Towneley Colliery

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Adams, Joseph, 23 Aug 1881, aged 14, Arms caught by a carrying pulley on an endless chain road

Aggett, Edwin, 25 Nov 1881, (accident: 18 Nov 1881), aged 29, Miner, Burned by a flash of gas between his worked coal and the face, he having returned with an open light after being out of the place some time. Died 25th

Anderson, Joseph, 21 Mar 1878, Miner, Fell down dead, at 12.30 noon, while at work in Towneley Pit, several men were working near, and he appared to have been in his usual health

Ashworth, William, 11 Jun 1884, aged 34, Miner, Cage moved as he was stepping off it to surface landing

Bates, John, 18 Sep 1875, aged 47, Labourer, Caught by the upper end of a rope which slipped through the clams and went down the shaft as he was assisting a ropemaker at the Alice Pit

Booth, Dennis, 19 Oct 1882, aged 53, Labourer, Sank down and was suffocated among crushed coal at the coke ovens [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Briggs, Vincent, 01 Sep 1920, aged 27, Jenny tenter, Caught by crank pin of haulage engine

Butterworth, Robert, 17 Aug 1915, aged 60, Miner, Broken neck by fall of stone

Cherry, John, 22 Jul 1873, aged 46, Waggoner, Run against by a tub waggon which got loose from the top of a brow. King Mine

Crossland, John, 01 Oct 1912, aged 28, Drifter, Premature explosion of two shots of Samsonite when returning to fire the same shots. Five shots had been charged in the face of a stone drift, two pairs which were a few inches apart, each shot had a Bickford's Patent Igniter attached. Two of these shots were fired by nipping the igniter with pincers for the purpose, deceased and another man came out to the top of the drift, heard the two shots explode, were returning to fire the other shots, deceased had got to two yards from the face, the other man being a few yards behind, a shot exploded, and whilst two men were running down the drift to the rescue another shot exploded. It is the opinion of the mine officials that these two shots which prematurely exploded were fired by stones from the first shots hitting the igniters

Ellershaw, Joseph, 01 Dec 1875, aged 27, Sinker, Breakage of rope holding a scaffold on which he and others were at work widening a shaft

Fielden, Richard, 01 Nov 1886, aged 16, Drawer, Taken ill in the mine and died on pit bank apparently from over exertion in pushing tubs up brow

Fort, Henry, May 1866, boiler explosion

Garthwaite, William Henry, 11 Jan 1900, 3.15 p.m., 9th hour of shift, aged 25, Collier, Fall of roof in working place whilst drawing props ; broken roof ; small corner pillar of coal just swept out. Two bars might have prevented the capping of the props. (Good roof.) (Arley Mine)

Gledhill, James, 28 May 1895, aged 47, Jinney tenter, Crushed between a tub and endless chain wheel the latter had a sheet iron guard 1ft. deep around. Probably while pushing a tub under chain another one ran against him behind causing him to fall backwards on the tub (21 inches high) he was then carried forward under the wheel and under the bearing down pulley. No one saw the accident

Green, George, 14 Jul 1881, aged 29, Pitman, Falling in the downcast, when working at the pumps

Green, George, 25 Nov 1914, aged 70, Labourer, Deceased was nailing lids on some boxes in a railway wagon. This wagon and another were lowered by a shunter releasing the brakes so as to attach them to others standing some 20 yards away. Deceased either fell out of the wagons whilst they were moving, or having climbed out, was caught between the moving and standing wagons. He died the same night from the injuries he received

Green, John, 01 Dec 1902, 11.30 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 41, Collier, Fall of roof in working place, near face. Stone 9 feet long and 4 feet wide. The props were 6 feet 6 inches from face and 10 feet the other way. Had the timbering rule been observed to set props 5 feet 6 inches from face, the roof which fell would have been supported. The fireman failed to properly examine the place and to enforce the timbering rule (Good roof) (Dandy)

Harker, Henry, 27 May 1897, aged 41, Fireman, Crushed by tub in inclined drawing road overpowered drawer ran away and met deceased travelling up the road. Tub, contrary to rule, was not properly secured before commencing to fill it

Hills, Richard, 04 Nov 1915, (accident: 03 Nov 1915), aged 59, Collier, Crushed betwen tubs — broke arm. Died next day

Hoskin, Thomas Wilton, 03 Dec 1875, aged 23, Coal Miner, Roofstone falling where he was widening a road

Howarth, James, 19 Oct 1908, (accident: 14 Oct 1908), aged 27, Collier, Fall of coal from face, loose corner, neglecting to sprag. (Died 19th October) (King Seam)

Hoyle, Frank, 28 Sep 1917, aged 15, Drawer, Crushed by tubs — head injured. Died

Hunt, James, 28 Feb 1881, aged 30, Miner, A wheel of his riding tram broke as he was riding at high speed

Ingham, Laurence, 21 Nov 1885, aged 20, Miner, Fatal. Having just completed knocking out props in part of his place which was finished in the Arley Mine a large stone dropped out from between two slips in the roof and caught him

Jackson, William, 11 Jan 1879, (accident: 10 Jan 1879), aged 39, Stoneman, Stone falling from roof where he was preparing to lengthen an arch. Died 11th

Jackson, William, 04 Nov 1886, aged 23, Shunter, Caught by railway waggons whilst shunting

Jones, Ellis, 14 Jun 1892, 9 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 44, Coke drawer, Crushed by waggons, going up ladder to get into a high sided coke waggon. Locomotive shunting waggons on another line of rails pushed waggons against ladder. Deceased was thrown to the ground, and several waggons passed over him

Luke, James, 08 Apr 1901, aged 6, [Not employed], On April 8th, James Luke, six years of age, strayed on to the endless chain tramway at Towneley Colliery ; was crushed by the tubs. Supposed to have gone after his cap, which had blown off his head [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Matthews, William Henry, 03 Jun 1885, aged 4, Boy, Run over at Healey Wood Burnley, on the chain road leading from the pit to the Staith, a mile and a quarter distant. The tramway passes close to dwelling houses and was unfenced at this place where a number of children play. (Not comprised)

Miller, John Edward, 12 Jul 1895, aged 14, [Not employed], Was getting water from colliery pond fell in and was drowned

Moore, Thomas, 06 Oct 1891, aged 29, Miner, Killed by roof falling where he was striking out props. Inspection and inquest attended

Murphy, John William, 09 Feb 1891, aged 13, Ginney tenter, Died same day from injuries by a run of tubs in the ginney brow; a tub having slipped from the chain ran down end stripped off the tubs in succession. Inspection and inquest attended

Padiham, B., 26 Apr 1883, aged 29, Miner, Fall of roof taking props

Peart, Thomas, 29 May 1875, aged 47, Coal Miner, Roof falling as he was taking out props. King Mine

Ploughwright, T., 19 Mar 1883, aged 13, Boy, Slipped under fence and fell down shaft

Proctor, Stephen, 20 Dec 1929, aged 33 [More information ...]

Proctor, Stephen, 01 Jan 1930, (accident: 30 Dec 1929), aged 33, Ignition of gas caused by shotfiring. Died 1st Jan 1930 [More information ...]

Redman, Joseph, Oct 1921, (accident: 22 Sep 1921), aged 36, Miner, Fractured spine by fall of roof. Died Oct

Richards, Thomas, 22 Sep 1874, aged 49, Coal miner, Falling out of the mouthing where he was putting tubs into the cage. He fell with a tub which he apparently intended to put into the cage but the cage was not there

Sagar, James, 26 Apr 1866, aged 37, Miner, A portable steam boiler burst [More information ...]

Sagar, James, May 1866, boiler explosion

Schofield, James, 20 Dec 1929, aged 33, Cleaner [More information ...]

Schofield, James, 30 Dec 1929, aged 33, Cleaner, Ignition of gas caused by shotfiring [More information ...]

Shorrock, Henry, 16 May 1882, aged 18, Waggoner, Ran away with him on his riding tram

Smith, Robert, 24 May 1924, 10.55 a.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 21, Drawer, The deceased was killed by a fall of roof on a roadway at a point where a new road was being commenced. A carrier bar to support five cross bars had been set, and it was afterwards found that one of these bars was decayed and had broken at a knot in the wood. All five of the cross bars collapsed and deceased was buried by the fall. The timber, owing to the dampness of the mine, decays very quickly and was in course of renewal. Apparently it was worse than the fireman, who inspected it, thought

Spencer, John, 01 Dec 1865, aged 36, Miner, Explosion of firedamp. He incautiously opened his safety lamp whilst cutting through into an unventilated place. The fireman for omitting to lock the deceased's lamp was proceeded against by the owners and fined £2

Steer, Richard, 24 Jul 1872, (accident: 21 Jul 1872), aged 54, Engineman, Scalded in the hot well of the pumping engine ; died 24th. The steam and hot water which had not been all let out of the cylinder became liberated by the catch slipping off the handle. There were rings to prevent such a slip, but they had not been put on

Stringer, Alfred, 16 Jun 1892, 2.45 p.m., 9th hour of shift, aged 54, Collier, Drawing props when a quantity of roof fell on to him. Came away from a slip, undetected. Fall 6 ft. long, 2 ft. wide, 14 ins. Thick

Tattersall, Absolom, 23 Jan 1915, aged 23, Miner, Crushed head and chest — killed instantly

Taylor, John, 04 Mar 1892, 3.10 p.m., 10th hour of shift, aged 29, Fireman, Explosion of gunpowder. Two shots prepared ; deceased lit one, went back after report of shot ; when two yards from face the second shot exploded, believed to have been lit from the explosion of the first shot

Taylor, William, 18 Jan 1898, aged 55, Collier, Fall of roof in working place. Reckless disregard of faults in roof and neglect to prop

Unknown, -, 25 Apr 1870, Miner, Roof falling

Wilkinson, Elias, 07 Apr 1894, aged 24, Blacksmith, April 7th, Elias Wilkinson, 24, employed as a blacksmith at Towneley Colliery; had left the colliery premises and entered on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, when he was struck by locomotive passenger engine and killed [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Yates, Yates, 15 Dec 1897, aged 60, Collier, Fall of roof in working place from a pronounced slip. Insufficiently propped