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Robert Shields
| Age: | 52 |
| Died: | 8th Sep 1880 |
| Accident: | 8th Sep 1880 2:20 AM |
| Year Born: | abt. 1828 |
| Colliery: | Seaham |
| Company: | Marquis of Londonderry |
| Occupation: | Shifter |
| Notes: | address: 17, William Street ; killed in the 1880 explosion (ignition caused by safety lamp or shot firing) |
| Buried: | [not known] |
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| Description | |
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The text of the report from the Mines Inspector into this disaster is available in the Disaster Reports section of this website.
Extracts from the Inquest into this death.
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| Census Data | |
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1881 Census
Address: 4 School Street, Seaham, Co. Durham
(Ref: RG11 / 4971 / 172 / 61)
| Name | Age | Rel | Mar | Occupation | Where Born | Born |
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| SHIELDS, Ann | 48 | Head | Wid | YKS: Gilling | 1833 | |
| SHIELDS, Robert | 13 | Son | Scholar | DUR: Seaham | 1868 | |
| SHIELDS, William | 11 | Son | Scholar | DUR: Seaham | 1870 | |
| SHIELDS, Mary E. | 24 | Dau | DUR: Seaham | 1857 | ||
| HARRISON, Catherine | 7 | Visitor | Scholar | DUR: Seaham | 1874 |
Please note: the census extracts shown here are our 'best guess match' to the person shown on this page and is not intended to be definitive — only knowledge of the family would allow this.
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| Memorial: 1880 Seaham Colliery Disaster | |
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| Memorial | |
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This is a low resolution image for web display, if you would like to have a higher resolution image, then please
us quoting reference T-00157-00-0002 and we will make the image available on a temporary page for you to access.
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| Names in this memorial picture | |||
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| Name | Died | Age | Born |
| Silas SCRAFTON | 8th Sep 1880 | 17 | 1863 |
| George SHARP | 8th Sep 1880 | 39 | 1841 |
| George SHIELDS | 8th Sep 1880 | 23 | 1857 |
| James SHIELDS | 8th Sep 1880 | 25 | 1855 |
| Robert SHIELDS | 8th Sep 1880 | 52 | 1828 |
| John SHORT | 8th Sep 1880 | 18 | 1862 |
| William SIGH | 8th Sep 1880 | 30 | 1850 |
| William SIMPSON | 8th Sep 1880 | 31 | 1849 |
| James SLAVIN | 8th Sep 1880 | 26 | 1854 |
| Anthony SMITH | 8th Sep 1880 | 39 | 1841 |
| Christopher SMITH | 8th Sep 1880 | 36 | 1844 |
| Luke SMITH | 8th Sep 1880 | 26 | 1854 |
| Michael SMITH | 8th Sep 1880 | 34 | 1846 |
| Thomas SMITH | 8th Sep 1880 | 50 | 1830 |
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| Compensation Settlement | |
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| Residence: | 4, School Street |
| Widow, &c. | Ann Shields |
| Widow Age: | 48 |
| Children: | 1 |
| Legacies: | £5 0s. 0d. |
| Fortnightly Allowance: | £0 14s. 0d. |
| Fatal Accident Benefits. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Accidental Death of Unmarried Member under 18 years of age | £12 | 0 | 0 |
| Accidental Death of Members above 18 years of age leaving no dependent relative | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Accidental Death of Members above 18 years of age leaving dependent relatives | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Widows or other dependent relatives | 5s. per week | ||
| Each child (if under age) of members accidentally killed | 2s. per week | ||
| Each child (if under age) of widowers, &c., extra for guardianship | 1s. 6d. per week | ||
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| Related Articles | |
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| Pub. Date | Article (Newspaper) |
|---|---|
| 09 Sep 1880 | Terrible Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 10 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 13 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 14 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 15 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 15 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 16 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 17 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 18 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 18 Sep 1880 | Our Illustrations, The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Graphic) |
| 18 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 20 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 21 Sep 1880 | Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 23 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 24 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 30 Sep 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 01 Oct 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 02 Oct 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 02 Oct 1880 | Mr. T. H. M. Stratton (The Graphic) |
| 04 Oct 1880 | Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 06 Oct 1880 | Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 07 Oct 1880 | The Seaham Explosion (The Times) |
| 07 Oct 1880 | Letters to the Editor, The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 14 Oct 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 20 Oct 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 21 Oct 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 13 Nov 1880 | Home News, The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Graphic) |
| 14 Dec 1880 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 06 Jan 1881 | The Seaham Colliery Explosion (The Times) |
| 01 Apr 1933 | Coal Dust Dangers (The Science and Art of Mining) |
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| Further Reading | |
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- Mines Inspectors Report into the 1880 Disaster (C. 2924)
- Durham Mining Disasters, c.1700 - 1950s by Maureen Anderson, Published by Wharncliffe Books, 2008, ISBN 1-845630-73-4
- Explosions in Coal Mines by W. N. & J. B. Atkinson, published in 1886
- Troubled Seams - the Story of a Pit and its People by John E. McCutcheon, published in 1955 by J. Greenwood and Sons
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| Sources | |
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- 1881 Census — taken 3rd April, 1881
- Memorial in Christ Church Churchyard, Seaham
- Memorial photograph (T-00157-00-0002) © Kev Duncan
- Report from The Miners' Permanent Relief Fund detailing the members, payments, dependents etc. for the 1880 Seaham Colliery Disaster. Published 2nd October, 1880.
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| Researchers | |
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