Woodhouse Close Colliery

1835, Jun 02 - Commenced to sink the North or Engine Pit, Woodhouse Close Colliery (in the township of St. Andrew's Auckland), from the surface to the Main Coal Seam.

1837 - Woodhouse Close Colliery, near Bishop Auckland, was sunk to the Low Main Seam at a depth of 444 ft.

1837, Jan 07 - The winning of Woodhouse Close colliery, near Bishop Auckland, was successfully accomplished. The main coal seam was found in great perfection, at a depth of seventy-four fathoms.

1850, Dec 02 - Recommenced to sink the South Pit, Woodhouse Close Colliery, from a depth of 15 fathoms down to the Main Coal Seam.

1854 - Woodhouse Close Colliery (otherwise called Tindale Colliery) in the township of St. Helen's, Auckland, was sunk from the surface to the Yard Seam.

1857 - Boring operations from the surface were in progress in vicinity of Woodhouse Close Colliery by Mr. William Coulson.

1874 - A boring from the surface was in progress in the vicinity of Woodhouse Close Colliery by Mr. William Coulson.

1878 - Hutton and Harvey seam abandoned

1879 - Busty and Brockwell seam abandoned

1909 - Hutton seam abandoned

1934 - Harvey seam abandoned

1934, 16 Apr - Hutton seam abandoned

Blacklock, John, 27 Dec 1859, aged 64, Screener, crushed by apparatus tub in the cage hole

Clementson, James, 29 Mar 1858, aged 15, Apparatus boy, crushed (on surface) at small coal apparatus

Clifford, Joseph, 26 Jul 1869, aged 18, Driver, crushed between a tub and a prop

Dixon, Nathan, 13 Aug 1867, aged 15, Pony Driver, fall of roof by tubs drawing timber when he was out of his duty in driving a pony which he was not employed to drive

Dixon, William, 15 Jul 1858, aged 13, Horse Driver, crushed by tubs

Elgie, Robert, 07 Dec 1854, Putter, stone, about 10ft in length and 4ft in breadth, fell from roof on his head and neck. [The Durham County Advertiser - 15/12/1854]

Elliott, Michael Robson, 08 Jan 1840, Principal viewer, suffocated after explosion caused by naked candle [More information ...]

Gilmany, Ralph, 26 May 1878, aged 51, Shaftman, while engaged with others in repairing a chain pump at pit bottom, deceased signalled for the cage to be lifted, and before it moved he put his head into the shaft to call for something, when the cage came up and caught his head between the top bar and a bunton

Hall, John, 04 Dec 1878, aged 14, Driver, fell off the limmers while putting and was run over by a full tub

Hall, Mark, 21 Nov 1868, aged 56, Brakesman, got entangled in underground engine

Heron, George, 02 May 1849, (accident: 26 Apr 1849), on 26 April, George Heron was at Woodhouse Close Colliery with his pony and cart for coals, and while loading it, another pony and cart came up, which caused the pony to run back, and deceased was crushed between the bunting and the lower end of the cart. Heron was attended by surgeon Mr. Jobson who found a "large wound on the left side of head, right ear nearly detached, and a slight fracture of the bone forming the external part of the ear." The wound was dressed, then Heron was taken home. He appeared to be on the mend, but on the 30th "erysipelas" (a streptococal infection) appeared on his face and spread to his scalp; this caused his death on 2 May.

Hetherington, Ralph, 11 Aug 1856, aged 42, crushed by tubs

Hope, T. Henry, 18 May 1867, aged 29, Hewer, fall of stone while turning a bord

Indian, William, 02 Dec 1871, aged 60, Shifter, crushed by tubs

Milner, Thomas, 19 Sep 1855, aged 32, Deputy, killed by a fall stone from the roof, death was instantaneous

O'Cain, Barnard, 14 Nov 1860, aged 32, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Ord, George, 30 Mar 1861, aged 11, Trimmer, crushed by surface waggons against erections

Park, James, 21 Dec 1864, aged 36, Brakesman, crushed by machinery

Radcliffe, Henry, 15 Oct 1858, aged 45, Hewer, explosion of gas [More information ...]

Rand, William, 29 Oct 1841, In the Durham Advertiser published on 29 October, it was reported that the Bishop of Durham had given ten pounds to the four orphan children of William Rand, who had been killed by the fall of a large stone at Woodhouse Close Colliery a few days earlier

Reay, Joseph, 17 Jan 1855, he was filling a tub when a large piece of stone fell from the roof and crushed him. Twenty minutes elapsed before he could be got out, by which time he was found to be dead. The stone had fallen backwards four yards from the face. The place had been propped within a yard of the face by the deputy, who had been there a short time before the fall took place, and apprehended no danger

Reynolds, George, 20 Mar 1863, aged 60, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone

Roddam, Joseph, 27 Mar 1874, aged 63, Stoneman, explosion of fire damp

Simpson, John, 09 Jan 1876, aged 32, Collier, fall of roof while at work in a wide bord

Smith, James, 16 May 1858, aged 52, Hewer, fell off pit-heap wall

Teasdale, Robert, 1879, Buried: St. Helen Auckland Catholic Churchyard

Walker, Samuel, 26 Apr 1858, aged 12, Trapper, crushed by tubs in engine plane