Wath Main Colliery

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Allott, Herbert, 24 Feb 1930, aged 27, Miner, Explosions, firedamp, ignited by safety lamp [More information ...]

Askew, Joseph, 19 Mar 1907, aged 34, Collier, He was cutting a prop loose at the top to draw it when a weight bump took place and caused a fall of roof which knocked him down. While some men were trying to liberate him a second fall took place and killed him

Avery, John R., 15 Apr 1915, aged 31, Sinker, He was cleaning out with an iron tool after a shot had been fired earlier in the day when there was a fall and he was injured. Died hours later

Barton, George, 05 Jul 1904, aged 44, Hanger-on, When taking a tram of timber out of the middle deck of the cage, the engineman started the cage away and he was caught and killed. It was discovered afterwards that 15 men who were waiting at the shaft bottom to ascend the shaft, on hearing a signal from the surface that men were coming down with the other cage made a rush to get to the cage, and in doing so one of them accidently caught the electric signal and gave the signal to the winding engineman who, therefore, moved the cages

Betney, Joseph, 27 Oct 1906, (accident: 22 Oct 1906), aged 27, Trammer, He was holding a light for his collier while he was baring some coal down when there was bump which burst a piece of coal out of the solid face, it knocked prop out and the prop hit him in the side. Died on October 27th

Bradley, G., 13 May 1890, aged 48, Packer, Fall of roof

Briggs, G., 20 Jul 1887, aged 60, Collier, Run over by corves

Burland, A., 10 Apr 1896, (accident: 17 Jan 1896), aged 34, Collier, Fall of side. Died 10th April

Catling, Rowland, 17 Mar 1908, aged 16, Pony Driver, On the road on which he was driving it was necessary to use a double locker in the last wheels of two tubs, but on this occasion the pony kept moving and he could not get them in. He then attempted to stop the tubs by getting in front of them, in order to prevent them running into and injuring some men employed on the top of a self-acting incline a short distance away. In doing so he was crushed against the fencing of the incline wheel and killed instantly

Choke, Arthur, 13 May 1909, aged 38, Deputy, When travelling a self-acting incline he was run over by a train of tubs and fatally injured. The accident happened at the meeting in the middle of the incline and the refuge holes would be blocked by the train of empty tubs 40 in number and 60 yards long. At meetings it is advisable to have refuge holes at each side of the road

Creaser, Albert Wenlock, 12 Jan 1912, aged 39, Collier, He was engaged in assisting to set some timber under a cavity in the roof of a main road when a large quantity of dirt fell from a concealed slip on the side of the road, burying him and killing him instantly

Crooks, R., 03 May 1887, aged 50, Screener, Crushed by waggons

Crossman, George, 05 Apr 1917, aged 28

Cusworth, C., 22 Jan 1897, (accident: 23 Dec 1896), aged 56, Packer, Fall of roof. Died 22nd January 1897

Cusworth, Ernest, 24 Feb 1930, aged 31, Miner, Explosions, firedamp, ignited by safety lamp [More information ...]

Davis, Eli, 17 Jan 1882, (accident: 28 Dec 1881), aged 30, Trammer, Fall of coal ; died 17th Jan 1882

Downing, W., 18 Aug 1902, aged 35, Trammer, When a train of full tubs was being hauled up an incline a coupling link broke, and the tubs ran back and killed Downing, who was foolishly travelling up the road without a light

Dyson, John, 24 Feb 1930, aged 37, Miner, Explosions, firedamp, ignited by safety lamp [More information ...]

Edwards, William Henry, 23 Jul 1924, 12.20 p.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 26, Collier, He was withdrawing a prop by means of a Sylvester appliance when a large fall of roof occurred. Five props were reeled out and deceased was struck on the chest by one of the props and knocked on to the floor. He did not appear to be severely hurt but died on admission to hospital about three hours later

Fellows, Percy, 05 Oct 1919, aged 34, Pit hill hand, Fixing to support scaffold under a gantry when he fell 27 feet. He cut his head and struggled violently in ambulance room and was removed to hospital. Date uncertain

Fletcher, Reynold, 15 May 1924, 5.10 p.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 29, Haulage Hand, He was taking a run of full tubs from a passbye by means of endless rope haulage. The third tub got off the rails and deceased stopped the rope and, with assistance put the tub back on the rails. He then signalled for the rope to start while he was near the third tub. When the rope started he had to pass to the front of the run, which was standing in a narrow part of the road, and in doing so he was caught between the first tub and the side of the road. He could have got in front of the run before the signal to start the rope was given, or he could have allowed the run to pass through the narrow part of the road before attempting to reach the front of the run

Frost, James, 09 Oct 1901, aged 55, Labourer, Preparing to set timber when the roof fell upon him

Gibbons, Isaac, 27 Oct 1909, aged 19, Driver, He was found dead under full tubs which he was bringing out-bye with a pony

Greenfield, James, 10 Apr 1934, (accident: 11 Jan 1934), aged 57, Collier, Holing coal when some burst off face discharging a sprag and knocked his head and neck against tub. Died 10th April 1934

Guest, Edward, 21 Jul 1919, aged 45, Dataller, A fall had taken place on haulage road and he was sent to remove it. While filling dirt there was a further fall which inflicted injuries from which he died one month later

Hollings, H. W., 28 Sep 1894, aged 21, Deputy, Run over by tubs

Hudson, Harold, 06 Dec 1907, (accident: 27 Nov 1907), aged 18, Jinney Lad, He was illegally riding, along with three other lads, on the rope of a set of 40 tubs down a self-acting incline nearly 800 yards long, and as the set reached the bottom the hook of the fortieth tub broke, allowing thirty-nine to run forward. The fortieth tub was jerked violently back and pulled upon the lad who was fatally injured. Died December 6th. The accident is due to an unauthorised person being in charge of the self-acting incline. The jinnier had appointed a driver to jinney the set, which was the last of the day, down ; the driver lost control of the set and allowed the empty train to run violently into the jinney wheel frame and caused the jerk which broke the hook

Jackson, G., 15 Jul 1898, aged 20, Inclineman, Run over by corves on engine plane

Jackson, Mark, 08 Jan 1905, (accident: 28 Dec 1904), aged 38, Shunter, Died from injuries received on December 28th last. He was passing along the footplate of a locomotive when he slipped, and his shin was scraped against the top step causing a bruised wound. Little was thought of the injury, but blood poisoning set in and he died. The handkerchief was a red one and dirty, and the blood poisoning was probably set up by it

King, Thomas Francis, 24 Feb 1930, aged 55, Miner, Explosions, firedamp, ignited by safety lamp [More information ...]

Law, S., 22 Feb 1884, aged 51, Collier, Fall of roof

Major, William, 18 Sep 1905, aged 39, Run-rider, He was riding on the top of the thirty-first tub in a train of 38 full tubs, which was being brought by the main hauling rope to the shaft bottom, when the tub got off the way at a crossing rail, and he was thrown under the tubs, run over and killed. The cause of the tub leaving the rails was probably that it had a bent axle

Marshall, William H., 25 Jul 1934, (accident: 20 Jul 1934), aged 57, Road layer, Had been cutting back coal side at floor level when side fell. Died 5 days later

Mason, Edwin, 19 Oct 1911, (accident: 29 Sep 1911), aged 14, Pony driver, He was standing under an old ripping lip in a gate waiting for a tub, when some bind fell from the lip and knocked him down, fracturing his spine. He died 21 days later. The lip was supported by a prop set at about the middle of the road, which was about 11 feet wide

Maughen, Robert John, 06 Jan 1905, aged 26, Waggonman, He was crossing a line to where his work was, through between the buffers of two waggons which were standing with the brakes fastened down, when another being let down bumped the last one and forced it forward. He appears to have been stooping to get under the buffers at the time as he was caught by the back of the head and killed. He should, not have crossed between the waggons as he did

Mearn, William, 27 Nov 1911, aged 25, Labourer, He entered a slack bunker at the coke ovens and was treading down damp slack, when he sank into it and was smothered. The slack should have been loosened through the door at the bottom of the bunker with an iron rod provided for the purpose

Moningham, Frank, 28 Sep 1910, aged 34, Corporal, Whilst engaged taking lockers from the wheels of 19 empty tubs in the passbye a runaway set of full tubs caught him. The runaway was the result of the drag failing to hold owing to the floor being soft

Motteran, R., 23 Jan 1904, aged 47, Foreman Carpenter, He went up a ladder to the top stage of some screens in the course of construction, in the dark, and was going to cross the stage when he fell through a hole on to a coal shoot 16 feet below and was killed on the spot. He should have taken a light with him, and the hole should have been covered at night ; it had been uncovered by the contractors removing a flat sheet so that some blocks could be attached to a girder

Mouser, John, 18 Aug 1904, (accident: 16 Aug 1904), aged 27, Trammer, He was filling a tub when a "weight bump" caused a large slub of coal to burst off at the cleat of the coal, which caught and so severely injured him that he died two days afterwards. Two sprags were displaced by the fall

Naylor, Dick, 14 Dec 1911, (accident: 08 Nov 1911), aged 35, Collier, He was going to his work when he was caught and severely crushed between two sets of empty tubs. The accident was due to carelessness on the part of a ropeman in sending some empty tubs down an incline without receiving a signal. He died on 14th December

Nichols, A., 20 Nov 1892, (accident: 18 Nov 1892, 10 a.m., 5th hour of shift), aged 25, Rider, Fall of stone ; died 20th

Nightingale, James, 04 Dec 1904, (accident: 29 Nov 1904), aged 51, Trammer, When tramming in a gateway a fall of roof occurred at a slip, which caught and caused such severe injuries that he died on December 4th

Nobles, John, 12 Nov 1912, aged 50, Trammer, He was holing coal when a bump took place, causing a large quantity of coal to burst away from the face. A sprag supporting the coal was pushed out and the man was crushed. He died about 12 hours later from a fractured pelvis

Norman, F., 20 Jul 1891, aged 19, Driver, Run over by tubs

Norman, Herbert William, 14 Jan 1947, aged 40, died due to asphyxiation due to all external orifices being buried by fall of roof while working underground - accidental

Parry, Edwin, 19 Jul 1912, aged 38, Dataller, He was preparing to set a bar in the road, which was being widened out for a passbye when there was a sudden fall of roof bringing out another bar, which fell on him and killed him

Pasley, Edward Hydes, 25 Aug 1919, aged 57, Dataller, Employed as a ropeman and was following set of full tubs which were being drawn up road when first tub struck side and lashing chain broke so tubs ran back and he was pinned against side by last tub and killed instatntly

Poole, John Algernon, 24 Feb 1930, aged 21, Trammer, Explosions, firedamp, ignited by safety lamp [More information ...]

Redfern, R., 17 Oct 1903, (accident: 16 Oct 1903), aged 27, Trammer, Died 17th October. He went to the assistance of a driver whose pony had fallen when bringing a set of full tubs up a gradient. He was scrambling over the tubs to get to the back of them when the pony regained its feet and slipped out of its gears. The tubs ran back and Redfern was fatally crushed against an iron girder. A drag or back stay would have prevented this accident and should have been used

Roberts, Frederick, 14 Aug 1933, (accident: 03 Aug 1933), aged 32, Ripper, Pulling at a sylvester to draw out prop 6 yards away when a stone fell from roof — compound fractured leg. Died 11 days later from pneumonia

Robertshaw, Issac Burnley, 02 Jun 1898, aged 31, Corporal, Run over by corves while trying to stop them

Russell, John, 24 Feb 1930, aged 42, Deputy, Explosions, firedamp, ignited by safety lamp [More information ...]

Skelton, Alfred, 15 Apr 1910, (accident: 20 Aug 1909), aged 39, Dataller, He was helping to repair an airway and was preparing to set a prop when he was fatally injured by a fall of roof. The fall disclosed a previously unsuspected slip. He died on the 15th April, 1910

Speight, Frank, 17 Jul 1909, (accident: 03 May 1909), aged 19, Trammer, Fall of roof. He was working in the face when he was fatally injured by a heavy fall of top coal. The fall came from between timbers and disclosed a slip and a smooth parting. He died on 17th July

Unwin, Leonard, 24 Feb 1930, aged 46, Miner, Explosions, firedamp, ignited by safety lamp [More information ...]

Wall, Parkin, 23 Nov 1915, aged 41, Trammer, Buried by fall of coal which displaced a prop

Webb, A. R., 21 Nov 1935, Miner, Webb had finished his shift at the pit on November 21, and was walking towards the pit bottom when he was knocked down by runaway tubs

Westerman, Henry, 03 Sep 1907, aged 58, Hauling Engineman, A bolt broke in the clutch between the drum and the pinion wheel and he went in to get it out. The end of the hauling rope at the time was 81 yards away and was attached to some tubs on an endless rope for the purpose of being taken further down the plane to be attached to a full train. The endless rope started and this caused the rope to be pulled and the drum and spur wheel to revolve and he was caught between the drum and bed plate and killed

Weston, John, 07 Dec 1913, (accident: 29 Nov 1913), aged 45, Collier, Deceased was filling coal from a bord place about 8 feet wide, when there was a heavy bump, causing a fall of top coal between the timber and the face ; he was struck on the head and received injuries from which he died on 7th December. No timber supports were displaced by the fall — the specified distance for setting supports had just been reached. The fall came from a slip in the coal and a weight break at right angles, the existence of which was known prior to the accident, and which were just the maximum distance away from the last supports. The place had been inspected by a deputy two hours before the accident and reported safe

Williams, E., 22 Nov 1901, (accident: 31 May 1901), aged 52, Collier, Died 22nd November. Fatally injured by fall of coal in the working face when preparing to set a sprag