Langley Park Colliery

1873 - Boring operations were being carried out by Coulson in the vicinity of Langley Park for the Consett Iron Company for a proposed new winning to work the Busty Seam.

1903 - A bore-hole from the surface was put down at Hill Top, Langley Park Colliery, to prove the Victoria Seam, on a site for a suggested additional air and travelling shaft.

Aisbitt, Robert, 28 Aug 1924, aged 26, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Bailey, Henry, 20 May 1886, aged 34, Hewer, fall of stone from a hitch leader in bord

Beattie, Isaac, 09 May 1940, (accident: 07 May 1940), aged 31, Haulage Worker, fall from brick wall, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Bell, Arthur, 21 Sep 1944, aged 44, Deputy, fractured skull, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Bell, John George, Mar 1915, (accident: 11 Jan 1915), aged 39, An inquest was held on 15th March, he was critically injured by a fall of stone on 11th January. He had just fixed a prop, then got into a stooping position and started to hew, when a stone seven feet by four feet dropped onto him. He was taken to Durham County Hospital where he died a few weeks later.

Billingham, Alfred, 16 Feb 1925, aged 20, Putter, struck by tubs

Brown, Ernest J., 26 Mar 1921, (accident: 24 Mar 1921), aged 22, Onsetter, struck by cage

Butler, George, 15 Jun 1917, (accident: 22 Jan 1915), aged 57, Shifter, struck by a windlass chain

Cook, James, 10 Jun 1927, aged 21, Landing Lad, crushed

Crake, Robert, 09 May 1912, aged 49, Conveyor Attendant, the deceased and others had just finished moving the conveyor forward ready for the next shift of hewers, and he was just getting off the canch when a large fall of roof occurred, killing him instantly, and injuring another person; the master shifter was also under the stone, but fortunately it was prevented from getting right down by a tub; the portion which fell extended right across the gateway and had been carefully examined, but the stone having a maximum thickness of 2½ feet, would give no indication that it was unsafe when jowled

Crossmore, William, 28 Jul 1893, 11:00 a.m., 9th hour of shift, aged 60, Shifter, While ascending the shaft he carelessly reached out of the cage for some purpose, and his head was crushed between the cage bar and the shaft arching. [More information ...]

Gibson, Edward, 10 Jan 1914, aged 22, Waggonwayman, deceased had apparently gone to oil the bearing of a horizontal haulage wheel, and had taken up a 10-inch plank forming part of the close covering for the purpose, when, it is presumed, he missed his footing and was caught and then dragged into the wheel and crushed to death; the wheel which was at work only a few hours in the 24, should have been oiled when at rest, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Goodwin, Leonard, 31 Oct 1919, aged 16, Apprentice, he was struck by some moving strucks while collecting a pile of coals for the shop fires. He was taken to hospital where his right arm was amputated, and 11 days later he died from septicaemia [date of report]

Hepburn, William, 24 Mar 1912, aged 34, Overman, he ruptured certain tendons of the valves of the heart when lifting a stone and was off work for three months; from this time until his death he was only able to do light work; on March 24th, he had been attending to a pump, and was walking home across the fields when he collapsed and died, having in some way over-exerted himself and caused further ruptures

Hudson, John Joseph, 03 Sep 1930, aged 49, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone in the Brockwell Seam, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Hust, Allan, 23 Dec 1952, aged 55, Pipe Fitter, he collapsed and died in the colliery; death was due to natural causes: heart attack

Jackson, William, 30 Oct 1904, (accident: 26 Oct 1904), aged 30, Shifter, fracture of skull over left eye by winch handle, died on 30th instant, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

James, Robert, 07 Jan 1935, aged 29, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Jamieson, George, 29 Aug 1952, aged 57, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Kidman, Joseph, 22 Feb 1895, 8:00 p.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 48, Stoneman, alleged to have sprained himself in the pit, but a post mortem examination proved this was not so [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a colliery accident]

Kipling, Frank, 24 Sep 1943, aged 39, Hewer, he was killed by a fall of stone in he Brockwell Seam

Knight, George, 23 Jul 1902, aged 36, Hewer, killed by part of a jud he was kirving falling on to him ; he had neglected to set sprags as required by the Act and special regulations in force at the mine [More information ...]

Knowlson, John, 09 Nov 1903, aged 15, Driver, no one saw the accident occur, but it is supposed his pony fell and threw him off the tub on which he was riding and fractured his skull

Lister, Walter, 16 Apr 1913, aged 22, Filler, deceased, with two other lads, was coming outbye and attempted to pass the offtakes whilst the set was running into the other way; the set joined them, killing the deceased, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Maddison, Matthew William, 23 Mar 1909, aged 33, Deputy, When drawing a prop in a broken jud with a drawing hammer, an oblong stone at least 19 feet long, 3½ feet wide, and 3½ feet thick, fell from between two jacks or joints and killed him, Buried: St. Michael's (R.C.) Churchyard, Esh Laude

Maddock, Thomas, 15 Aug 1913, aged 50, Labourer, deceased with three others was engaged in removing a narrow battery of sand which had afforded support for a narrow gauge road on which ran a tip bogey; they actually shovelled the sand from between the sleepers and loaded it into the bogey while it stood on the rails spiked to the sleepers; one side rail fell away and the bogey tipped over and smashed deceased's skull; this accident was due to the want of common-sense

Mason, John William, 19 Jan 1892, 8:00 a.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 35, Sinker, got entangled in a rope, while levering pumps, and was thrown down the shaft, a distance of 100 yards [More information ...]

Millner, Jackson, 15 Apr 1909, (accident: 02 Feb 1909), aged 70, Greaser, He was oiling the main rope sheaves at a curve when the tail rope sheaves gave way and the tail rope lashed across towards the inside of the curve and broke his thigh and wrist. He died in hospital on April 15th. There was no apparent reason for the tail rope sheaves giving way; the set was being hauled outbye and there should have been little strain on them

Morland, George Anderson, 03 Sep 1903, (accident: 01 Sep 1903), aged 16, Rope Guider, his pinch slipped and he fell on to the hauling rope, and was carried over the drum and severely injured [More information ...]

Morland, Thomas, 19 Oct 1889, aged 54, Deputy, crushed by fall of stone while drawing a jud

Moss, George, 04 Apr 1899, aged 37, Deputy, Drawing the timber out of a broken jud, when, without a moment's warning, a large stone fell and killed him instantly., Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Moss, William, 14 Jun 1922, (accident: 03 Dec 1917), aged 64, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Mossman, Thomas, 02 Apr 1903, aged 22, Hewing Putter, crushed between props and a tub when hanging pony on to it, owing to the pony clicking away

Nicholson, Thomas, 18 Aug 1913, (accident: 18 Jun 1913), aged 57, Hewer, whilst at work on 18th June, deceased was struck by a small piece of stone which fell from the roof; it caused a slight cut upon one knee which was not considered at all serious at the time; general septic poisoning supervened and he died on 18th August

Powell, William, 20 Jul 1924, (accident: 25 Nov 1919), aged 47, Hewer, slipped

Pringleton, James, 09 Jul 1900, aged 49, Shifter, He was taking up bottom stone and in doing so undermined the timber, causing a heavy stone to fall from a slippery parting, which caught and killed him., Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park [More information ...]

Randall, William, 07 Apr 1925, aged 54, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Reed, James, 10 Dec 1920, aged 13, [Not employed], Ralph and James Reed, 11 and 13 respectively, took a short cut through Langley Park Colliery yard. James got tar on his coat and decided to use some benzol to remove it. When the boys found a benzol drum, James took the bung out and then struck a match to find out if there was anything left in. A mass of flame burst from the drum catching him full in the face and chest; he later died from his injuries. His brother Ralph, although burnt, survived. The Coroner recorded a verdict of "Accidentally killed through injuries by his igniting benzol while trespassing in the colliery yard." The boy's father was a colliery official at the pit [date of newspaper report]

Russ, Charles, 22 May 1912, (accident: 21 May 1912), aged 46, Screener, he was going by a short and unauthorized way to the engine-room; this was through a window and down a sloping plank, some 14 feet above the level of the railway below; he slipped and fell, fracturing his skull; he died in Durham County Hospital next day

Sellers, Robert William, 08 Nov 1949, aged 44, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Siddle, Albert, 10 Mar 1900, aged 18, Runrider on coke ovens, In attempting to put the brakes on to stop the tubs he slipped and the whole set of tubs passed over his right leg. Died the same day.

Smith, J. E., 11 Nov 1947, aged 42, Hewer, runaway tubs

Smith, R. T., 08 Jun 1934, aged 35, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Smith, Robert, 03 Aug 1886, aged 14, Driver, tubs got off the way and threw him violently against the side of the wall

Snowball, Robert E., 12 Mar 1920, Deputy, fall of stone [date of newspaper report]

Stephenson, F., 12 Apr 1934, aged 36, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Stephenson, Thomas William, 24 Jul 1908, aged 22, Hewer, This accident occurred when the last lift of a pillar was being taken off: the lift had holed — in the middle — into the goaf. A plank was set within three feet of the face, but it had been thrust out. There was a slip on the outbye side of the stone which fell and there were two parallel joints — one on each side — and a breaker on the inbye side, The stone was oblong in shape, 3 feet by 1 foot 10 inches by 1 foot 10 inches, and fell on the man as he was stooping, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Stockdale, R., 13 May 1930, aged 24, Bank Hand, crushed

Straughan, Robert, 03 Jan 1890, aged 41, Stoneman, while preparing to drive an adit drift, a fall of earth took place burying him for some hours

Swainston, James, 18 Mar 1909, aged 26, Hewer, He and his marrow had taken away the bottom section of the seam and had left the top section overhanging and unsupported. A piece of the latter fell and fractured his skull. This fatality was due to non-observance of the rule as to spragging

Thompson, C., 24 Feb 1930, (accident: 16 Jul 1928), aged 23, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Towns, Robert James, 29 Apr 1936, (accident: 15 Apr 1936), aged 42, Stoneman, died from injuries received, Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Wardle, George, 13 Jan 1928, aged 27, Engine Attd, crushed by tubs [More information ...]

Watson, Thomas, 23 Jul 1928, fall of stone or coal [More information ...]

Weighill, John George, 14 Jul 1910, aged 15, Haulage-lad, He was seen by a waggonwayman riding in a tub of an empty set after it had started to go up an incline on a main and tail rope haulage plane. He paid no attention to the shouting of the waggonwayman who ordered him to get off, but shortly afterwards when the speed of the set had considerably increased, he jumped off, and in doing so fell with his legs under the tubs. He was severely injured and died the same day. It was a breach of rules to ride on the set and it resulted in his death. He had not at the time commenced his work for the day., Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Langley Park

Wood, John James, 23 Feb 1883, aged 14, Trapper, crushed by a tub running amain

Wood, Thomas, 09 Aug 1911, aged 64, Platelayer, he was knocked down and killed by a North Eastern locomotive while shunting operations were going on; the colliery sidings run alongside a passenger line, and it is thought that a train passing at the time had attracted his attention and the noise thus made prevented him from hearing the approaching engine