Backworth Colliery

1820, Jun 12 - Began to sink the B Pit, Backworth Colliery, June 12th 1820, finished May 19th 1821

1856, May 27 - Began to sink the C Pit, Backworth Colliery

1864, Mar 14 - Began to sink the D Pit, Backworth Colliery

1872, Jul 09 - Began to sink the Maude Pit, Backworth Colliery, finished April 11th 1874

1915 - Main, Yard seams abandoned

1933, 18 Jul - Low Main seam abandoned

1934, 22 Jul - Bensham seam abandoned

1934, 22 Jun - Main or Metal, Yard, Bensham, Low Main, Five Quarter seams abandoned

Allen, Scott, 1918, [approximate date]

Anderson, Hume, 08 Mar 1884, aged 48, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Anderson, Peter Richard, 22 Apr 1933, Machine Man, explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Appleby, Norman, 1938, [approximate date]

Archbold, Jonathan, 1927, [approximate date]

Armstrong, J., 1915, [approximate date]

Armstrong, Richard, 1922, [approximate date]

Aspinal, James, 1923, [approximate date]

Atkinson, W., 1925, [approximate date]

Auld, Elijah, 1936, [approximate date]

Auld, Richard, 16 Jan 1914, (accident: 15 Jan 1914), aged 38, Stoneman, Deceased was intending to fire a shot in the top canch of a crossheading in longwall workings, and was withdrawing timber. He was knocking out a prop from underneath the plank set near the face of the canch, when the roof fell to a well defined slip on the right-hand side of the crossheading. He was seriously crushed and died the following day

Baker, John, 08 Sep 1910, aged 41, Hewer, fall of side stone

Baptist, Edward N., 1940, [approximate date]

Baptist, George E., 1946, [approximate date]

Barrass, Ernest, 1935, [approximate date]

Barrass, Joseph, 1942, [approximate date]

Batey, Frederick, 07 Apr 1904, aged 16, Apprentice Engineer, Deceased had been sent by his foreman from the locomotive shed to the colliery yard on an errand, and he passed under the heapstead on his way, although he had been frequently cautioned to go round the end of it. A chaldron wagon loaded with small coal was standing chocked, and just as he passed before it a similar wagon, also loaded, came against it, lowered by a lad in the usual way, and he was severely crushed in the bowels. He was taken to Newcastle Infirmary, but died the same day

Batterley, James, 05 Jun 1874, aged 34, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Beavor, Benjamin James, 15 Dec 1908, aged 58, Chargeman, inadvertently approached a shot fired by electricity

Bell, Alexander, 08 Jul 1902, (accident: 05 Jul 1902), aged 59, Hewer, deceased worked in a longwall place in the Bensham seam when some coal from an unseen "facing" fell on him

Bell, Samuel, 23 Nov 1928, 2:00 p.m., Deputy, explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Belshaw, Robert John, 1937, [approximate date]

Bentley, -, 1965, killed by a fall of stone which forced his face down onto coal dust, suffocating him; this took on a longwall face in the Three Quarter seam in the mid 1960s [approximate date]

Bertram, Robert, 1938, [approximate date]

Binyan, Robert, 1935, [approximate date]

Blewitt, Patrick Savage, 11 Aug 1930, aged 27, Buried: Earsdon Cemetery

Bridges, William, 11 Dec 1903, aged 23, Hewer, explosion of shot [More information ...]

Brown, Frederick, 17 Sep 1910, aged 16, Ropeway boy, illegally riding on rope and was drawn into knock off

Brown, Joe, 1970, Blacksmith, he was working on a bunker at the shaft bottom; mechanics working at the other end of the bunker hacksawed through the drive chain, the chain was under tension and the mechanism jumped, crushing Joes head at the other end of the bunker [approximate date]

Brown, John, 1932, [approximate date]

Brown, Matthew, 1939, [approximate date]

Brown, Peter Crawford, 1932, [approximate date]

Bullock, Jonathan, 23 Nov 1909, aged 24, Hewer, fall of roof stone at working face

Bulmer, James, 1934, [approximate date]

Bunton, Joseph, 1918, [approximate date]

Burn, Thomas, 14 May 1908, aged 15, Pony Driver, pony stumbled and deceased was crushed by tub

Callender, George, 1931, [approximate date]

Cameron, D., 1926, [approximate date]

Campbell, Alexander, 1944, [approximate date]

Capstaff, John, 1935, [approximate date]

Charlton, Edward, 24 Feb 1903, aged 47, Wasteman, Deceased had suffered from heart disease for some years. On the day of the accident he was filling stones into a kibble which a lad took from him to a stow board. He lifted a large stone into the kibble, which he himself described to the lad as being like a shark. Shortly afterwards he fell down and died. I saw the stone and could barely lift it, and no doubt deceased had strained his heart while lifting it. The jury found: "Died from heart disease accelerated by over exertion while at work."

Chater, Thomas, 22 Apr 1933, Machine Man, explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Clark, John, 27 Jun 1896, aged 28, Hewer, He was crushed to death when attempting to get into the cage at the pit bottom when it was moving [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Clark, Joseph, 1928, [approximate date]

Clark, Robert, 1924, [approximate date]

Clough, G., 09 May 1872, aged 21, Sinker, fall of stone in shaft

Clough, Richard, 13 Nov 1873, aged 17, Screener, run over by waggons

Cockburn, Thomas, 1925, [approximate date]

Corfield, Henry, 1936, [approximate date]

Cornfoot, Robert S., 10 Jun 1902, aged 29, Waggonman, no one saw the accident happen, but it seemed probable that deceased was attempting to couple two waggons while they were in motion, and was run over

Covell, Ralph, 1940, [approximate date]

Coxon, Edward Hudspith, 1963, aged 50, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Craig, John, 13 Apr 1868, aged 22, Guard, run over by waggons

Cruddes, William, 09 Apr 1913, (accident: 08 Apr 1913), aged 16, Driver, deceased was travelling home in a railway carriage on a private railway, when he fell off the footboard along which he was walking to another compartment in order to get a match to light a cigarette; he died the following day

Cuthbertson, George W., 1915, [approximate date]

Cuthbertson, Thomas, 1942, [approximate date]

Cuthbertson, William, 13 Apr 1879, (accident: 22 Oct 1878), aged 14, Driver, crushed by tubs

Daughtry, Philip, 1929, [approximate date]

Davison, Norman, 1924, [approximate date]

Dixon, George, 18 May 1875, aged 12, Driver, crushed by tubs

Dixon, Stephen, 1925, [approximate date]

Dixon, Thomas, 1915, [approximate date]

Dodds, Alfred, 06 Apr 1911, aged 19, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Dodgin, James, 1928, [approximate date]

Donald, James, 19 Nov 1908, aged 19, Putter, fall of roof stone on roadway

Downey, Thomas Henry, 08 Oct 1896, aged 27, Stoneman, The stone fell from a little fault running along the gateway and slips near the face. In order to get the place ready for work, deceased and the chargeman commenced breaking a large stone, lying on the floor, which was in the way, without at first setting a middle prop to secure the roof. The chargeman was to blame in not seeing this was done [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Driscol, Patrick, 30 Aug 1880, aged 13, Driver, crushed by tubs

Dudderidge, Charles Henry, 02 Mar 1905, (accident: 01 Mar 1905), aged 15, Driver, He was driving 4 full tubs into a landing sitting on the coals on the first tub; when he got into the landing he leaned forward to take the cotteril out of the bolt of the limbers and succeeded in doing so, and the pony walked away, but he overbalanced himself and fell before the tubs and was crushed by the axles of the first tub which was thrown off the rails. The road was level and in good order with plenty of height. The Local Inspectors made no written report, but were examined at the Inquest, when they suggested that ponies should be stopped before the limbers were released

Edwards, G., 1915, [approximate date]

Elliott, Stephen, 1930, [approximate date]

Eltringham, Andrew, 1928, [approximate date]

Evans, William, 26 Jan 1946, (accident: 09 Aug 1944), aged 58, Plater-up, killed by a fall of stone

Fawcett, Joseph, 1915, [approximate date]

Fenton, alias Bunton, Joseph, 1918, [approximate date]

Fenwick, Cuthbert, 30 Mar 1905, aged 27, Hewer [More information ...]

Fenwick, Robert, 22 Jul 1873, aged 13, Driver, run over by waggons on branches, Buried: St. Bartholomew, Longbenton on 26 Jul 1873 {NBI}

Forster, John Thomas, 29 Oct 1906, aged 30, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone [More information ...]

Forster, John W., 1943, [approximate date]

Frazer, George, 1943, [approximate date]

Gates, Thomas, 22 Apr 1912, aged 41, Hewer, deceased was kirving 2 feet under for a width of 7 or 8 feet, and neglected to set sprags; it was the first web from this part of the face since the strike, and a quantity of coal and ramble fell, dislocating his neck

Gibbon, John T., 18 Sep 1868, aged 22, Fireman, run over by waggons

Gibson, John, 1920, [approximate date]

Gibson, William, 1943, [approximate date]

Gilligan, Patrick, 28 Jan 1901, died from natural causes whilst at work

Gledson, John, 1937, [approximate date]

Glendinning, Henry, 04 Nov 1882, aged 30, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal

Gott, Percy, 03 Nov 1907, (accident: 01 Nov 1907), aged 16, Pony Driver [More information ...]

Graham, George, 1918, [approximate date]

Green, Robert, 1901, [approximate date]

Habberjam, George, 30 Apr 1912, aged 46, Stoneman, deceased was timbering in front of a coal cutting machine, and was setting a plank, one end being notched into the coal, when a large stone came away from a jack, fatally injuring him

Hall, George, 1945, [approximate date]

Hall, John William, 1933, [approximate date]

Harbertson, John, 1928, [approximate date]

Harris, John, 1914, [approximate date]

Hays, Robert James, 1926, [approximate date]

Haythorn, Thomas William, 02 Sep 1910, aged 25, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone

Healy, Edward, 02 Jul 1909, (accident: 02 Jul 1908), aged 40, Chargeman, fall of roof stone at working face

Hedley, George Thomas, 22 May 1906, aged 28, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone [More information ...]

Hedley, John, 1922, [approximate date]

Henderson, William, 03 Sep 1883, aged 36, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Heron, John, 1927, [approximate date]

Heslop, Robert, 1941, [approximate date]

Hewish, George, 1938, [approximate date]

Hindmarsh, James, 1919, [approximate date]

Hollows, John, 1924, [approximate date]

Holmes, James, 06 Oct 1885, (accident: 07 Sep 1885), aged 18, Putter, improperly kirving coal by barrow way side ; stone fell on him

Hutton, John, 23 Nov 1928, 2:00 p.m., aged 49, Stoneman, explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Ismay, John, 05 Apr 1875, aged 30, Hewer, explosion of gas

Jessop, William, 26 Mar 1909, aged 56, Joiner and shaftman, fell off pillar of underground engine-house

Johnson, George W., 1915, [approximate date]

Johnson, Joseph, 30 Aug 1869, aged 62, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone

Johnson, Thomas, 1939, [approximate date]

Jones, Samuel, 1922, [approximate date]

Jordan, John Thomas, 1929, [approximate date]

Kelly, Thomas, 1938, [approximate date]

Kendal, William, 1915, [approximate date]

Kennedy, R., 1917, [approximate date]

Kenyon, George Turnbull, 1933, [approximate date]

Kirkpatrick, Thomas, 1930, [approximate date]

Laws, James, 12 Sep 1907, aged 23, Hewer, killed by a fall of roof, Buried: Preston Cemetery, North Shields [More information ...]

Lewis, John, 13 Feb 1891, 10:00 a.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 42, Hewer, fall of stone in the longwall workings [Inquest attended]

Little, Archibald, 18 May 1892, 8:30 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 52, Shaftman, He was working in the shaft, and for some purpose got on to one of the buntons, and as he was turning round he slipped and fell. There was no necessity for him to leave the scaffold, where he would have been perfectly safe [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Livingstone, Thomas, 22 Apr 1933, Machine Man, explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Lowe, Thomas, 1919, [approximate date]

Lowes, Thomas, 1913, [approximate date]

Lowther, Andrew, 29 Aug 1870, aged 21, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Lydon, Michael, 02 Feb 1910, aged 33, Chargeman, killed by a fall of stone

MacKinlay, George, 1946, [approximate date]

Madden, John, 06 May 1909, aged 34, Hewer, fall of roof at working face

Mason, Leonard, 01 Jun 1906, aged 42, Hewer [More information ...]

McGowan, Thomas, 1912, [approximate date]

McKenna, Thomas, 23 Nov 1928, 2:00 p.m., explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

McKnight, Luke, 1915, [approximate date]

McParlin, J., 1910, [approximate date]

McVay, Norman Lloyd Brown, 30 Aug 1906, (accident: 21 Aug 1906), aged 17, Pony Driver [More information ...]

Medlen, W., 1920, [approximate date]

Metcalf, John, 02 May 1892, 12:30 p.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 47, Hewer, When kirving his jud without using a sprag, the coal came over on to him [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Moran, Michael, 1908, [approximate date]

Morton, Stephen Edward, 29 Aug 1904, (accident: 23 Aug 1904), aged 21, Deputy, explosion [More information ...]

Murray, Arthur James, 1917, [approximate date]

Ormston, Thomas, 04 May 1951, aged 35, Buried: Bowburn Cemetery

Osborne, Francis Hector, 1927, [approximate date]

Oxley, Joseph, 1917, [approximate date]

Palmer, Thomas, 1922, [approximate date]

Pattison, James, 1915, [approximate date]

Pattison, Samuel Fowler, 1927, [approximate date]

Paul, Henry, 18 Apr 1907, aged 39, Stoneman, killed by a fall of roof [More information ...]

Peacock, William, 1911, [approximate date]

Percy, Joseph, 1909, [approximate date]

Percy, William, 1923, [approximate date]

Petrie, John L., 1908, [approximate date]

Potter, Benjamin Urwin, 29 Jan 1914, aged 15, Screen Lad, deceased was going home from the pit, walking along the colliery line, when he, with others, attempted to board a set of wagons starting to go in the same direction; deceased must have been jolted off and crushed between the buffers; his body was found almost immediately after he mounted the wagon

Potter, Jamesd, 1929, [approximate date]

Poynter, William, 1916, [approximate date]

Ramsbottom, John William, 26 Aug 1954, aged 62, Master Sinker, whilst he was escorting the Undermanager on an inspection of the mine a number of tubs became free and ran in to the mine; he managed to push the Undermanager clear of the tubs but was unfortunately crushed as a result, Buried: Earsdon Cemetery

Reed, John, 21 Jan 1867, aged 64, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone

Riddle, Charles, 1928, [approximate date]

Riding, William Edward, 1930, [approximate date]

Riley, Michael, 1916, [approximate date]

Robson, George, 23 Jul 1880, aged 63, Labourer, a brick fell from a scaffold on to his head

Robson, George, 1935, [approximate date]

Robson, J. F., 1920, [approximate date]

Robson, James, 24 Feb 1903, (accident: 17 Feb 1903), aged 14, Attending Air Compressor, Deceased, who was the son of the foreman enginewright of the colliery, attended to the steam throttle valve of an air compressing plant. He was stepping across the space between one of the steam and air cylinders while the engines were running when his foot was jammed between a sleeve connecting the piston of the steam cylinder to the piston of the air cylinder and a projecting screwed bolt on the steam cylinder. He developed lock-jaw and was removed to Newcastle Infirmary, where he died. The particular point where he crossed was not fenced as it was so far above the floor level.

Robson, Matthew John, 1928, [approximate date]

Routledge, Francis, 19 May 1909, aged 68, Wasteman, caught by tubs on endless rope incline

Russell, William, 17 Aug 1876, aged 21, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Sampy, John H., 1946, [approximate date]

Sanderson, J. T., 1916, [approximate date]

Scott, Ernest, 1924, [approximate date]

Scott, George, 14 Feb 1914, (accident: 31 Jan 1914), aged 59, Shifter, deceased and another man were lifting a tub containing bricks from the full to the empty way at the bottom of a self-acting endless rope incline, with a gradient of 1 in 6; a shifter was repairing the incline at a place 75 yards from the bottom, and in attempting to lower a full stone tub a distance of 5 yards, it got amain; deceased made no attempt to get clear, and was severely injured; he died on the 14th February 1914

Scott, James, 01 Sep 1875, aged 32, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Scott, William, 01 Nov 1869, aged 58, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal

Scott, William, 1911, [approximate date]

Simpson, Edward, 1909, [approximate date]

Smith, J., 1915, [approximate date]

Smith, John, 1924, [approximate date]

Smith, John, 1941, [approximate date]

Southall, William Bethel Jones, 1934, [approximate date]

Spowart, Thomas, 1922, [approximate date]

Stewart, Robert Henry, 1926, [approximate date]

Stoker, Matthew, 13 Jan 1869, aged 37, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Storey, Charles, 1921, [approximate date]

Stout, William, 1917, [approximate date]

Strasenburgh, Norman, 15 Mar 1910, aged 14, Trapper, Fell in front of wagons while attempting to get on when in motion

Surtees, John, 08 Feb 1867, aged 30, Teamer, crushed by waggons

Tait, Thomas Lister, 1939, [approximate date]

Taylor, John, 1943, [approximate date]

Taylor, Thomas, 1922, [approximate date]

Thompson, John, 22 Dec 1871, aged 21, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Thompson, John George, 04 Mar 1910, aged 17, Driver, crushed by tub

Thompson, Robert William, 1922, [approximate date]

Thompson, Wilfrid Hutton, 06 Jul 1912, aged 15, Pony Driver, he was coming out-bye with four full tubs on a level road, and was found with his head under the buffer of the first tub, the front wheels of which were off the way

Tindle, George, 1926, [approximate date]

Turner, William, 17 Dec 1872, aged 28, Sinker, fell part way down the shaft

Usher, Thomas, 03 Sep 1874, aged 60, Sawyer, killed by a splinter of wood flying from a circular saw

Veitch, Thomas, 30 Mar 1894, 9:30 p.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 36, Brakesman, Scalded at a man-hole door of a boiler. He endeavoured to take off the man-hole door, when, according to the evidence, there were still five pounds pressure showing on the steam-gauge, when the steam and water flew out and scalded him [Inspection made & inquest attended] [More information ...]

Wagstaff, John W., 01 Nov 1912, aged 41, Sinker, whilst being lowered down a sinking shaft with two other men, the kibble was overturned by coming into contact with the water at the bottom, throwing deceased out and drowning him; the banksman had not heard the signal given to hold, which was done by striking the kibble with a hammer; the proper rapper signal was only used when men were working at the bottom

Wallace, Peter, 29 May 1896, (accident: 19 Feb 1896), aged 27, Shifter, He strained his back while lifting a stone, and died on May 29th from consumption of long standing, accelerated by accidentally injuring himself [Inquest attended]

Wardlaw, John, 1917, [approximate date]

Wardle, Eric, 1946, [approximate date]

Watts, John, 13 Jun 1913, (accident: 12 Jun 1913), aged 47, Hewer, whilst deceased was preparing to set a plank at the working face, a stone fell from the roof and fatally injured him; the maximum distances between supports were exceeded; he died on the following day

Waugh, Joseph, 25 Aug 1894, Deputy, died from supposed injuries said to have been received in the pit, but the evidence was so unsatisfactory on the point that the jury returned an open verdict

Webster, John, 23 Nov 1928, 2:00 p.m., explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

Weir, William, 17 Oct 1891, (accident: 13 Oct 1891, 4:15 p.m., 10th hour of shift), aged 18, Putter, in jumping on to his tub on the main rolleyway his candle ignited some gas which was lying in a small hole in the roof [Inspection made & Inquest attended] [More information ...]

Wilkinson, David, 1942, [approximate date]

Wilkinson, Michael, 26 Nov 1887, aged 42, Hewer, supposed to have been struck by hauling rope, Buried: St. Albans Churchyard, Earsdon

Wilson, John, 1929, [approximate date]

Wilson, William, 1912, [approximate date]

Wilson, William, 1934, [approximate date]

Winter, W., 1918, [approximate date]

Wood, Alfred, 23 Jun 1900, aged 18, Roadman, He was talking to someone and, evidently forgetting himself, either leaned against or took hold of the moving rope, and was dragged on to a wheel, with the result that he was decapitated. [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Young, James, 1928, [approximate date]