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William Urwin
| Age: | 68 |
| Died: | 19th Aug 1851 |
| Accident: | 19th Aug 1851 11:30 PM |
| Year Born: | abt. 1783 |
| Colliery: | Washington |
| Company: | |
| Occupation: | Hewer |
| Notes: | father of Thomas (aged 36) ; killed in the 1851 explosion (ignition caused by lighted candle) |
| Buried: | Holy Trinity Churchyard, Donwell on 21 Aug 1851 |
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| Description | |
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A fearful colliery accident occurred at Washington, Durham, by which thirty two men and boys unfortunately perished, besides two brave fellows, named Hutchinson and Errington, who lost their lives in a magnanimous attempt to save those of others. The explosion was believed to have occurred in consequence of a man having removed the top from his Davy lamp. Ten widows and thirty three children were left destitute by this melancholy catastrophe, but a handsome sum was raised by subscription for their relief.
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| Death Certificate | |
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1851 death in the Registration District of Chester-le-Street, Sub-district of Harraton, in the County of Durham | |||||||||
| No | When and where died | Name and surname | Sex | Age | Occupation | Cause of death | Signature, description and residence of informant | When registered | Signature of registrar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | Eighteenth August 1851, Washington | William Urwin | Male | 68 years | Hewer | By firing of Washington Pit on 18th August | J. Milner Favell Coroner, Eighton Cottage, Lamesley | Twenty ninth September 1851 | |
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| Related Articles | |
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| Pub. Date | Article (Newspaper) |
|---|---|
| 18 Aug 1851 | Colliery Explosion At Washington, Thirty-five Lives Lost (Annual Register for 1851) |
| 21 Aug 1851 | Destructive Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 22 Aug 1851 | The Washington Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 23 Aug 1851 | Dreadful Colliery Explosion At Washington, Loss Of Thirty-four Lives (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 29 Aug 1851 | Washington Colliery Explosion, Adjourned Inquest (The Times) |
| 30 Aug 1851 | Perils Of Coal Miners (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 30 Aug 1851 | The Washington Inquest (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 30 Aug 1851 | The Explosion At Washington Colliery, The Adjourned Inquest (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 30 Aug 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Subscription on Behalf Of The Sufferers (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 06 Sep 1851 | The Washington Colliery Explosion (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 06 Sep 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Subscription on Behalf Of The Sufferers (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 13 Sep 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Subscription on Behalf Of The Sufferers (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 20 Sep 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Subscriptions On Behalf Of The Sufferers (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 27 Sep 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Additional Subscriptions (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 04 Oct 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Additional Subscriptions (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 11 Oct 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Additional Subscriptions (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 18 Oct 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Additional Subscriptions (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 22 Nov 1851 | Gateshead Board Of Guardians (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
| 22 Nov 1851 | Explosion At Washington Colliery, Additional Subscriptions (Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury) |
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| Further Reading | |
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- Durham Mining Disasters, c.1700 - 1950s by Maureen Anderson, Published by Wharncliffe Books, 2008, ISBN 1-845630-73-4
- The Miners of Northumberland and Durham by Richard Fynes, first published in 1873
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| Sources | |
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- Copy of Death Certificate kindly provided by Robert Starkey
- Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by T. Fordyce, published in 1867
- Sunderland Herald
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| Researchers | |
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| Researcher | Date | Interest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Ingram | 20 Jun 2009 |
I am researching my gr. gr. grandfather William A. Urwin who was born 10 June 1820 at Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland. He married Ellan Wanless. They came to America in 1850 with their family. William was a miner. He died in Cass County, Nebraska on 16 August, 1897. |
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| Graeme Urwin | 02 Jan 2009 |
Thomas & William Urwin both killed in 1851 F Pit explosion - my 4 & 5 times gt grandfathers. Not the DEPUTY Urwin as seperate. |
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| Karen Kelly | 06 Aug 2012 |
William Nicholas Urwin - Miner Born 1886 Married In St Peters - Beddlington Born Red Row , Bedlington, Northumberland 28/06/1886 Home Address: 2 Dereham Terrace, Stakeford, Northumberland ( Short Service Card ) Nothumberland Fusilier Number 1619(7?)4 Died Thomas Taylor Home, Stannington, Morpeth Died of Heart Disease 1972 - Morpeth Father Ralph Urwin 1855 - Seaton Deleval Northumberland |
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| Robert Starkey | 24 Dec 2014 |
William & Thomas Urwin (father and son) both killed in August 1851 Washington Pit explosion - my x4 & x3 great-grandfathers. |
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| Dave Urwin | 01 Aug 2018 |
Urwin family - William and Thomas are my x3 and x4 great grandfathers - both killed in the 1851 Washington Pit explosion |
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| HAZEL URWIN | 30 Nov 2020 |
FAMILY TREE |
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