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  North Hetton Colliery  Index  North Hetton Colliery  

North Hetton Colliery

also known as Moorsley Colliery


  Description Disasters Names Local Collieries Credits  

Location: Low Moorsley
5 miles [8 km] ENE of Durham
Map Ref: (Sheet 88) NZ342462, 54° 48' 37" N, 1° 28' 4" W
Maps: 1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey
1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
Opened: 1821
Closed: 1935
Sinking Started: 19 Apr 1826
Pits: No. 1 Pit
No. 2 Pit, sinking: 23 Mar 1857
  Shaft details for No. 2 Pit
  Shaft details for North Hetton Colliery
Owners: 1850's - North Hetton Co. (Earl of Durham & Messrs. Wood, Philipson, Burrell, & Others)
1860's - North Hetton Coal Co.
1910's - Lambton & Hetton Collieries Ltd
Output: 1873 - Coal.
1888 - Coal.
1896 - Coal: Household, Manufacturing, Steam.
1902 - Coal: Household, Manufacturing, Steam.
1914 - Coal: Household, Manufacturing, Steam.
Employment:
Year Pit  Total Below Above
1854Working
189630923970
190240831593
1914828651177
1914Hazard & Moorsley combined
  Colliery Management (prior to 1955)
Seams Worked: 1894 - Five Quarter, Low Main, Main Coal
1914 - Five Quarter, Low Main, Main Coal
    Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for North Hetton Colliery
Notes:

1857, Mar 23 - Sinking was begun at No. 2 or Upcast Pit, North Hetton Colliery, by William Coulson; the Hutton Seam was reached and sinking finished on 29 January, 1858.

1872 - In this year there were seventeen Guibal ventilators at work in South Durham alone. Air compressing plant was erected at Ryhope and at North Hetton Collieries for working underground machinery, coal-cutters, &c.

1915 - Three Quarter, Five Quarter, Main Coal seams abandoned

  Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for North Hetton Colliery


  Summary Disasters Names Local Collieries Credits  

Description

Moorsley Colliery, the property of the North Hetton Coal Company, was sunk in 1821. The following are the seams which are being workek :- The Five Quarter, at a depth of 52 fathoms, and 3 feet 8 inches thick ; Main Coal, 62½ fathoms, 4 feet 6 inches thick ; and the Low Main, 83½ fathoms deep, and 3 feet 6 inches thick ; having a daily output of 360 tons, giving employment to 320 men and boys. Here are also extensive firebrick works, capable of turning out 60,000 bricks per week, also gas retorts, &c.

The village of Moorsley is situated on an eminence, overlooking the vale of Houghton, about five and a half miles eat north east of Durham. Here is a mission chapel belonging to St. Cuthbert's, East Rainton, which will seat about 180, also chapels belonging to the Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists.

The School was erected in 1871 by the North Hetton Coal Company, for mixed and infants, and will accommodate 360 children ; average attendance 320.

Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham


  Summary Description Names Local Collieries Credits  

Disasters (5 or more killed)

None Found


  Summary Description Disasters Local Collieries Credits  

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

     

Adamson, Thomas, 27 Jan 1922, aged 68, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. Cuthberts Churchyard, East Rainton

     

Allison, John, 24 Nov 1913, aged 15, Pony Driver, deceased was driving into a passbye with three full tubs; he loosed the pony off before coming to rest and the pony in quickly turning round knocked out two props supporting one end of a heavy balk; the balk struck him on the head and killed him

      

Atkinson, John, 14 Aug 1862, aged 26, Onsetter, fell down shaft from hanging on at main coal

     

Bell, Jonathon, 22 Aug 1846, (accident: 20 Aug 1846), aged 46, He was crushed by a large stone. He was taken home and died on the 22nd.

      

Bell, Richard, 02 Jun 1863, aged 12, Greaser, fell off and was crushed by surface waggons

      

Bell, William, 13 Nov 1862, aged 16, Pony Putter, killed by a fall of stone

      

Bell, William, 13 Nov 1864, aged 16, Pony Driver, killed by a fall of stone

     

Best, William, 03 Mar 1846, aged 30, was crushed to death when a large quantity of stones were thrown from the roof and sides of the board he was working in at Moorsley Pit; the fall had been caused by a portion of the coal in an adjoining board being blasted through; Best died an hour after the accident

     

Biggerton, Edward, 12 Oct 1842, aged 14, An inquest was held on 12 October at Houghton-le-Spring into the death of Edward Biggerton, 14, who was killed by a cage at the bottom of Moorsley Pit Staple. He had been attempting to pass from one side of the staple to the other, when the cage was lowered onto him, crushing him severely [date of inquest]

      

Blunt, Benjamin, 08 Dec 1876, aged 13, Putter, head jammed between tub and roof while taking empty tub in-bye

      

Browell, Robert, 24 Aug 1921, (accident: 23 Jun 1919), aged 32, Hewer, head injuries

      

Browell, William, 26 Jul 1898, (accident: 17 May 1898), aged 44, Foreman Enginewright, while measuring the apparatus chain the crook, which fastens the chain to the drum, caught his coat and drew him on to the drum, causing severe injuries to his thighs and body [More information ...]

      

Brown, G., 17 Oct 1929, aged 42, Bargain Man, killed by a fall of stone

      

Cowell, Edward, 10 Jan 1861, aged 12, Driver, fell from main coal mouthing to Hutton seam

      

Defty, R., 01 Aug 1928, aged 44, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone

      

Dumbling, James, 04 Aug 1862, aged 38, Way Wright, fell down shaft from low main hanging on

      

Fletcher, John, 30 Apr 1866, aged 14, Pony Putter, crushed by tubs

      

Garthwaite, R., 15 Jul 1921, (accident: 13 Jul 1921), aged 53, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

      

Greenhow, John, 28 May 1870, aged 13, Ticketer, run over by waggons

      

Hall, Robert, 11 Dec 1901, aged 38, Hewer, While kirving he touched a slip and the jud of coal fell over the sprags and killed him.

     

Halliman, William, 30 May 1856, he was attending to the engine drum on which the rope coiled; it was used for drawing tubs along the rolley way; suddenly, he fell between the drum and the wall and was crushed to death

      

Hills, John, 04 May 1875, (accident: 16 Sep 1874), aged 68, Wasteman, from injuries received by the cage

      

Howe, Robert, 10 Jul 1902, aged 41, Keeker, alleged to have died from blood poisoning, the result of his leg having been injured by hauling rope on surface, but at the inquest there was no evidence of his having been injured at all

     

Jackson, James, 06 Sep 1845, aged 51, Joiner, Was going home from Moorsley on Saturday evening, 6 September, had mistaken the road and fallen down Moorsley Pit. His body was found the following morning

      

Jarvis, William, 18 Jan 1905, aged 18, Putter, he was in the flat putting on his clothes at the end of his shift, when a side-waver fell over from an unseen slip and killed him

      

Johnson, John, 17 Apr 1873, aged 34, Shifter, fell down staple by rope breaking

      

King, Isaac, 01 Oct 1874, aged 27, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

      

Lark, William, 15 Sep 1879, aged 53, Wasteman, fall of stop stone while working in the waste in 5/4 seam

      

Lisle, Thomas, 15 Feb 1868, aged 23, Coal Filler, crushed by a waggon on branches, through falling down in front of it

      

Lumsden, Thomas, 18 Nov 1884, aged 68, Screener, fell off the top of a waggon while trimming it, and fell on his head

      

Mayes, James, 04 Jun 1899, aged 58, Furnaceman, Alleged to have died from gangrene, resulting from an injury in the pit, but at the inquest there was no evidence of his having received any injury.

      

Mitchell, William, 06 Apr 1868, aged 14, Pony Putter, crushed between tubs and roof

      

Moor, Robert, 25 Mar 1902, (accident: 17 Mar 1902), aged 13, Driver, he went in front of his pony to open a door, and when it was passing it kicked and hit him in the bowels

      

Morton, G., 04 Jan 1929, (accident: 07 Dec 1928), aged 35, Stoneman, fall

      

Nicholson, James, 13 Aug 1924, (accident: 20 Jun 1924), aged 64, Platelayer, slipped

      

Palmer, W. T., 30 Jul 1864, aged 18, Fireman, killed by a boiler explosion [More information ...]

     

Parkinson, Frank, 11 Sep 1907, aged 27, Waggonrider, when uncoupling moving waggons, he was caught between the buffers and killed, Buried: Easington Lane Cemetery

     

Peel, John, 06 Nov 1845, aged 10, Was at the bottom of North Hetton Pit and about to ascend it. He got into the cage at the wrong side at the moment it was about to be drawn up and was severely crushed between the cage and a bunting. He was taken out, but died on his road home

     

Rutter, John, 23 Apr 1857, Driver, he was found lying dead behind a coal tub

     

Smiles, Thomas, 05 Jan 1848, aged 12, While playing with several other boys on 5 January, Thomas Smiles, 12, got on the crank of the Moorsley Pit engine to ride round at the time it was in motion. He lost his hold, fell off and suffered a broken thigh and crush injuries; he died the same evening.

     

Spence, Robert, 18 Dec 1857, Sinker, knocked out of the kibble by a rock from a blast, fell 24 fathoms to the shaft bottom and was killed. [More information ...]

     

Stabler, William, 04 Dec 1928, (accident: 31 Jul 1928), aged 48, Hewer, shot, Buried: Hetton-le-Hole Cemetery

     

Straughan, John, 28 Apr 1853, aged 12, Driver, he had brought a set of laden coal tubs to within a short distance of the shaft, when his horse, after being detached, stepped in front of some empty tubs and Straughan going after it fell before the tubs in motion and his head was severely crushed, he died at home three hours later

      

Swift, James, 03 Jan 1868, aged 22, Waggon Rider, crushed by waggons at screens

      

Taylor, Edward, 30 Jul 1864, aged 17, Fireman, killed by a boiler explosion [More information ...]

      

Teasdale, William, 21 May 1862, aged 33, Joiner, fell down small coal apparatus hole

      

Teasdale, William, 07 Jul 1908, aged 14, Driver, when driving along a road and sitting on the limbers, when a piece of stone fell from a slip in the roof and killed him

      

Urwin, George, 24 Oct 1861, aged 13, Pony Driver, crushed by a tub

      

Watson, Thomas, 19 Mar 1878, aged 14, Greaser, severe injury to leg by slipping his foot into wheel hole while in motion, died shortly after

      

Wild, John, 30 Jul 1864, Infant, 11 months old. Killed by a boiler explosion [More information ...]

      

Wilson, Mark, 05 May 1864, aged 50, Screener, crushed by waggons at screens

      

Wilson, Matthew, 26 Oct 1860, aged 23, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

 
  52 names found

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

Those names marked with , have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may also include a photograph of the deceased. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the web page.

For those names marked we have a digital photograph of the tombstone, see the information page for further details.

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been kindly provided by The Wheatley Hill History Club and are marked with .

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been kindly provided by Jim Grainger from his research into early newspapers (primarily the Durham Advertiser and Durham Chronicle) and are marked with .

  more information on some of the fatalities shown above


The following unnamed fatalities are listed in the Mines Inspectors Reports, once again this collection is not complete!

Date Inspectors Remarks
24 Jul 1853 11
17 Jul 1855 11crush of tubs

  Summary Description Disasters Names Credits  

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

  a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of North Hetton Colliery

  list of collieries/pits etc. near to North Hetton Colliery


  Summary Description Disasters Names Local Collieries  

Credits

Sources:

  • 1854 List of mines by T. Y. Hall, published in Vol II (1853-4) of the Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining Engineers
  • 1860 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1861 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1862 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1863 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1864 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1866 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1868 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1869 List of Mines
  • 1870 Mines Inspectors Report (C 124)
  • 1873 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1056)
  • 1873-4 List of Mines
  • 1874 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1216)
  • 1875 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1499)
  • 1876 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1734)
  • 1878 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2321)
  • 1879 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2604)
  • 1880 List of Mines
  • 1881 Mines Inspectors Annual Report
  • 1884 List of Mines
  • 1884 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4429)
  • 1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1896 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, also available online at Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd
  • 1898 Mines Inspectors Report (C 9264), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1899 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 134), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1901 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1062), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1902 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1902 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1590)
  • 1907 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4045), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines
  • 1908 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4672)
  • 1909 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
  • 1913 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1914 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume L-R, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1887
  • Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3
  • Contributions by members of the Public
  • History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
  • Pigot & Co.'s Commercial Directory of Durham, Northumberland and Yorkshire. Published in 1834
  • Tombstone(s) in Hetton-le-Hole Cemetery
  • Tombstone(s) in St. Cuthberts Churchyard, East Rainton
  • Victoria History of the Counties of England – Durham. Published in three volumes in 1907.

  Summary Description Disasters Names Local Collieries Credits  

Related Links:

On this site
 Newspaper articles
 Evidence given to the 1842 Children's Employment Commission

Further Reading:

  • Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3, provides a brief history of the colliery along with the history of the associated Miners Lodge Banner

Further Research:

  Research Notes for North Hetton Colliery


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