I am looking for a little help which I hope you can deliver.

My great-grandfather is said to have died in a pit accident Minnie Pit before the main disaster. He was to have gone to the Chester Races but was told that if he went to the races that he would not have a job to come back to. He went to work instead and died in a pit-fall, apparently.

His name was George William Blairs and as it was so long ago, I am having trouble finding out anything about him.
Have you any information about him, or can you confirm this story that I have been told by an uncle of mine?

Thank you
Ian Blairs, Staffordshire

I am researching my family history. I have little knowledge of my grandfather, who was Fred Hooley and worked at the Bradford Colliery. He was employed there when my mother, Margaret Hooley, was growing up 1925 - 37.His family were from the Edge Lane area of Droylsden and he and my grandmother lived on Manchester Road Audenshaw by the Snipe pub.If anyone has any info at all please get in touch. Thanks.

Elizabeth

Have just discovered that my Grand Father (Henry Hill) was an Underground Manager in 1894. His address at the time was T.Jones Buildings (Warrington?).

I was a coalminer myself (1943-47) in Frickley Colliery, West Riding.

I have no idea which/what mines were in the Warrington area in the 1890's or at any time. Can you

• tell me which mines existed there and,
• is there any way of getting information on a mining official of that time.

I am located in British Columbia so access other than by the WWW is extremely difficult.

Tom Edwards
janner47@yahoo.com

I recently came across you site and wondered if you could help me.
My father was killed in a mining accident in 1956 - two months before I was born. The Pit he was killed in was Bedlington 'A' - Northumberland.
The only information I have is from family, and that, believe it or not, is limited.
My mother died in 1996 and my brother, Alan was only two years old when my father died.
My father was called James Nesbit Lockey - nicknamed 'Nipper'.
It's just on the off chance that anyone knows anything.

Thank you

Keith Lockey.

Dear Sir.
I wonder if you have any knowledge of a pit accident at Bestwood Colliery in Nottinghamshire round about 1913 resulting in the death of a man called Wood. We are not sure of his forename(s) but his initials could be J.H or S. Kind regards. John Watts.

From: Alan Beales
Sent: 23 February 2006
Subject: Bestwood 1913

Hi
In reply to John Watts the only fatality to any one named Wood in 1913 was George Alfred Wood aged 32 killed Babbington pit 25/6/1913. I am researching colliery deaths in Nottinghamshire and currently have around 1600 names.

Cheers
Alan Beales

From:              Alan Beales
Sent:               11 January 2012 18:25
Subject:          J Watts Bestwood death

Hi Fionn, Re this query I now have 3280 Nott’s pit deaths of whom 13 are named Wood, none at Bestwood and none with those initials.

Derby I have over 4100 names, no one of this name was killed in 1911-12-13 or 14.
I also have over 2000 injured miners admitted to Nottingham General Hospital 1900-1950, I can find no one of this name for 1913 the NGH admission books are available from 1904-1911 and I found no Wood from Bestwood.

 Ask if it was definitely an accident I have come across hundreds where people have died at work and natural causes was the verdict, also where claims that death was the result of an accident are rejected by the coroner and jury and natural causes returned.

If he wants to check himself in Nottinghamshire Archives I am sure that there are accident report books from Bestwood covering that period.

Re the William  Grainger query I can find no records of death or accident for those dates
Cheers A Beales.

PS I am giving a talk on Nott’s fatal,s at Nottingham Mechanics North Sherwood Street
at 7-30-pm Wednesday 18-Jan-2012

Hello

I am not writing to say that anything is wrong, I thought the site was great and sad.  In the 1940 occurrence at Mossfield mine it was my GreatGrandad Roland Porter and his Son Richard who where killed in the pit.  I have printed it off and gave it to my Father who was very grateful for your information.  Is there any way I can find the other children's names because one of his sons was working in the pit but was lucky to be on the day shift and some more of them were away in the army. 

A big thanks to you from David Shaw.

Hello,

I have been looking at your site and think you might be able to assist me.

I am researching the history of the Fryar family- chiefly Mark Fryar who was Land Agent and Colliery General Manager to the Drury Lowe family - i.e. the Denby Drury Lowe Colliery.  He had a brother, John William Fryar who was General Manager to Barber-Walker Colliery until his death in 1915.  I understand that he lived at Eastwood Hall around this time.

I would like to find out anything I can about him and his work- I have a photograph of him which is taken from a publication in Eastwood Library but apart from an early census entry, know little else about him. I know plenty about where he came from and who his ancestors were - all connected with mining.

Do you have any information?

I used to live in Brinsley, so know the area fairly well. My project is a complex one and also involves the Barber family.  I would be interested for any help you may be able to give - and perhaps I can assist you?  Who knows?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Jill Elizabeth Sparrow

Hi Jill - Tom Barber would like to contact you with regard to Barber Walker Co.