January. — Early in January, at a colliery near Newcastle, the roof, being a shingly rock, made a thrust, that is the roof fell in, and imprisoned a few of the workmen, who must have perished, had not a new avenue been speedily cut to get a communication to the working shaft, which is a work of a few days ; however, no lives were lost, one man had his leg, and collar bone broke, and some of the others bruised. And the same day a carpenter working on the engine-scaffold, mending the pumps, fell down thirty fathoms, and was killed on the spot. Also some gentlemen were hunting on Gateshead fell, the hare and three hounds fell into an old pit hole and were all killed. [LHTB]

January 24. — William Fenwick, esq., of Bywell, being a fox-hunting near Prudhoe castle, on the banks of the river Tyne, after some hours hard chase, Reynard ran for safety into the drift of a coal pit, where the men were at work, and the hounds following him, they pursued him near an hour, through the workings of the pit, from one end to the other, till at last they came up with him just as he was getting out at another drift, and before he could reach day, killed him. The workmen left off working, and followed the diversion, whilst the gentlemen hunters waited with impatience without to see the event. [LHTB]

March. — Early in March, a boy driving the gin of a pit at Norwood, near Ravensworth, receiving a blow from one of the horses, staggered over the edge of the shaft and fell to the bottom, being near seventy yards, without receiving further damager than breaking his thigh. [LHTB]

March 18. — An explosion took place in Walker colliery, by which ten lives were lost. [LRS]

April 16. — An explosion took place at South Biddick colliery, by which twenty seven lives were lost. [LHTB]

May 6. — Died, at Fallow-field lead mines, near Hexham, Dorothy Frost, widow, aged 105 years, who at that great age was able to discover a pin on the floor. [LRS]

July 12. — A great entertainment was given at Denton Hall, the seat of the honourable Edward Montagu, M.P. for Huntingdon, on account of winning (obtaining) coal at West Denton. The coal was esteemed equal in quality to that of Long Benton, which was then worked out. All the workmen, with their wives, walked in procession to the great court before the hall, with colours flying and a band of music ; from whence, after a general salute of three huzzas, they proceed to a field east of the house, where several long tables were placed sufficient to contain all the company, consisting of 377 men and women, the tenants and workmen upon the estate. These tables were each furnished with a large piece of beef, mutton, or veal, to which were added twice as many fruit puddings, the size of which may be guessed at by the quantity of flour used for them and the pies, which was no less than two sacks ; the rest of the dinner consisted of two sheep, 144lb. each, and several hundred weight of beef. One of the sheep was roasted whole; and the other, with the beef, boiled in a large brewing vessel. Abundance of ale, strong beer, and punch was consumed. Dinner being ended, the company again returned to the great court, and being drawn up in a circle, they toasted the royal family, the donors, the coal trade, &c. accompanied with loud huzzas, after which they concluded the evening with country dances and other diversions, to the satisfaction of all present. [LRS]

August 22. — A most melancholy accident happened at Lambton colliery, near Chester-le-Street. The workmen, to the number of one hundred, had just left work, and three masons with as many labourers had been let down, in order to build a partition, to secure the coals from taking fire by the lamp, when the said lamp being let down at the request of the masons, to rarefy the air, the latter in an instant took fire, with a terrible explosion, made its way up the pit, destroying men, horses, and all in its passage. The noise of the explosion was heard above three miles round, and the flash was as visible as a flash of lightning; the men below were driven by the force up through the shaft or great tube, like balls out of the mouth of a cannon, and everything that resisted shared the same fate. The neighbourhood being alarmed, collected itself in order to give assistance, but found only heads, arms, and legs, thrown out to a great distance from the mouth of the pit. The ground, for acres, was covered with timber, coals, &c. All the partitions, trap-doors, corves, wood props, and linings, were swept away, together with the engine for drawing up the coals, and all its apparatus. [LRS]

 

 

• LHTB — Local Historian's Table Book of Remarkable Occurrences Connected with the Counties of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham by M.A. Richardson. Published in five volumes in 1844.
• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, Published in 1833 in two volumes