Westerton Colliery

1838 - Boring operations from the surface were in progress in the vicinity of Westerton Colliery, proving the Main Coal Seam.

1840, Jan 21 - A sinking was commenced and put down from the surface to the Five Quarters Coal, Westerton Colliery, and afterwards down to the Main Coal, as soon as the pump and engines were set to work, about 11 fathoms further.

1841 - Westerton Colliery commenced shipping coal.

1928, 15 Dec - Hutton seam abandoned

1930, 30 Jun - Brockwell seam abandoned

1931, 02 Oct - Busty, Beaumont seams abandoned

1932, 31 Oct - Beaumont, Harvey, Busty, Five Quarter, High Main, Hutton, Main seams abandoned

Blake, Henry, 24 Oct 1911, aged 38, Locomotive Fireman, he got down from a waggon to change over some points over which the locomotive and waggons had just passed in order that they could pass on to another road; the points were moved by a throw over switch; he shouted to the driver to move on and climbed on to the front of the waggon which the locomotive was pushing; the waggon got off the road at the points, the fireman was thrown off and the wheels of the waggon passed over him killing him instantly; it was his duty to see that the lever of the throw over switch had dropped into its proper position; probably it stuck in an upright position though it was in good order; his death was the result of his own want of care, Buried: Bishop Auckland Churchyard

Bradford, Alexander, 05 Mar 1908, aged 16, Incline boy, when travelling down a self-acting incline he lost his light, and, failing to get into a refuge hole, was caught and killed by the full set

Burrell, Joseph, 15 Jan 1884, (accident: 10 Jan 1884), aged 39, Hewer, collar bone broken and ribs severely injured by fall of coal

Chaters, Joseph, 17 Oct 1872, aged 55, Hewer, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Clish, John, 18 Apr 1902, aged 65, Wasteman, alleged to have died from injuries received when following his employment, but post-mortem examination showed death was due to natural causes

Cowey, Nicholas, 16 Jul 1859, aged 47, Deputy, killed by rope getting off the pulley and breaking [More information ...]

Coyne, John, 15 Aug 1873, (accident: 08 Aug 1873), aged 28, Hewer, explosion of gas

Curry, John, 25 Feb 1882, aged 16, Flat Boy, a sprag fell out of wheel and he was knocked down and run over by the tub

Davis, Richard, 11 May 1911, aged 54, Under manager, He was found dead in the reservoir. At the inquest witnesses said he had been depressed for some time. The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane"

Dobbin, John George, 15 Mar 1911, (accident: 14 Mar 1911), aged 52, Hewer, he was riding out in the workmen's set as usual when some tubs got off the way and a prop was drawn out, causing a large stone which had been lying on a balk supported by the prop to fall on him; he was so injured that he died the following morning; the set was a short one consisting of 12 tubs, and it got off the way at a curve; the gradient was in favour of the load, and probably the set over-ran the main rope, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Forster, Jonathan, 13 Mar 1867, aged 20, Hewer, in shaft through rope breaking, cage supposed to have fallen from surface keps, and to have broken the rope by the jerk

George, John, 11 Mar 1911, aged 52, Buried: Coundon Cemetery

Hamill, Stephen, 30 Oct 1860, aged 12, Pony Driver, run over by a coal tub

Heffern, John, 15 Jul 1875, aged 36, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Hicks, Vivian, 14 Dec 1898, aged 13, Driver, he was coming out-bye with six full tubs and fell off the limbers on which he was riding and the first three tubs passed over him causing fatal injuries

Hind, John, 23 Oct 1874, aged 46, Furnaceman, crushed by underground hauling engine

Hogarth, John, 17 Jul 1914, (accident: 11 Jul 1914), aged 55, Mason, deceased was engaged in building a brattice wall in an inclined (1 in 2) stone drift; he was walking up the incline to get a tool, when a piece of stone fell off the side a short distance higher up, and rolling down it struck him on the leg causing a compound fracture below the knee; he was removed to the hospital where he died 6 days later from blood poisoning

Kidman, John, 23 Aug 1886, aged 35, Water Leader, while emptying his tub the pony turned and drew a prop out, which causes a fall of stone

Killary, John, 15 Jun 1900, aged 47, Hewer, Riding out-bye on engine plane in men's set, when a tub coupling link broke, and part of set went amain for short distance and deceased was killed. [More information ...]

Lambert, David C., 28 Sep 1905, aged 14, Driver, the first full tub of his set got off the way and up-ended, crushing him internally, causing his death

Linford, Thomas, 26 Sep 1902, aged 65, Wasteman, while clearing a fall of stone away in a return airway a piece of stone fell from the roof and fatally crushed him against a pack wall, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Lingford, William Henry, 01 Sep 1897, aged 15, Driver, He was coming out-bye with six full tubs, when the limbers, owing to the bolt not having been put in properly, became detached, and he fell in front of, and was crushed to death by, the tubs

Longstaff, Thomas, 02 Apr 1887, aged 19, Putter, reported to have sprained himself internally; the doctor on making a post mortem said the cause of death was inflammation of the brain

Longthorn, Michael, 23 Feb 1920, aged 16, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Mains, Fred, 13 Mar 1913, aged 18, Incline Braker, deceased was pushing some empty tubs off the bank head, when a large post stone, which was not supported by timber, fell and killed him, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Malcom, Thomas, 15 Feb 1849, he had been driving a laden waggon up the railway to the bank of refuse coals when it got off the rails half way up the incline; he used his horse to get it back on the rails, but the tub began to run down the incline; as he ran to take the horse out of the limbers, he slipped and was run over

Maughan, Moses, 31 Aug 1859, aged 33, Hewer, killed by a fall of roof

Merritt, James, 12 Dec 1923, aged 23, Waiter On, fell down shaft, Buried: Binchester Cemetery

Metcalfe, James, 15 Dec 1918, aged 38, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Perry, James, 14 Mar 1914, aged 49, Shifter, a fall had taken place in a landing, and an effort was being made to get ready for coal work; deceased was employed moving the haulage rope, when a stone 4 feet by 3 feet and 10 inches thick fell on to him, causing injuries from which he died the same day; the stone that fell lay partly on a large frame of fallen stone at the side, and partly on a running balk; the Under Manager and Master Shifter had examined the stone and thought it safe, but in this opinion they were wrong as events proved

Pratt, William, 29 Jun 1908, (accident: 23 Jun 1908), aged 21, Hand-putter, He had pulled a tub off the flat sheets at the top of an incline, and stepped on one side to allow the tub to pass him. He was, however, not quick enough in stepping aside, and the tub squeezed him against a prop. He died six days afterwards

Robinson, George, 17 Jul 1897, (accident: 18 May 1897), aged 58, Shifter, He jumped on to a pony set as it was passing, which he had no right to do, and got crushed between baulks and tubs. Died July 17th [More information ...]

Robinson, William, 15 May 1896, aged 41, Joiner, Caught by apparatus tub; he was examining the slide when the tub was moved and fatally injured him

Sharp, Joseph, 07 Apr 1863, aged 11, [Not Employed], crushed by tubs near the screens

Simpson, George, 18 Apr 1878, (accident: 08 Apr 1878), aged 12, Driver, burnt by explosion of gas in a stable in-bye

Smelt, William, 20 Aug 1900, aged 43, Keeker, The rope which hauls the tub up to apparatus on surface broke and the tub ran away and caught deceased at the bottom of the incline and killed him., Buried: Binchester Cemetery [More information ...]

Stephenson, John, 17 Mar 1849, (accident: 10 Mar 1849), aged 35, he was 'corving the coal' in Westerton Colliery when it came away and fell on him. He had cut about a yard underneath it, and expected to have to blast it with powder. It was part of an old wall and loose on both sides, and as he cut underneath it, it was only fast at the top and back and had come away without warning. It took 20 minutes to get him out and then he was taken home. He had suffered a broken leg which later turned gangrenous, and he died on 17 March.

Stevenson, John, 09 Mar 1907, aged 21, Putter, caught by a full tub, which he was drawing in front of, and squeezed against the roof timber and killed

Tallentyre, Richard, 19 Jun 1901, aged 14, Screen Boy, killed by being crushed between a coal truck and the main leg of washing apparatus [More information ...]

Tatters, Christopher, 21 Dec 1914, aged 40, Stoneman, the empty set got off the way in the landing and knocked out two props; these supported two adjacent balks, the other end of the balks lying on a brick wall; one balk was raised up and a middle prop put in; then the other was raised and a man was driving up a middle prop when a large frame of post stone fell without warning, carrying out the two balks again, and deceased was instantly killed; props should have been set against the post roof before the balks were disturbed

Thompson, Richard, 08 Feb 1876, aged 40, Joiner, crushed by cage coming on him while crossing shaft bottom

Thompson, Robert, 15 Jun 1887, aged 18, Driver, while passing along the siding a stone fell from the roof

Thompson, Robert, 15 Jun 1912, aged 18, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Thompson, Walter, 04 Oct 1907, (accident: 01 Oct 1907), aged 50, Stoneman, whilst in the act of setting a middle prop under a baulk, a piece of stone came away, and, knocking the baulk out, he was so injured as to die three days afterwards, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon

Tindale, John George, 28 Jul 1919, aged 52, Buried: Rock Road Cemetery, Spennymoor

Toase, Richard, 16 Jul 1905, (accident: 29 Jun 1905), aged 33, Hewer, he was caught by a fall of stone which came away from between two slips and so injured that he died 17 days afterwards, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon [More information ...]

Towland, John Edward, 03 Dec 1919, aged 20, Greaser, he was killed when he was struck by the set while oiling the sheaves, Buried: Rock Road Cemetery, Spennymoor

Wagstaff, Joseph, 09 Jul 1863, aged 26, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone

Watson, Jeremiah Stephen, 07 Jul 1895, (accident: 03 Jul 1895, 7:00 p.m., 1st hour of shift), aged 52, Master Shifter, severe injuries to breast; struck by a tram which was upset by a hauling rope, Buried: Binchester Cemetery

Whelon, John, 10 Jun 1874, aged 65, Furnaceman, crushed by a tub of small coals overturning

Wilkie, James, 22 Aug 1889, aged 18, Tub Coupler, broken thigh and severely crushed by tubs at shaft

Williams, John, 25 Apr 1895, 6:00 p.m., 12th hour of shift, aged 46, Deputy, sudden fall of stone while drawing a broken jud, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Coundon