Craghead Colliery

1839 - The William Pit, Craghead Colliery, was sunk from the surface to the Hutton Seam.

Appleby, H., 29 Feb 1940, (accident: 28 Feb 1940), aged 29, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Atkinson, Joseph, 24 Jun 1878, aged 32, Fireman, head crushed by the slipping of a chock while putting in a new boiler

Atkinson, Robert, 27 Nov 1921, (accident: 24 Nov 1921), aged 42, Wagon Rider, crushed between two trucks

Birbeck, Christopher, 10 Oct 1913, aged 20, Putter, deceased with other putters was allowed to hew at times; on the 10th October they were told by the deputy to hew in a certain place; deceased went to hew in another place and had only got started when a triangular shaped piece of stone fell from the roof on to him; the place was a bord 6 feet wide, which had been turned away and driven a distance of 2 feet by another putter the previous night; top stone, 18 inches thick, was down in the headways, and this stone forming the roof in the bord was not supported in any way; the stone (triangular) was bounded by the free side to the headways, a slip, and broke at the third side; the upper surface had no adhesion, being quite slippery; a plank under the brow of the canch would have prevented the accident [More information ...]

Boyle, Richard, 31 Jan 1898, aged 36, Stoneman, He was putting in a pack wall, when a large fall occurred at a slip in the roof and crushed him to death. [More information ...]

Bruce, Joseph, 03 Feb 1891, 8:10 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 14, Weigh Boy, while crossing the railway he was caught by the full trucks and his leg run over

Calvert, Matthew, 25 May 1907, aged 36, Deputy, when endeavouring to draw some tram rails from a fallen jud, he was buried under a fall of roof

Cameron, Alexander, 10 Oct 1927, (accident: 29 Sep 1927), aged 25, Putter, killed by a fall of coal, Buried: Pelton Cemetery

Chrisp, Thomas, 29 Sep 1897, aged 31, Stoneman, He was taking off side stone on an old engine plane and had fired a shot, while filling the stone into a tub a fall of roof took place and killed him. The stone should have been taken down or supported by timber, Buried: St. Andrew's Churchyard, Stanley [More information ...]

Clark, William, 07 May 1924, (accident: 03 Apr 1924), aged 62, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone

Clarke, George Lawrence, 16 Apr 1915, aged 36

Coats, Albert Edward, 26 Jun 1897, (accident: 24 Jun 1897), aged 28, Shifter, Hips and abdomen bruised by a fall of stone which came away at a hitch leader, displaced the timber, and buried him. Died on the 28th at Newcastle Infirmary

Coulson, J., 14 Apr 1948, aged 67, Shifter

Cuthbert, P., 25 Apr 1942, aged 27, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Denholm, William, 06 Jun 1885, aged 32, Hewer, fall of stone in a broken jud which had just holed

Dodds, John, 03 Jun 1865, aged 59, Hewer, fall of stone in broken

Dunn, Thomas, 12 Nov 1957, aged 50, heavy fall of stone, address: Woodside Gardens, Craghead

Fairless, William, 15 Mar 1907, aged 29, Stoneman, he attempted to withdraw a detonator from a charge of Dragonite [More information ...]

Fawkes, Henry Cyril, 19 Jul 1920, aged 19, Buried: Holy Trinity Churchyard, Pelton

Galley, T. L., 01 Feb 1905, aged 17, Helper-up, died in an epileptic fit [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a colliery accident]

Gill, R. W., 26 Jun 1929, (accident: 14 Sep 1928), aged 63, Stoneman, died from injuries received

Grant, William, 26 Dec 1895, 1:30 p.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 21, Hewer, working in a broken jud, he met with a slip in the roof, which caused a heavy fall, canting out several props

Graven, Thomas, 21 Nov 1907, aged 18, Driver, he was driving a set of four tubs inbye, when a huge piece of stone came down , discharging three baulks; he was pinned inside the first tub; it is probable that the first tub got off the way and knocked out a prop

Greenwell, Norman Newrick, 12 Jun 1935, aged 29, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Griffiths, William, 24 Jan 1914, (accident: 22 Jan 1914), aged 49, Shifter, Deceased was working in a broken flat, getting some bottom up to make tub height, when, hearing as he though the place "working," he started to leave ; but when about 8 yards away from the face he was caught by a thin slab of stone, which fell from the roof, 7 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 6 inches thick, which was probably burst off by the "weighing." He died two days later

Hall, John, 20 Jan 1922, aged 54, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Hall, William, 24 Oct 1902, (accident: 15 Oct 1902), aged 26, Hewer, a tub got off the way, at a turn, and he went to assist the putter to get it on again, and when doing so, his lighted candle ignited a small quantity of gas, which had collected in a gullet in the roof, he was badly burnt on his hands, arms and legs, and died on the 24th inst. The putter was scorched on the back of his hands and arms. but recovered, Buried: St. Andrew's Churchyard, Stanley [More information ...]

Hann, Ralph, 16 Oct 1903, aged 62, Engineman, he, for some unknown reason, got over the fence round the engine, and his clothing was caught by the shafting, and he was carried round and killed instantly [More information ...]

Hanson, T., 11 Mar 1936, (accident: 04 Mar 1936), aged 39, Hewer, died from injuries received

Harris, Alan?, 1960, address: Pemberton Terrace, Craghead [details uncertain]

Hetherington, Gordon, 1957, machine had jammed and Gordon was killed when machine accidentally started up while he was trying to free cutter

Hindson, William, 12 Nov 1902, aged 44, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone at the face of his working place, which canted out some timber and broke the rest, Buried: Tanfield Cemetery

Hope, George, 24 Nov 1924, aged 16, Driver, crushed by tubs

Hudson, Joseph, 10 May 1906, aged 19, Putter, When driving outbye he struck his head against a plank and fell on to the timbers. His spine was broken.

Huggins, R., 22 Sep 1935, (accident: 12 Nov 1934), aged 20, Dataller, killed by a fall of stone

Jacques, John, 08 Jan 1884, aged 26, Fireman, fell into sump and was drowned while changing cage chains and putting on a lenghener at pit bottom

Jones, David, 06 Jan 1925, aged 39, Putter, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Pelton Cemetery

Jones, T. E., 31 Aug 1905, (accident: 29 Aug 1905), aged 19, Wagonwayman, Something had occurred at the bottom of a staple pit which hindered the work. He, leaving his lamp, walked some 15 yards to the top of the staple to shout and ask what was the matter, when he fell down and was so seriously injured that he died two days afterwards [More information ...]

Kilburn, William, 25 Dec 1904, (accident: 24 Dec 1904), aged 45, Screener, he was filling timber into a tub at the horsehole when a tub in the up-coming cage got partly out, owing to the sneck not holding, caught the baulk at the hole, and forced the door outwards, and he got crushed between the tub he was filling and a wagon behind him

Lee, J. M., 13 May 1946, aged 21, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Lock, G. H., 21 Aug 1928, aged 30, Putter

Logan, John, 22 Aug 1895, 7:10 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 40, Stoneman, fall of stone on the engine plane while uncoupling tubs

Lowes, John Robert, 13 Apr 1929, aged 52, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone while drawing timber, Buried: Ropery Lane Cemetery, Chester-le-Street

Maddison, W. D., 16 Jun 1906, aged 55, Hewer, Died from natural causes.

McCoy, John, 27 Feb 1903, Hewer, alleged to have died from the effects of a strain by lifting a tub on to the way, but a post-mortem examination showed death was due to natural causes

McGuigan, Joseph, 01 May 1916, aged 16, Pony Putter, On 1st May a set of tubs ran amain in the South Maudlin Seam. The breaksman shouted to McGuigan to 'clear out', and as he tried to get out of the way he was caught by the rope, dragged into the wheel, and jammed in the set. He died some days later

McGuigan, Michael, 08 Sep 1925, aged 30, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. Joseph's (Roman Catholic) Churchyard, Stanley

McGuigan, P., 20 Jul 1925, (accident: 26 Mar 1918), aged 22, Banksman, injuries to spine and died from the injuries received

McGuire, John, 23 Mar 1914, aged 63, Shifter, Deceased was walking to his work through a newly made flat, where some overhanging stone was being got down to make height and width, when a large piece of the stone, 16 feet long, 3 feet wide, and of an average thickness of 1 foot 6 inches, unexpectedly fell and crushed him against a tub inflicting severe injuries, from which he died on the way to the hospital. The stone, which was strong shale, fell from a joint running parallel to, and, coincident with the side of the road. It came down from a fairly smooth parting which was quite wet, Buried: St. Joseph's (Roman Catholic) Churchyard, Stanley

McTiernan, J. H., 02 Feb 1938, (accident: 01 Feb 1938), aged 16, Helper Up, died from injuries received

Morgan, W. G., 31 Jan 1861, Water Leader, fell from cage in the shaft while descending

Mortimer, William, 17 Oct 1912, aged 56, Platelayer, he had for over 30 years been employed on Craghead incline; he was proceeding up the incline to get his dinner when he was run down by a full set and killed; it is assumed he had noticed a sheave sticking and had been attending it, forgetting that the full waggons were approaching

Old, William, 10 Jan 1894, 8:00 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 37, Stoneman, Fall of side stone while timbering a gateway. [More information ...]

Oliver, John, 09 Aug 1899, (accident: 07 Aug 1899), aged 33, Mason's Labourer, He went up a scaffold, round an engine house, when under the influence of drink, and lost his footing and fell a distance of 46 feet to the ground. Died on the 9th inst.

Pattison, John, 26 Jul 1856, Brakesman, boiler exploded [More information ...]

Plummer, Jacob, 10 Oct 1910, (accident: 03 Sep 1910), aged 41, Pick Sharper, When striking an iron bar with a steel hammer, a splinter off the hammer struck him on the arm, severing an artery. He died on October 10th from blood poisoning which supervened

Proud, John, 03 Jul 1884, aged 26, Bank rider, killed on railway by waggons colliding; some one maliciously opened the incline switch [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a colliery accident]

Punton, James, 18 Jan 1939, Deputy, killed by a roof fall after firing a shot in the Oswald seam

Ridsdale, Elijah, 25 Nov 1926, (accident: 21 May 1924), aged 59, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Robson, Robert, 13 Jan 1875, aged 47, Waggon Rider, run over by waggons on the branches, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Craghead, cause: run over by coal wagon (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/207)

Robson, Thomas, 23 Feb 1900, (accident: 20 Feb 1900), aged 46, Stoneman, A staple was being put up to Five Quarter from Main Coal Seam, and when it was nearly at the top an outburst of stythe occurred, which overpowered deceased and other four men. He died on 23rd inst., the others recovered. [More information ...]

Robson, W. J., 29 Sep 1938, aged 15, Off Hand, crushed by haulage wheel

Southern, Richard, 07 May 1909, aged 45, Hewer, He was hewing in a gateway in the Low Main Seam, when a stone 8 feet long, 22 inches wide, and 13 inches thick fell from between slips on three sides and a breaker on the fourth. The slips and breaker could not have been seen before the stone fell

Stones, Henry, 12 May 1905, aged 74, [Not employed], run over by truck whilst trespassing over private Railway; foot crushed, necessitating amputation

Thompson, Alfred, 03 Jan 1893, 11:15 p.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 45, Fireman, He had a cage suspended on a chock until he cleared away some ice; the timber broke and the cage fell upon him.

Trelease, Richard H., 30 Mar 1933, aged 66, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Walker, J. T., 14 Apr 1930, aged 69, Shifter, crushed

Ward, James, 15 Mar 1906, aged 53, Stoneman, Death from heart failure when about to leave work.

Whisker, R., 14 Nov 1946, aged 58, Waggonway Man, caught in wheel

Woodall, George, 20 Jul 1906, (accident: 19 Jul 1906), aged 57, Shifter, Had an apoplectic seizure whilst at work in the mine and died the following day.

Woodward, Thomas, 17 Nov 1904, aged 16, Driver, killed by a fall of stone