Lumley Colliery

1776 - A pit was sunk at Lumley Park Colliery below the thill of the Top Main Coal down to the Low Main Seam, and the No. 2 Pit, Lumley Park, was sunk down from the Top Main Coal to the Hutton Seam.

1791 - A bore-hole was put down at the bottom of the shaft in the Fifth Pit, Lumley Colliery, below the level of the Main Coal Seam, to prove the Hutton Seam.

1804 - Boring operations were in progress at Stobbs Hill Pit, Lumley Colliery, below the thill of the Main Coal Seam, to prove the Hutton Seam.

1819 - A deep bore-hole was put down in the Third Pit, Lumley Colliery, below the thill of the Hutton Seam, to prove the lower coals, which proved most disappointing as to their thickness and quality.

1841, Sep 18 - Commenced to sink the Ninth Pit, Lumley Colliery, from the surface to the Hutton Seam.

1860 - A new sinking was put down at Lumley Colliery, near Red Rose Farm House, at Chester-le-Street, to work the Hutton Seam.

1898 - A deep boring was put down below the thill of the Hutton Seam in the Third Pit, Lumley Colliery, to prove the lower coals, which proved unsatisfactory.

1928, 01 Aug - Main, Maudlin, Low Main, Brass Thill seams abandoned

Armstrong, Oliver, 20 May 1875, aged 15, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

Atchison, -, 28 May 1833, explosion of gas [More information ...]

Avery, Edward, 03 Jan 1860, Deputy, explosion of gas [More information ...]

Baines, Robert, 24 Nov 1890, aged 64, Cartman, while preparing to fill a cart with coal he fell and died immediately, supposed from heart disease; he had been about seven hours at work [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a colliery accident]

Barnard, William Robert, 18 Nov 1893, 10:30 a.m., 6th hour of shift, aged 25, Waggonman, While guiding some full waggons along a siding he fell, and his leg was broken, and afterwards amputated, but he died a few hours after.

Baron, Robert, 27 Jul 1863, aged 13, Driver, crushed by tubs (his own set)

Bell, Joseph, 14 May 1882, (accident: 29 Apr 1882), aged 43, Engineman, severe blow on the side of the head while loading some old rope, one of the coils sprung up and caught him on the head, Buried: St. Barnabas, Burnmoor on 17 May 1882 {NBI}

Bell, Robert, 27 Sep 1886, aged 55, died in the 6th Pit from heart Disease after Working is Shift on Monday morning

Bennett, William, 04 Apr 1866, aged 31, Sinker, fell down a staple

Blake, William George, 27 Nov 1930, aged 19, Cutter, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. Barnabas Churchyard, Bournmoor on 01 Dec 1930 {NBI}

Bowater, Benjamin, 21 Sep 1907, aged 37, Machineman, he was electrocuted by a leakage of current from the trailing cable of a coal cutter, Buried: Churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, West Rainton

Brown, Alfred, 16 Dec 1909, aged 46, Deputy, He had three props to draw to clear a jud. These last three props were standing in the form of a triangle; two props near to him, and one some six feet away. He had a drawing punch with a handle eight feet long and with this he tried to knock out the prop six feet away. He failed, but expressing his determination to have the prop out, he began to loosen it with a drawing hammer. Having loosened it, he was turning round to come back when a large frame of stone fell and fatally injured him. The stone in falling canted out the two near props. It is very disappointing to have occurrences like this to record. He was an experienced man and would know quite well the risk he was running

Brown, Robert, 06 Apr 1864, aged 12, Driver, crushed by tub

Carr, H. W., 17 Feb 1927, aged 19, Driver, crushed by tubs [More information ...]

Clarke, J. G., 17 Apr 1874, aged 12, Trapper, crushed between tub and a prop

Curry, William, 1953, Crushed by tubs

Cusby?, John, 11 Oct 1799, aged 9, killed in the 1799 explosion, son of William Cusby [More information ...]

Cusby?, John, 11 Oct 1799, aged 18, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Cusby?, Thomas, 11 Oct 1799, aged 25, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Cusby?, William, 11 Oct 1799, aged 36, killed in the 1799 explosion, father of John Cusby [More information ...]

Dawson, Joseph, 16 Aug 1870, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Great Lumley Churchyard

Dawson, Robert William, 28 Oct 1895, 3:45 p.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 29, Hewer, while at his work a heavy fall of coal and stone took place after a shot, killing him instantaneously

Dixon, James, 12 May 1893, aged 16, Labourer, employed at brickworks; on returning home after his day's work he attempted to get on to a set of waggons, but was thrown down and run over; he was a trespasser on this line

Dixon, William, 11 Oct 1799, aged 12, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Dodds, Robert, 21 Sep 1912, aged 34, Coal Cutter, he had just finished a cut with a Hurd Bar Coal Cutter, and the bar had been racked from under the cut by his mate; unfortunately they neglected to stop the machine; deceased went to the jack to lift the bar so that they could get the picks out, and in some way fell over backwards on to the revolving bar which dragged him under, inflicting fatal injuries, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Dunn, Martin, 11 Oct 1799, aged 61, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Elliott, Robert, 15 Dec 1908, aged 36, Stoneman, He was making height in a new engine plane, and a piece of the caunch in falling struck a 7½ feet prop. This prop struck him in the face and knocked him down. The back of his head came in contact with a rail which was lying near to, and his skull was fractured

Elliott, William, 25 Mar 1913, aged 25, Hewer, deceased and another hewer were turning a lift away out of a split; the way in the split was spanned by planks on props; to let the man get to the coal the deputy middled two planks and drew out the end props near the coal; later he fired two shots for them and gave them permission to draw a middle prop from another plank at the tub end; the roof was bad and probably all this altering of timber set it working; a piece of stone from a roll, 4 feet 6 inches long, 2 feet 6 inches wide and 1 foot thick, fell from the roof, breaking down a plank; it fell on to deceased and broke his neck

Fail, John McKenzie, 08 May 1911, aged 43, Coal Filler, he was making a hole in the coal on a coal cutter face to receive the end of a plank, when a piece of stone 11 feet long, of an irregular width, 15 inches thick over the coal face and running to a feather edge on the goaf side, fell on to him; it came off at a slip running along the coal face and one at right angles to it; the Timbering Rules at the Colliery required fillers to set planks every four feet, but when deceased was working the nearest plank was 12 feet away; the failure to observe the rule was the cause of the man's death, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Ferguson, William, 21 Jul 1866, Hewer, killed by a chain falling down the shaft when about to ascend, Buried: Great Lumley Churchyard [More information ...]

Fletcher, Robert, 27 May 1867, aged 12, Horse Driver, crushed between tubs and coal when trying to get upon his set in motion, Buried: Great Lumley Churchyard

Fricker, George, 16 Nov 1912, aged 68, Shifter, deceased and another shifter were laying a turn, and while the latter was away looking for some "sweeps" the former was busy with the crossing, when a slab of stone with a maximum thickness of 6 inches fell on to him; the stone was post with partings of coal, and if he had jowled it no doubt it would have sounded bad

Gee, -, 09 Oct 1819, Hewer, killed in the 1819 explosion, explosion [More information ...]

Gibson, H., 08 Apr 1948, aged 19, Cutter, killed by a fall of stone

Gofton?, John, 11 Oct 1799, aged 19, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Gofton?, Matthew, 11 Oct 1799, aged 21, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Grant, George, 20 Oct 1922, aged 52, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Gray, -, 28 May 1833, explosion of gas [More information ...]

Grey, Thomas, 11 Oct 1799, aged 17, killed in the 1799 explosion, son of Thomas Grey [More information ...]

Grey, Thomas, 11 Oct 1799, aged 50, killed in the 1799 explosion, father of Thomas Grey [More information ...]

Hall, John, 26 Mar 1909, aged 14, Tub-pusher, No one witnessed this accident. It is thought that he had been riding on the end of a tub as it was being elevated by a creeper, and that in stepping off his foot had been caught fast in a link of the creeper chain. His left leg was torn off and he was delivered over the return drum of the creeper and let fall a distance of 40 feet to the ground. His work was not at, or near, the creeper. The arrangements were in order

Harbottle, George, 21 Jul 1866, Hewer, killed by a chain falling down the shaft when about to ascend, Buried: Great Lumley Churchyard [More information ...]

Hartis, Foster, 14 Aug 1917, aged 63, Wasteman, he was taking a tub to the coal staple in the Main Coal Seam, unfortunately he put the tub in the wrong side of the staple and was pulled down with it, falling 60 feet to his death

Hartley, Mark, 18 Sep 1861, aged 57, Wasteman, fall of stone in waste

Herron, A., 03 Oct 1863, aged 18, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Hope, Richard, 25 Mar 1907, aged 29, Sinker, he was struck by a stone which fell off the bogie at the top of the pit [More information ...]

Howe, William, 01 Oct 1890, (accident: 15 Aug 1890), aged 14, Driver, died from erysipelas and blood poisoning on 1st October; he was in a bad state of health, suffering from boils and other eruptions, and alleged he had received an accident; apparently the blood poisoning was caused by some unqualified man treating him [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a colliery accident]

Humble, George, 11 Oct 1799, aged 15, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Humble, Thomas, 11 Oct 1799, aged 23, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Humble, Thomas, 11 Oct 1799, aged 26, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Jefferson, G. C., 23 Nov 1939, (accident: 04 Oct 1939), aged 32, Stoneman, died from injuries received

Lambert, William, 31 Mar 1911, aged 39, Machinery attendant, he was screwing down the lubricator of a bearing on a length of shafting on the screens, when probably his sleeve was caught by a projecting nut, and he was wrapped on the shaft; this accident shows the danger of working near shafting even when reasonably well fenced; all oiling of machinery should be done wherever possible when it is standing

Laws, William, 30 Aug 1853, aged 46, he was crushed to death by a very large stone which fell from the roof

Lewis, Thomas, 11 Dec 1899, (accident: 07 Dec 1899), aged 13, Driver, Had gone 150 yards on the in-bye side of his flat where he left his pony and a set of tubs, and met the putter coming out with a full tub. He was crushed between the timber and the tub, and his skull was fractured. Died on the 11th inst. He should not have gone further than the flat, and where he was caught there was plenty of room to get out of the way.

Liddle, George, 11 Oct 1799, aged 26, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Liddle, William, 11 Oct 1799, aged 24, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Lowerson, James, 09 Oct 1899, aged 13, Driver, He was getting his bait at a siding when a fall of stone came away upon him, and crushed him against a baulk of timber, which was lying across two props, and killed him.

Lowery, George, 16 Jan 1901, aged 55, Hewer, He was driving a lift in a pillar of coal and the old bord next to it had not fallen. He was sitting kirving at the loose end, when a fall of roof took place in the old bord and fatally injured him., Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Lynn, Nicholas, 08 Jan 1897, aged 57, Enginewright, While tightening a bolt in the beam of the pumping engine the spanner slipped and he fell back over and down the shaft, a distance of 600 feet

Maddison, George, 15 Aug 1881, (accident: 01 Aug 1881), aged 61, Hewer, injury to knee by a fall of stone

Martin, Matthew, 26 Feb 1886, Coal Leader, fell off the cart in the pond [Inquest: 28 Feb 1877]

Mason, Ernest, 26 Sep 1904, aged 21, Hewer, fall of stone at old "bord" end; he and another man were hewing in a west jud, when another man, hewing in a wall on the out-bye side, heard the stone move and shouted to them to come out; the two men rushed out, but before the deceased got clear a large stone fell upon and killed him, 14 yards from face, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

McGurrell, Jonathan, 06 Nov 1908, aged 53, Labourer, He fell off a scaffold 21 feet to the ground when carrying a hod of bricks. The scaffold appeared to be in good order and firm. He was a careful man and it was daylight, 9.30 a.m., when he fell. He must have overbalanced himself [Sunderland Echo reports: accident - 10 Nov 1908]

McIlwarth, Stephen, 14 Dec 1915, aged 56, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone [More information ...]

McPherson, John, 13 May 1911, aged 19, Conveyor Attendant, killed by an electric shock whilst attending to an underground coal conveyor, Buried: Churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, West Rainton [More information ...]

Melvin, John, 14 Apr 1887, aged 47, Onsetter, while pushing a timber waggon out of a cage two full tubs were run down crushing him between the cage and tubs

Minto, Joseph, 24 Sep 1863, aged 40, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Moffit, William, 29 Jul 1885, (accident: 02 Jul 1885), aged 43, Hewer, injury to back by a fall of stone in a broken jud

Moody, George, 14 Jul 1884, aged 17, Putter, pony supposed to have fallen, which caused the full tub of seggar clay to up-end upon him and crush him to death

Mullen, James, 13 Feb 1911, aged 44, Stoneman, a top canch 9 feet in thickness was being shot down in order to make an air crossing; three shots were fired and after waiting about 10 minutes, the deceased and a chargeman returned to examine the result of the shots; they had just reached the spot and noticed that a stone at one side was set off, when it fell away from the roof and side for a length of 9 feet, and caught the deceased; it came away from a parting in the roof and a slip at the side

Nelson, Robert, 09 Jun 1932, aged 38, Cutter, caught by set, Buried: St. Barnabas Churchyard, Bournmoor

Oughton, Robert, 03 Aug 1827, (accident: 20 Jul 1827), explosion of fire-damp, died from burns [More information ...]

Parish, Thomas, 03 Mar 1898, aged 50, Deputy, He and another deputy were going to draw the timber out of some back bords; he went first, and when the other deputy went he could not find him, but on coming back he found him in a place-end with a fall of stone upon him quite dead. He had no work to do in this place, and why he went into it is not known. [More information ...]

Parkin, J., 10 Feb 1945, aged 37, Puller Up

Pearson, J., 05 Oct 1871, aged 60, Sheavegreaser, run over by tubs on engine plane

Pimlett, Joseph William, 23 Dec 1953, aged 38, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Potts, Robert Lawrence, 28 Jul 1916, aged 14, Screen Boy, he sustained fatal injuries while crossing a private line at Lumley New Winning Colliery as he made his way home from work

Pringle, Matthew Robson, 30 Nov 1937, aged 42, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Ramshaw, Joseph, 15 Mar 1889, aged 62, Wasteman, died from natural causes while following his employment in the pit; ventilation good

Ramshaw, Thomas Robson, 25 Jul 1952, aged 29, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Ray, Walter, 08 Oct 1923, (accident: 20 Dec 1922), aged 23, Hewer, died from injuries received

Reid, Patrick, 18 Aug 1875, (accident: 30 Jul 1875), aged 22, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal

Rogerson, Robert, 11 Oct 1799, aged 63, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Sanders, John, 16 Dec 1915, (accident: 14 Dec 1915), aged 57, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone [More information ...]

Saunders, Benjamin, 30 May 1861, aged 57, Hewer, blasting coal by gunpowder

Scott, James, 21 Aug 1884, aged 13, Driver, fell of limbers and was run over by four tubs of stone

Scurfield, James, 30 May 1899, aged 38, Hewer, When hewing in a broken jud he came across a slip at which some stone fell and killed him., Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Shields, John Thomas, 02 Feb 1903, aged 18, Runrider, An empty set going in-bye caught four tubs filled with ballast, which had been carelessly left on the way, and took them in on the front end of the set. He saw them coming to the top of an incline, and ran to signal to the hauling engineman to stop the set, when the first ballast tub overturned, caught and killed him., Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley [More information ...]

Smith, Martin, 11 Oct 1799, aged 30, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Smith, Thomas, 11 Oct 1799, aged 20, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Stavers, Robert, 05 Apr 1940, aged 31, Cutter, crushed by tubs, Buried: St. Barnabas, Burnmoor on 09 Apr 1940 {NBI}

Stoper, Thomas, 24 May 1878, aged 16, Coupler, while coupling tubs close to the shaft the corner of the descending cage caught him ; he was out of his place, but a fence has now been put up so as to prevent anyone getting near the cage side

Storer, David, 04 Oct 1900, (accident: 06 Aug 1900), aged 40, Stoneman, Back injured by a fall of stone. He had fired a shot in gateway and came back a few yards and was resting against the pack, when a large stone fell from roof and so severely injured him that he died on October 4th.

Storey, Christopher, 27 Mar 1880, Waggon Rider, was thrown off a set of waggons and killed on the railway

Swinney, R., 24 Jan 1947, (accident: 09 Jun 1930), aged 52, Puller Up, died from injuries received

Taylor, Henry Burdon, 30 Nov 1937, aged 39, Deputy, died from a fractured skull from a fall of stone

Taylor, John, 09 Aug 1872, aged 50, Horse Driver, failing to unloose his horse from a waggon, was caught between the traces and waggon wheel

Thirlaway, Robert, 11 Oct 1889, (accident: 04 Oct 1889), aged 43, Deputy, severe internal sprain or injuries while lifting a tub on the rails

Thompson, William, 12 Jan 1898, aged 14, Wailer, He was running across the branch railway, when he slipped on the rails just as two full trucks were being lowered down from under the screens, and the first wheel of the first truck passed over his leg. Died from shock the same day after the leg had been amputated.

Timothy, John, 16 Oct 1876, aged 13, Driver, injury to head by his pony running away

Turner, Ralph, 27 Jan 1874, aged 48, Waiter On, fell through a hole in heapstead

Turner, William, 22 Jun 1871, aged 48, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Watson, Thomas Henry, 09 Sep 1871, aged 19, Hewer, got into cage to descend the pit before receiving permission ; was crushed between the cage and shaft framing

Westerman, Henry, 15 Jul 1921, (accident: 13 Jul 1921), aged 63, Stoneman, suffocation

Whitling, Richard, 11 Dec 1914, aged 47, Coal-cutting Machineman, Deceased was at the back-end of a coal-cutting machine in a seam 2 feet 7 inches thick with a strong shale roof, at a point about halfway between the ends of a crossgate and a newly formed gateway. The machine was running when without warning the roof, over a length of 15 feet, 4 feet wide and 2 feet thick, collapsed in one piece burying the machine and killing deceased instantly. There was a well defined slip at one end of the fall and breaks formed the other three sides of it. His brother (James Rusell) was killed the previous year at Lambton D Pit, Buried: St. Matthew's Churchyard, Newbottle

Williamson, George, 12 Jul 1890, (accident: 05 Jul 1890), aged 14, Driver, while driving a set of tubs out-bye the pony fell, which caused three tubs to leave the rails, one of them caught the boy's foot, crushing it badly, and he died from lock-jaw on 12th inst.

Williamson, Robert William, 18 Feb 1910, aged 22, Putter, He was kneeling down putting the way right on a coal cutter face, when a large stone fell from a clay parting on to him, breaking down a plank spanning across the way. It was known that this stone was slightly given although it jowled true, and it should therefore have been more securely timbered, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Willis, Abraham, 21 Jan 1889, aged 16, Landing Boy, his leg got entangled between an engine plane rope and the side of the road, inflicting such injuries as caused his death

Wilson, Thomas, 30 May 1913, aged 36, Shaftman, deceased was engaged in putting 9 feet long pipes down the shaft; this was done by suspending them by a chain from a bar across a hole in the upper of the two decked cage; the chain passed through holes in the decks; deceased went down in the bottom deck, the intention being that he would see that the pipes were travelling steadily; there was a bar as a fence at each end of the cage; he must have looked past the cage end as his head was crushed between the cage and an intermediate staging in the shaft, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Great Lumley

Winn, John, 14 Jan 1930, aged 38, Buried: Ropery Lane Cemetery, Chester-le-Street

Woodhouse, George, 30 Sep 1861, aged 13, Driver, crushed by tubs in engine plane

Younger, Ralph, 11 Oct 1799, aged 18, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]

Younger, Thomas, 11 Oct 1799, aged 15, killed in the 1799 explosion [More information ...]