrustations on the wooden guides, and the deceased who was an experienced shaft hand, accompanied the pump attendant. The cage stuck and deceased signalled for it to be raised and lowered three times, no doubt thinking the cage slippers would remove the scalings sufficiently to permit the cage to pass through. While the cage was stuck the pump attendant drew deceased's attention to slack winding rope at the cage side. Deceased shouted to him to jump into the inset, which he did. The cage immediately dropped about 19 feet. The sudden stop and jerk of the cage threw the deceased on to the cage floor, rendering him unconscious. The pump attendant pluckily descended to the cage by means of the guides and stays, and signalled the cage to the surface. Deceased was found to have sustained fracture of both legs above the ankles one of the fractures being a compound one. He died in hospital seven days later, death being due to heart failure and bronchitis following on the accident

Bodycote, Frank, 24 Mar 1911, aged 27, Groom, Surface accident

Bonor, William, 30 Dec 1864, aged 22, Collier, Fall of roof (coal)

Botham, Joseph, 30 Jan 1869, aged 45, Collier, Fall of roof

Clamp, Herbert, 04 Mar 1887, aged 30, Stallman, Fall of coal while holing

Crackle, James, 01 Dec 1869, aged 13, Boy, Fell off screens playing during dinner hour

Dalman, William, 02 May 1872, aged 14, Driver, Getting upon a steam hoist whilst in motion

Daralston, John, 20 Feb 1862, aged 16, Trammer, Fall of coal

Draper, T., 01 Oct 1858, aged 48, Miner, Fall of roof

Elliott, Herbert, 18 Jan 1867, aged 16, Horse boy, Crushed between tubs

Evans, Samuel, 25 Jan 1864, aged 15, Driver, Run over by loaded train

Eyley, William, 14 Feb 1906, aged 49, Loader, Fall of roof. Deceased was loading coal which had been got down by a shot, when a fall of roof occurred and struck his head against the corner of the tub he was loading. Another man was injured (Eureka coal)

Farmer, J., 01 Dec 1859, aged 30, Miner, Explosion of gas [More information ...]

Greaves, Arthur, 09 Sep 1902, aged 41, Loader, Fall of roof. He was proceeding to his work along the main roadway, when a fall of roof occurred and killed him (Eureka coal)

Green, John Thomas, 18 Dec 1889, aged 13, Driver, Fall of side stone whilst passing along the roadway

Harvey, Richard, 11 Oct 1867, aged 19, Collier, Fall of roof coal

Hodgkinson, George, 04 Aug 1865, aged 41, Sinker, Wheels of drum broke killed in shaft

Hodgkinson, George, 30 Sep 1865, aged 45, Collir, Fall of roof

Johnson, G., 07 Apr 1859, aged 31, Banksman, Falling down shaft [More information ...]

King, Richard, 05 Jan 1894, aged 55, Stallman, Fell down in a fit and died in the mine. Jury returned a verdict of "Died from natural causes"

Lea, John, 07 Jun 1863, aged 47, Miner, Fall of roof

Mansfield, Joseph, 06 Jul 1914, aged 54, Chargeman Shifter, Deceased was preparing to remove two low unbroken wooden bars on a main horse road. No work had been done at the place for eight or nine days. He fixed a prop under one of the bars and one under some stone in front of it. He was alone at the time of the accident. The pony driver, in his evidence at the inquest, said that when he took away a tub of stone which deceased had filled, he, deceased, was using a wedge under the stone that fell, and when he returned he found that the stone bad fallen upon him. Apparently the wedging had relieved and brought it down. It was rash to drive a wedge under a block of stone weighing about two tons and to a newly set prop for safety

Moon, Albert, 15 Jan 1914, aged 23, Stallman, Deceased was engaged loosening a sprag at the buttock end with a pick, when a large fall of roof occurred causing fatal injuries. There were two concealed slips which formed an apex 2 feet up. One edge of the stone rested on the coal face above the sprag, and the other on a bar at the pack side, which was only 2 feet 9 inches from the coal face

Moore, George, 21 Feb 1883, aged 43, Stallman, Fall of roof whilst setting timber to make the place safe (New Mine seam)

Orme, Thomas, 03 Feb 1861, aged 28, Miner, Fall of roof [More information ...]

Peace, George, 09 Jun 1873, aged 18, Collier, Fall of roof which had been shaken by the firing of a shot

Peace, William Enoch, 21 Sep 1909, aged 25, Stallman, The men were preparing to leave work for the day, and deceased was collecting the tools used at the far end of the stall at the side of an airway, when a "bump" came over the place, breaking one prop, pushing out two others, and two tons of the roof fell and killed deceased (Stanhope Coal seam)

Pegg, James, 21 May 1854, Falling down the shaft

Platts, Joseph Cooper, 27 Apr 1924, (accident: 02 Apr 1924, 5.50 a.m., 7th hour of shift), aged 56, Chargeman-shifter, Deceased shortly before the end of the night shift was travelling outbye up an endless rope haulage incline of ample dimensions and a gradient of 1 in 6. At this time there were no tubs on the haulage and the rope was not in motion. On reaching a sharp curve he sat down to rest against the inner curve, which is the full side road. There was a manhole above him 3 yards distant. Later the rope was set in motion and it had been running about 7 or 8 minutes when a full tub rounded the curve and crushed him against the wall. He died 25 days later. A prudent person wanting to rest on a haulage road would accept the shelter offered by the manhole rather than sit on a track, particularly at a curve, when a haulage rope is in motion

Sidwalls, James, 30 Sep 1908, aged 18, Dataller, Fall of roof and side of a roadway. Repairs had been completed aud several stretchers had been put up when a "bump" came over the place causing a fall of stone to knock the timber out and kill the deceased (Stanhope Coal seam)

Smith, Samuel, 28 Jun 1854, Falling down the shaft [More information ...]

Smith, William, 05 Sep 1864, aged 74, Flueman, Fell off carriage in shaft

Tagg, George Thomas, 15 Sep 1899, aged 21, Assistant Onsetter, Deceased appears to have been attempting to unload and reload a two decked cage in the absence of the onsetter. He was caught and crushed by the floor of the upper deck of the cage

Thornewill, Thomas, 28 Jun 1907, aged 37, Stallman, Fall of coal. Deceased was holing the coal face, when the coal pushed the sprags out and fell upon him (Stanhope coal)

Toone, James, 24 Oct 1871, aged 14, Horse Driver, Fall of roof, Buried: St. John's Parish Church, Newhall

Walley, William, 19 Dec 1864, aged 26, Collier, Suffocated in trying to put out a fire

Walters, George, 13 May 1910, aged 22, Loader, Deceased was killed by a runaway load on an incline of 1 in 5½. The load was standing on a stop-block or "dumpling" at a distance of 5 yards from the face where a shot was to be fired. Deceased went down the incline on instructions from the deputy to prevent anyone approaching from that direction. The shot caused the tub to jump the block and it ran into deceased as he was on his way back, at a distance of 20 yards from the face. There was plenty of room at the side of the road, but deceased slipped on the rail as he was stepping across to get out of the way

Whateley, W., 10 Jul 1861, aged 30, Miner, Fall of roof [More information ...]

Wildsworth, William, 27 Oct 1864, aged 54, Sinker, Rope broke. This rope was unfit for use [More information ...]

Wilkinson, John, 18 Apr 1872, aged 21, Collier, Explosion of gas

Wilkinson, Thomas, 11 Dec 1869, aged 24, Collier, Fall of coal