Wellesley Colliery

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Bernard, Thomas, 22 Jun 1907, aged 48, Fireman-Engineer, Deceased was superintending the erection of an electrically-driven air-compressor to be used for the purpose of underground shaft sinking ; the receiver was guaranteed to stand a pressure of 100 lbs. per square inch. The receiver had been fitted to the compressor and before finally putting the machine in use, a test was ordered. The pressure was gradually put on and when 90 lbs. had been reached the end of the receiver blew out, and it struck deceased and killed him instantly. The ends of the receiver were electrically welded, and it was due to a defect in the welding that the end blew out ; the thickness of the metal was ¼ inch, but at part which blew the welding was only 1/16 inch

Birrell, John, 20 Aug 1906, aged 59, Shaftsman, Deceased was employed with others enlarging a shaft from the bottom upwards, and while standing on a platform consisting of two planks fixing buntens he fell a distance of 14 feet, injuring his head, and subsequently died from the injury

Coventry, William, 06 Aug 1935, Miner, he was buried under two tons of material, and efforts to extricate him alive were ineffectual, Buried: West Wemyss Cemetery, Fife

Davidson, John, 04 Dec 1934, aged 51, Fall of roof

Gilmour, John, 07 Jul 1922, 10.45 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 61, Miner, He was in the act of taking loose coal off the waste working place when 11 cwts. of crow coal fell from the roof and killed him instantly

Gorman, William, 26 Dec 1913, aged 17, Miner's Drawer, Deceased had filled five or six hutches of coal from the front of 12 feet of overhanging coal holed 4 feet under at the face of a level, and was filling away a small quantity of redd, after which it was intended to put up a sprag. Before this was done, however, a slab of coal and stone rolled over and fractured the base of his skull. He died about 14 hours later

Greig, James, 15 Feb 1922, 8.15 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 18, Miner's drawer, He was taking a tub up a slightly inclined road by means of a screw clip attached to an endless rope.  When he reached the top he was in the act of releasing the clip when his head was crushed between his own tub and one standing on the rails a few yards beyond the top

Grey, David, 01 Oct 1890, 5.15 a.m., aged 59, Wood cutter, Run over by waggons

Healy, Patrick, 15 Jan 1903, aged 21, Loco. Shunter, The locomotive engine pushed part of a train of waggons into a siding off the main line, giving the waggons sufficient impetus to enable them to clear the crossing, and as soon as the waggons had passed into siding deceased who had held the points jumped on to the engine. The locomotive then returned on the main line, pushing the remaining part of the train in front, and on reaching the crossing the engine caught part of a waggon just where deceased stood on the footplate, fatally crushing him. The waggons in the siding had gradually moved back until the leading one fouled the crossing

Mann, James, 12 Sep 1931, aged 33, Fall of roof

Mathew, William, 11 Jul 1892, 6 a.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 26, Brusher, Fall of stone

McKenzie, David, 13 Mar 1891, 8.15 a.m., aged 20, Collier, Fall of coal

Rankine, John, 29 Dec 1912, aged 31, Pitwright, He had been cleaning out a syphon in the shaft, and was stepping from a narrow batten on to the cage when he took a false step, and fell 20 fathoms to the bottom of the shaft

Templeton, James, 02 Feb 1924, (accident: 21 Dec 1923, 3.30 a.m., 6th hour of shift), aged 35, Assistant Machineman, He was standing with his back to the jib end of a chain coal cutter, putting up a prop, when he staggered, and, in stepping back to save himself from falling, got his foot against the moving coal cutter picks. He had three toes taken off his right foot and his left leg broken ; he died on 2nd February, 1924

Thompson, Thomas, 06 Mar 1890, 10.00 a.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 20, Miner, Fall of roof coal

Turnbull, John, 07 Feb 1889, aged 40, Miner, Fall of rock

Wilson, David, 08 Aug 1902, aged 38, Washery foreman, A loaded waggon of dross was being brought forward to the dross hopper of coal washing machine, and as it was moving too fast, and likely to pass the hopper, deceased attempted to stop it by putting a wooden trig in front of one of the last wheels ; the wheel mounted the trig and caused the back end of the waggon to leave the rails and crash against an engine seat, at the same time crushing his head