BATES George - 1902 - 28/05/1902 – Age 45 - Himley No.15 Pikeman. Earl of Dudley, Stafford. Fall of coal from roof of gateway at edge of opening in thick coal whilst he was examining it.

BATES Henry - 1905 - 26/11/1905 – Age 35 - Reservoir Stallman. Moira Colliery Co., Leicestershire. It was suggested that the deceased had been injured in the mine but the coroner’s jury returned a verdict that he died from natural causes, namely acute rheumatism and heart failure.

BATES Lancelot - 1907 - 13/06/1907 – Age 57 - Crutchman Quarry Quarrier. Waring Bros., Lancashire. Stone about 15cwt being lowered by steam crane to the dressing floor, deceased stood to land the stone, the engineman lost control he was lowering by break alone and the break strap was wet, no cover to keep off rain. The stone crashed down on the man who had not got out of the way in time. At time of inspection a similar stone was lowered by brake only, the driver could not control it and the stone descended in 1.5 seconds with a bump on the ground.

BATES Samuel - 1908 - 14/09/1908 – Age 28 - Brodsworth Main Collier. Brodsworth Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. He was taking down some clod when a piece of coal burst off the face and hit a prop and displaced it. The end of the prop hit him on the side of his head and killed him.

BATES Thomas - 1900 - 18/01/1900 – Age 60 - Balydon Main Stoneman. Stella Coal Co., Co.Durham. Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased and his marrow had blasted down part of the roof and engaged in making ready a shot in part of the fallen material, a stone fell from the roof and killed him. Probably the shot had loosened this stone but both his marrow and another man declared that the deceased had examined it after the shot was fired and considered it good.

BATES Thomas - 1903 - 15/07/1903 – Age 29 - Broomhill Shifter. Broomhill Collieries Ltd., Northumberland. Died 17th July. Deceased was leading water with a water tub drawn by a pony. After emptying the water in the tub, over a dam, he stepped on the sill of the dam and struck the pony to start it and as it moved away he attempted get on to the limbers when his foot slipped and he was crushed between the tub and a prop.

BATES Thomas - 1903 - 28/09/1903 – Age 32 - Griff Clay miner. Haunchwood Brick and Tile Co. Ltd., Warwick. Fall of side. Deceased was getting down a piece of fireclay, from the side of the working place, when it suddenly gave way and fell upon him with fatal results.

BATES Walter - 1905 - 23/10/1905 – Age 9 - Birley East School boy. Sheffield Coal Co., Derbyshire. Crushed between two railway waggons whilst trying to pass between them during shunting operations. He was not employed at the mines.

BATES William - 1901 - 14/05/1901 – Age 59 - Cannock & Rugeley Holer. Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. In stepping backward Bates fell upon a piece of coal and bruised his side. The injury was trifling but he was in very feeble health and pneumonia supervened and he died on the 26th May 1901.

BATES William - 1904 - 21/06/1904 – Age 60. Mossfield Sawyer, Staffordshire. Died suddenly while at work. At the inquest a verdict of death from natural causes was returned.

BATES William H. - 1905 - 30/08/1905 – Age 21 - Castle Collier. Crawshay Bros., Cyfartha Ltd., Glamorgan. At face an overhanging face slip of coal 7.5 foot by 4.5 foot by 18 inches thick discharged a sprag which fell on him as he was kneeling in front of it. The fall of coal knocked out a post and caused a fall of cliff, 5 foot 9 inches by 4 foot by 30 inches thick. The place was closely timbered but the roof was very bad. Six feet seam.

BATEY Frederick - 1904 - 07/04/1904 – Age 16 - Backworth Appt. engineer. Owners of Backworth Colliery, Northumberland. Deceased had been sent by his foreman from the locomotive shed to the colliery yard on an errand and passed under the hempstead on his was although he had been frequently cautioned to go round the end of it. A chaldron wagon, loaded with small coal, was standing chocked and just as he passed before it a similar wagon also loaded came against it lowered by a lad in the usual way and he was severely crushed in the bowels. He was taken to Newcastle Infirmary, and died the same day.

BATEY Joshua - 1901 - 27/12/1901 – Age 14 - Clara Vale Driver. Stella Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Inquest attended. The deceased fell or was knocked down by his pony moving away and was run over by the tubs.

BATEY Robert - 1900 - 20/03/1900 – Age 48 - Cramlington Staithes Engineman. Cramlington Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Inspection made. The deceased was supposed to be getting some tools out of a box on a platform, some nine feet from the ground level, when the former fell and he received internal injuries.

BATEY William - 1901 - 03/01/1901 – Age 13 - Hazlerigg Endlessrope boy. Burradon and Coxlodge Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Inspection made and inquest attended. While the deceased was knocking off the screw clip by which the tubs were attached to the rope he fell in front of the tubs.

BATH Robert - 1907 - 28/04/1907 – Age 27 - Monckton Main Collier. New Monckton Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. When drawing a prop from the goaf on June 23rd, 1906, a fall of roof suddenly took place and seriously injured him. He was not using his dog and chain. The probability is that if he had done so he would not have been caught.

BATNAM Amos - 1903 - 03/07/1903 – Age 45 - Wimberry Collier. Amos William Brown, Gloucestershire. He was in a stooping position wedging bottom coal at the face, when about 2cwt. of top coal fell upon him. A sprag was set against the middle of the coal but not having been well the set was thrust out by the coal which fell. The accident was apparently due to insufficient and careless spragging which the supervision of officials is intended to prevent.

BATTEN Thomas - 1905 - 27/06/1905 – Age 48 - East Elliot Master haulier. Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. He was run over by several full trams of a journey, at a double parting, on its way to the shaft on the Main West level. How it occurred is not known. He superintended the traffic throughout the colliery and knew this level well. The rider was at the tail of the journey at the time and only became aware that deceased was on the road upon the journey stopping unexpectedly and upon examining to see what the stoppage was caused by finding him under the two first trams.

BATTENSBY David - 1906 - 10/01/1906 – Age 46 - Seaton Delaval Stoneman. Seaton Delaval Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Deceased and two other men were shooting down a top caunch, 2 feet 9 inches thick, in a longwall gateway in the 1st Southeast flat of the Low Main seam in the Hastings pit. The seam is 3 feet 9 inches thick. They had fired a shot, so as to blow the stone down close to the coal face, and after waiting a minute or two to allow the smoke to clear away returned to the place and after plotting the shot and sounded the roof they were satisfied all was safe. Deceased went forward to get under the caunch, to rid and pack the stone set down, when a piece of stone, 2 feet 10 inches by 2 feet 6 inches and 7.5 inches thick weighing about 2 cwt. relieved by slips fell from the newly formed roof at the left hand corner, fell on his head and back. He was released in 3 minutes but was unconscious and died within an hour as he was being taken home. The master shifter was in the place when the shot was being stemmed. There was a sufficient supply of loose timber close at hand. The Local Inspectors reported, ‘Found it was a pure accident.'

BATTERSBY John Thomas - 1908 - 28/07/1908 – Age 46 - Lower Hall No.2 Collier. West Leigh Colliery Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Fall of coal from face. He had knocked out a sprag from the undermined coal. In getting out of the way of the falling coal, he either ran against a prop, or fell with his neck upon the rail. He fell full length on his back. His neck was broken. No coal on him, about 16 cwt. fell. (Died 29th.).

BATTERSBY Thomas - 1901 - 08/10/1901 – Age 54 - Gibfield Dataller. Fletcher Burrows and Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Fall of roof in downbrow while repairing. (Good roof).

BATTLE Richard - 1903 - 16/04/1903 – Age 17 - Graig Fawr Collier. Ebbw Vale Steel Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. When forming a stall or putting road to the face out of a heading they were killed by a fall of stone from slips. They are said to have been working in the wrong place for 6.5 hours during which time no official had visited them. 2 killed.

BATTY Arnold - 1903 - 17/07/1903 – Age 22 - Norwood Loader. Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Co. Derbyshire. Fall of roof. Deceased was returning to the stall, after assisting with a tub at the gate end, when a quantity of the roof fell and he was so injured that he died three hours later.

BATTY D. - 1900 - 12/07/1899 – Age 36 - Nunnery Dataller. Nunnery Coal Co., Yorkshire Fall of roof.

BATTY William - 1909 - 16/02/1909 – Age 21. West Stanley, Owners of West Stanley Colliery, Co.Durham. Explosion of gas, 168 killed. Ernest Terrace Stanley.

BAUGH Thomas William - 1904 - 19/07/1904 – Age 14 - Shirebrook Rope boy. Shirebrook Colliery Co., Derbyshire. While uncoupling a train of full tub from an endless rope he appeared to have slipped and falling in front of the train was killed.

BAULD John - 1908 - 15/01/1908 – Age 46 - Lochore Shaftsman. Fife Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. The dip cage was being loaded and the bottomer pushed forward a tub to complete the load on deck, when it ran too far to the dip side, and striking a "leg" threw it out and caused a girder to fall releasing some debris which fell on the deceased. He attempted to keep the tub off the "leg" but failed.

BAXENDALE William - 1908 - 11/11/1908 – Age 22 - Senghenydd Haulier. Lewis Merthyr Consolidated Collieries Ltd., Glamorgan. This accident was of a very simple nature, and due to the sudden bolting of a horse drawing one empty tram along a level road. Deceased, who was riding on the front end of this empty tram, along a level in the Four feet seam, had arrived within a few yards of the pointers of a heading turning to the right, when his horse dashed forward, and the pointers being set for the heading instead of the straight road, the tram left the rails, and struck out one of the arms of a pair of timbers, with the result that two pairs and a squaring pair were crushed out, and a fall of cliff ensued, which buried the deceased in his tram. The timbers were new, and there was ample room for the horse to do his work. The horse received a fair character, but is said to be easily frightened. Possibly a small stone fell on its back and frightened it. The fall was 14 feet long, 6 feet wide and 2 feet thick.

BAXENDALE William James - 1904 - 06/05/1904 – Age 23 - Rose Hill Collier. S Scowcrift and Sons, Lancashire. Brick fell from the walling of the shaft, whilst repairing steam pipes in the shaft the brick struck the deceased on the head. Shaft was not examined before commencing the work.

BAXTER Alexander - 1909 - 28/05/1909 – Age 67 - Quarter No.1 Overman. William Baird and Co. Ltd., Stirling. Fall of roof in lye while clearing away a previous fall.

BAXTER Edward - 1905 - 27/04/1905 – Age 40 - Earnock No.1 Miner. John Watson Ltd., Lanarkshire. Fall of coal. Apparently he had commenced holing after taking out the sprags.

BAXTER John - 1905 - 04/09/1905 – Age 23 - Tonge Collier. T and HT Scowcroft, Lancashire. Fall of roof in working face of main engine brow, bottom coal not got up for 12 feet from the face, alleged this hindered props being set, if they preferred not to get coal up, props should have been set on the coal. (Average roof).

BAXTER John - 1908 - 14/08/1908 – Age 23 - Hill of Beath Miner. Fife Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased was engaged clearing machine cut coal on a conveyor face when the roof suddenly fell upon him.

BAXTER Joseph - 1903 - 23/12/1903 – Age 57 - Moorfields Collier. Altham Colliery Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Whilst riding out on a sled he was thrown off, a slight scar made on his left knee. blood poisoning ensued. Died 18th Jan. 1904.

BAXTER Robert - 1909 - 17/05/1909 – Age 56 - Seghill Hewer. Joseph Laycock and Co., Northumberland. Fall of band stone at working face.

BAXTER Samuel - 1904 - 22/04/1904 – Age 33 - Agecroft Collier. Andrew Knowles and Sons Ltd., Lancashire. Whilst preparing to set a bar in the brow, 7 yards from the face the fall came from between a prop and a pronounced slip and a break, both of which ought to have been seen and the bar put up sooner. (Bad roof.)

BAXTER T. - 1900 - 13/03/1900 – Age 55 - Blake Hill Clay Quarry Quarryman. Blake Hill Quarry Co., Yorkshire. Fall of ground from a place beyond his control.

BAYLIS George - 1906 - 14/10/1906 – Age 58 - Wingate Stoneman. Owners of Wingate Grange Colliery Ltd., Co.Durham. Explosion of coal dust result of shot firing. 25 killed.

BAYNES Daniel - 1905 - 16/07/1905 – Age 45 - New Boston Daywageman. Richard Evans and Co., Haydock, Lancashire. Inspection made and inquest attended. They were engaged repairing the main brow, on a Sunday, in the Ravenhead Higher Delf Mine. The road which was about fifteen feet wide in that part had been falling and was under repair for about a week and when they were engaged putting a large balk of timber up across the road, to complete the timbering, another fall occurred knocking out six bars and burying five men and causing injuries to two other persons. 5 killed.

BEABLE Arthur - 1904 - 18/04/1904 – Age 27 - Llwynypia No.2 Collier. Glamorgan Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Deceased was walking out to the shaft at the end of his shift when he was overtaken by a full journey, knocked down and run over. The road was 14.5 feet wide and 7.5 feet high and was provided with manholes every 11 yards which he should have made use of.

BEACH John - 1905 - 11/12/1905 – Age 34 - Featherstone Main Hanger on. Featherstone Main Colliery Co., Yorkshire. Some timber had been sent down to the Stanley Main Seam, which he had removed from the cages. Two shaft-men then took one of the cages in order to examine the shaft and guides; when they got to the surface a signal was given for men to descend, but no reply came from Beach, the shaftmen therefore went down and found him dead on the sump boards where he had been struck by the opposite cage when it descended while they were examining the shaft from the other one. He had evidently gone on to the sump boards to look at the water in the sump without having taken the precaution to stop the cages by signalling to the engine-man, probably thinking that he had plenty of time before the cage came down.

BEACHAM Albert - 1909 - 18/05/1909 – Age 24 - Albion Foreman. Albion Steam Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Deceased stood between two rows of trams of rubbish as one set was being drawn out by a haulage rope. He was ‘screwing’ the trains as in succession they passed over the pointers of a cross-over road, when one jumped the pointers and crushed him against the stationary trams.

BEADLE Charles - 1902 - 17/11/1902 – Age 50 - West Kent Chalk Quarry Chalk digger. West Kent Portland Cement Co., Kent. While he was loading a waggon a piece of chalk fell from the face, about 30 feet up and rebounding from the loose chalk which he was filling into the waggon and struck him on the head and body. He died 3 days afterwards, death being due to concussion of the brain.

BEADLE William - 1902 - 29/08/1902 – Age 38 - Eston ironstone Miner. Bolckow Vaughan and Co. Ltd., North Yorkshire. While filling a tub some sulphur stone fell from the roof and crushed him severely. Died September 14th.

BEAL John - 1909 - 17/04/1909 – Age 49 - Orgreave Collier. Rother Vale Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. Beal was drawing back timber in the waste. He was using a hammer instead of proper timber drawing appliances, with the result that he was killed by a heavy fall of roof.

BEALE Edwin - 1903 - 18/11/1903 – Age 52 – Deep Navigation Screenman. Ocean Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Deceased, whose work it was to level the small coal as it was delivered into the wagons by a mechanical conveyor, got his head in contact with the scraper blades and it was crushed between them and the platform above.

BEALL William – 1909 – 11/01/1909 – Age 43 – Dunnikier Miner. Fife Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. While turning out his loaded tub on a cut chain incline (dip 1 in 3) another miner turned his tub out at a bench, 32 ft higher up, and let it over the landing. He had omitted to put in the wooden block and it came down on the deceased.

BEAM William – 1904 – 29/09/1904 – Age 62 – Chopwell Stoneman. Consett Iron Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. A small staple, 4.5 feet in diameter, was being sunk in the mine and was 9 feet deep. A hole was drilled by hand in a vertical position at the side and was about 2 feet 4 inches deep. Two cartridges of 0.5 lb. of cheddite were placed in it, fitted with a detonator and Bickford's fuse. According to deceased's son's statement the only other person present deceased was stemming the hole when the charge exploded. The Local Inspectors reported ‘found in our opinion for the shot to have gone off while the man was stemming the hole, as we saw the hole had been tired as a hole in the roof, indicates that the beater has been blown against the roof.’

BEARD Alfred – 1908 – 24/07/1908 – Age 24 – Bedwellty Repairers butty. Tredegar Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. When lifting a tram of timber on to the rails a 9 foot stick fell off and struck his head. He was ill until the 10th August, and then returned to work for about two weeks. Falling again, he went to his home in Worcester, and died in Worcester Infirmary on the 31st of October, from an abscess on the brain, the result, according to medical evidence, of the accident.

BEARD Larratt – 1907 – 27/05/1907 – Age 39 – Thorncliffe Deputy. Newton Chambers and Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. Died from a disease of the spine caused by a fall on a flat sheet in the mine a few weeks before. Seven years ago his back was injured by a haulage rope and the recent fall aggravated the mischief and caused his death.

BEARD Samuel – 1905 – 11/07/1905 – Age 14 – National No.2 Collier boy. United National Collieries Ltd., Glamorgan. This explosion was specially reported on by E Milner-Jones, FA Gray and JT Robson. 119 killed.

BEARD Samuel – 1908 – 06/01/1908 – Age 66 – Fforchwen Labourer. Cwmaman Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Owing to the pointers not having been altered a journey of empty trams was run unexpectedly into a double parting, where deceased was cutting cog wood, and crushed him to death. The pointers had not been altered through a mistake of the two riders in charge of the journey.

BEARD Thomas Edward – 1902 – 23/09/1902 – Age 16 – Hertingfordbury, Gravel Quarry Carter. Wallace and Irons, Hertford. Deceased was loading a cart placed under the overhanging face of the Quarry when a fall of gravel and overburden occurred and killed him.

BEARDLSEY Henry – 1904 – 12/04/1904 – Age 17 – Warsop Main Rope boy. Staveley Coal and Iron Co. Ltd., Nottinghamshire. He left the mine on 31st March saying that he was ill, and when he died it was stated that he received injury in the mine. The coroner's jury returned a verdict that "he died from blood poisoning from an injury to the ankle, but when or where the injury was received there is not sufficient evidence to show.

BEARDOW William – 1903 – 13/02/1903 – Age 45 – Pleasley Loader. Stanton Iron Works Co., Derbyshire. He trapped his finger between a prop and a tub and died on 24th Feb. from blood poisoning caused by the injury.

BEARDSALL Joseph – 1905 – 24/10/1905 – Age 45 – Barrow Ripper. Barrow Haematite Steel Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. Killed by a fall of stone from between two slips under the ripping edge.

BEARDSHALL William – 1905 – 12/06/1905 – Age 34 – Rockingham Collier. Newton Chambers and Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. Died today. He had received a slight injury from a fall of stone on the head but he did not report it. He continued to work for some days, against medical advice, with the result that blood poisoning set in and caused his death.

BEARDSLEY John – 1906 – 20/08/1906 – Age 64 – Britain Holer. Butterley Co., Derbyshire. He died at the pit bottom at the end of the day’s work. The coroner’s jury returned a verdict that his death was due to ‘natural causes.'

BEARDSLEY Thomas – 1904 – 13/05/1904 – Age 26 – Manners Stallman. Manners Colliery Co., Derbyshire. Fall of overhanging coal. The holing sprags had been taken out for a length of eight yards when only a small portion of the coal fell. Deceased was attempting to set a sprag when a fall of coal killed him.

BEARDSLEY William – 1909 – 01/09/1909 – Age 42 – Cossall Stallman. Cossall Colliery Co. Ltd., Derbyshire. An attempt had been made to get the coal down and failed, so the sprags were re-set and deceased went underneath to do more holing, when the coal fell on to him. He died 21st September. The deputy thought the sprags were never re-set, but the Coroner’s Jury said that they were.

BEASLEY Albert – 1909 – 11/12/1909 – Age 30 – Orgreave Shunter. Rother Vale Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. He foolishly went between the wagons during shunting operations in the dark, and was fatally injured.

BEASTALL John – 1901 – 16/04/1901 – Age 59 – Whitehaven Croft Sinker. Whitehaven Colliery Co. Ltd., Cumberland. Fall of side. 4 killed.

BEATTIE David – 1909 – 18/07/1909 – Age 52 – Niddrie Oncostman. Niddrie and Benhar Coal Co. Ltd., Edinburgh. At a part of an incline, dipping 60 degrees, the roof was showing signs of collapsing near the vicinity of a trouble and deceased, with another workman named Andrew King, were engaged repairing and making the part secure, they had finished their shift and were proceeding up the incline when the roof collapsed and all three were buried. The latter lay in a recess uninjured and owing to the dangerous nature of the operations, to effect his rescue, twenty seven hours elapsed before he was released. 2 killed.

BEATTIE George – 1909 – 19/07/1909 – Age 44 – Gavieside oil shale Roadsman. Youngs Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Co. Ltd., Edinburgh. Deceased was employed to keep the Main Ingoing eye in order and to see that nothing stopped the rakes of full or empty tubs. A rake had passed up and was just at the top when a coupling hook straightened out and four tubs came back, 66 fathoms on 1 in 2 inclination, and struck him. He was so severely injured that he died 10 hours later.

BEATTIE John – 1900 – 27/02/1900 – Age 28 – Bothwell Park No.2 Roadsman. William Baird and Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. While removing a stone, which had fallen upon a runaway race of hutches in a haulage road, the haulage engine was unexpectedly started and he was crushed between the stone and the side of the road.

BEATTIE Robert – 1903 – 25/05/1903 – Age 18 – Trimdon Grange Small runner. Walter Scott Ltd., Co. Durham. The apparatus chain, by some means, took him round the drum. He was going to take the chain off and was striding across it when it caught. Died on the 27th.

BEATTIE Robert – 1905 – 17/02/1905 – Age 50 – Douglas Miner. Coltness Iron Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. Deceased suffered from heart trouble and he took ill in the pit; in walking outbye he suddenly expired.

BEAUMONT George A. – 1907 – 16/09/1907 – Age 23 – Ryhill Main Trammer. Henry Lodge Ltd., Yorkshire. Along with a collier he was getting coal in a place next to a fault. Two parallel slips could be seen in the roof and timber had been set with sleepers 3 feet long as lid, but the props unfortunately were set on the wrong side of the slips, and as soon as the coal was taken out, at one end, another slip was disclosed, and the stone, which measured 9 feet by 4 feet by 3 inches by 3 feet 4 inches thick, fell without warning and killed him. If bars had been set the accident probably would not have happened. The manager promised to use them in future.

BEAUMONT John - 1903 - 04/03/1903 – Age 25 - Crigglestone Miner, Crigglestone Coal Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. He had been working in a seam, recently reached by a sinking shaft, and was returning to the surface. The cage struck the frame of a Landing, 105 yards above, and he was thrown out and fell to the bottom a distance of 105 yards.

BEAVOR Benjamin James - 1908 - 15/12/1908 – Age 58 - Backworth Chargeman. Owners of Backworth Collieries, Northumberland. Inadvertently approached a shot fired by electricity.

BEBB George - 1907 - 20/11/1907 – Age 21 - Llwynypia No.2 Asst. repairer. Glamorgan Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall of roof on road, fireclay and clod, 16 foot by 9 foot by 56 inches thick. Deceased was assisting a repairer to rip a heading, and was sent by the latter to take shelter in the mouth of a stall road while he completed the bringing down of a large stone. Before deceased could reach shelter, the large stone, together with a larger stone, fell and buried him. The account given by the repairer, of this accident, was not altogether convincing. There was no need to go under the shaken roof to seek shelter; he only had to step back a yard to be out of danger. Five feet seam.

BECHETT Fred W. - 1906 - 09/04/1906 – Age 37 - Podmore Hall, Minnie Collier. Midland Coal Coke and Iron Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. Deceased was preparing to set a post under the roof on the down throw side of a small fault in the Ten Feet seam. A level had been driven across the fault in the tops to a slip 4 feet from it. Deceased had thirled in the heading from a cross-cut driven up between the fault and the slip. The heading had been standing two weeks without timber when deceased thirled into it. Had timber been set when the heading was driven the accident might not have occurred. At the inquest the jury requested the coroner to censure the night and day firemen for neglect in that they had not had timber set in the heading before the cross-cut was thirled.

BECKETT Alfred - 1908 - 31/08/1908 – Age 30 - Cambois Shifter. Cowpen Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Fall of stone from brow of canch at working face.

BECKETT James - 1902 - 05/02/1902 – Age 51 - Taylor’s Green Collier. Thomas Knowles, Lancashire. Supposed he struck his finger while striking a wedge. Sore was neglect and he died 8th March from blood poisoning.

BECKETT James - 1907 - 28/11/1907 – Age 26 - Bargoed Pitman. Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. When about to signal, from a staging at one of the lodge-rooms where he and two other men were engaged about the pumps, he overbalanced and fell some 400 yards down the shaft. He was thoroughly accustomed to this work and place, but is said to have been at times inclined to be venturesome.

BECKETT Thomas - 1901 - 27/05/1901 – Age 55 - Talk o’th’ Hill Fireman. Talk o’th’ Hill Colliery Co., Staffordshire. Explosion of firedamp and coal dust caused by a gob fire. 4 killed.

BECKHAM James - 1902 - 23/10/1902 – Age 47 - South Pontop Shifter. UA Ritson and Sons, Co.Durham. Head crushed by being caught between tub and a packwall in a gateway where he was timbering. Died on the 27th.

BEDDIS Sydney - 1907 - 05/09/1907 – Age 39 - Lightmoor Stoker. H Crawshay and Co. Ltd., Gloucester. Became entangled with the crank of the winding engine while engaged in oiling. He passed the fence and was oiling or about to do so in order not to stop the winding as should have been done. His brother was the engineman at the time.

BEDDOE David - 1902 - 26/05/1902 – Age 36 - McLaren Labourer. Tredegar Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. They were employed pinning the gob of a Barry road and were killed by a heavy fall of roof coal weighing about 20 tons. It was caused by a collier drawing down clod and exposing a false slip which met a kind joint running across the road from the gob. This he could not see as it was unexposed till the clod had been taken down. Vaughan stated that he tested the roof and thought it safe. It was an error of judgement on his part. 2 killed.

BEDDOE William - 1909 - 14/01/1909 – Age 19 - Senghenydd Collier. Lewis Merthyr Consolidated Collieries Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall on road cliff, 3 feet by 1 foot by 10 inches thick, fell off the side from between two pairs of timber, struck deceased on the side and caused internal injuries from which he died next day. Nine feet seam.

BEDINGFIELD William - 1907 - 11/01/1907 – Age 26 - Leasingthorne Hewer. Bolckow Vaughan and Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. He was crushed against a pulley leg by the empty trams being moved up on the heapstead.

BEEBY George - 1906 - 14/02/1906 – Age 45 - Littleburn Shifter. North Brancepeth Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Whilst, with his marrow, ridding and timbering an old wagonway, a heavy fall occurred, thrusting out the timbers. Beeby was killed and his marrow injured.

BEELAVICKE Joseph - 1903 - 10/08/1903 – Age 21 - Carfin No.1 Miner. William Dixon Ltd., Lanarkshire. Fall of clay from working face.

BEERE Raymond - 1902 - 18/01/1902 – Age 17 - Nuneaton Horse driver. Stanley Bros., Ltd., Warwickshire. Deceased stated that he was kicked by the horse he was driving in the mine but the coroner's jury found that his death was caused by 'tubercular meningitis' brought on by natural causes.

BEESLEY Harry James - 1908 - 16/01/1908 – Age 19 - Whitwick Clay Quarry Clay getter. Whitwick Colliery Co. Leicester Fall of clay from the face while deceased was loading, probably due to the sun acting upon a partially frozen clay face.

BEESON A. - 1903 - 24/10/1903 – Age 42 - Robin Hood Collier. J and J Charlesworth Ltd., Yorkshire. Died 25th October. Fall of roof in a gate road whilst drawing timber. Cause careless work and neglect to use proper tools.

BEET William - 1907 - 01/03/1907 – Age 34 - Nook Collier. Astley and Tyldesley Collieries Ltd., Lancashire. At the working face, from between two slips, timbering distance exceeded. Two props required. Accident occurred 31st May 1900. Died 1st May 1901. (Roof good).

BEEVERS Fred - 1907 - 23/03/1907 – Age 43 - Manvers Main Collier. Manvers Main Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. He was withdrawing props and had taken out several during the shift. At the time of the accident he was taking out the back row but one, and was pulling at one of the props when some roof coal fell between two slips and injured him so severely that he died the same day. He knew of one of the sips and should have exercised better judgement in withdrawing the props.

BEEVOR Benjamin *- 1909. Backworth Owners of Backworth Collieries, Northumberland.

BEEVORS William - 1909 - 26/04/1909 – Age 39 - Barnsley Main Collier. Barnsley Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. Beevors was working at the coal face, when a piece of roof stone fell from a pot-hole between the timbers killing him on the spot. The pot-hole could not be seen before the accident and the place was well timbered.

BEGBIE Alexander - 1900 - 05/07/1900 – Age 32 - Deans Pitheadman. Pumpherston Oil Co. Ltd., Linlithgow. Some water was being drawn from the bottom of a pit sinking to the Houston Coal in a barrel attached to the winding rope. As the barrel was raised from the bottom its lip caught the lower edge of the barring jerking the rope and causing it to oscillate somewhat violently in the shaft. Deceased, who was standing at the striking scaffold at pithead, put out his hand to steady the rope but missed it overbalanced and fell to the bottom of the shaft 108 feet below, striking the barrel in his descent. His skull was fractured.

BEGGS David - 1904 - 16/07/1904 – Age 52 - Maxwood Miner. William Baird and Co. Ltd., Ayrshire. When taking a gunpowder cartridge out of his canister it exploded having apparently being ignited by a spark from his lamp or his pipe.

BELCHER Alfred - 1904 - 14/10/1904 – Age 17 - Penrikyber Collier. Penrikyber Navigation Colliery Co. Ltd., Glamorgan.  At face coal, 3 foot by 15 inches  by 18 inches thick, fell off a 'back slip" as deceased was wedging loose the bottom part the seam. Deceased's brother said that they had tried to pull down the piece of coal a few minutes before but had failed. Six feet seam.

BELFORD Arthur - 1907 - 12/04/1907 – Age 14 - Whitefield Signal boy. Chatterley Whitefield Collieries Ltd., Staffordshire. Deceased for whom a special signal box or manhole was provided had gone 140 yards up the dip to where a derailed loaded tub was going to be put back on the rails. Another boy had come from a station 230 yards further up. The roadman told both at the same time to go back. When ready he had the rope started feeling sure that both boys would be back in their places. The boy from the upper and ore distant station reached his place of safety but deceased must have loitered. A loaded tub somehow became detached from the rope and ran back and struck him causing a cut on the foot. It was not considered serious at first but tetanus supervened and he died on the 27th of the same month.

BELL Alexander - 1902 - 05/07/1903 – Age 59 - Backworth Hewer. Owners of Backworth Collieries, Northumberland. Died 8th July. Deceased worked in a longwall place in the Bensham seam when some coal from an unseen facing fell on him.

BELL Alexander - 1908 - 07/04/1908 – Age 46 - Dysart Miner. Earl of Rosslyns Collieries Ltd., Fife. Deceased was apparently taking down coal or holing when a piece of overhanging coal fell upon him and he was fatally crushed. There were no sprags up, and deceased's neighbour was to blame in not setting some to the face.

BELL Anthony - 1903 - 25/08/1903 – Age 44 - Featherstone Engineman. Thompson and Sons, Northumberland. Deceased and another workmen went into a return airway, also used as a pipe road for conveying steam to a pump which exhausts direct into the return to attend to leaking joints. In order to locate the leaking joints a small pressure of steam was left on and in any case the road was very warm. After going so far with the deceased, he found it too hot, and returned to the pump leaving the deceased who said he could stand the heat. Deceased's mate had all the steam cut off and then returned to the drift and not finding deceased where he had left him concluded he had gone on to a doro at the top. Sometime after he found deceased further up, dead evidently overcome by the heat. In subsequent search deceased's lamp was found 37 yards above his body. He had probably become confused, lost his lamp and then turned back. Deceased had received a somewhat severe electric shock some few months before.

BELL Caleb - 1903 - 11/02/1903 – Age 20 - Wingate Grange Sinker. Owners of Wingate Grange colliery, Co.Durham. These men were in a kibble to descend the shaft which was being sunk from the Low Main to the Harvey Seam. There was a scaffold below the Low Main Seam through which the rope passed. The master sinker signalled for the kibble to be lowered but it did not move and on looking up he saw the rope was coiling on the scaffold but before he could do anything the kibble dropped away about nine feet and the men were thrown out and fell to the bottom of the shaft about 38 yards below. 3 killed.

BELL Douglas - 1906 - 27/11/1906 – Age 18 - Berryhill Hooker on. H Warrington and Son, Staffordshire. Deceased had hung on a set of four loaded tubs on an engine dip, having a gradient of 1 in 3, and notwithstanding repeated warnings, was following them up to the shift points for the next empty set. A coupling broke at a very defective weld, and three tubs ran back and crushed him against a junction post, killing him almost instantly.

BELL Edward - 1902 - 20/12/1902 – Age 42 - Darngavil Miner. Darngavil Coal Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. Deceased, with his son and his drawer, reached the shaft at a mid-working after their day's work was over, and as there was no one present to attend to the signals he signalled to get up. When the cage arrived his son and the drawer got on, and just as he stepped on the cage, it was suddenly raised and he was thrown back against the gate used to protect the shaft and fell into the shaft to the bottom, a distance of 12 fathoms, whereby he was killed instantaneously. The bottomer was on the surface.

BELL Emerson - 1906 - 11/01/1906 – Age 36 Copthill Whinstone Quarry Quarryman. Monkhouse and Peart, Co.Durham. He was killed by the premature explosion of a charge which he was putting into a hole. Three others were injured. The explosive, or part of it, was most probably frozen.

BELL Francis - 1900 - 30/11/1900 – Age 22 - Broughton Moor Hewer. Flimby & Broughton Moor Coal & Firebrick Co. Ltd., Cumberland. Inspection made and inquest attended. While engaged hewing some stone fell away at a slip close to the face canting out several props.

BELL Frank - 1905 - 25/03/1905 – Age 31 - West Ardsley Labourer. Yorkshire Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. One of the shafts had recently been sunk from the Middle seam, a distance of 223 yards to the Black Bed, and enlarged from 10 feet to 18 feet diameter for a depth of several yards from the surface. It was decided not to work the lower seams at present but to utilise the shaft for the Middle Seam. The scaffold was put in 28 feet below Middleton Seam, around the edge of which space was left and an 18 inch diameter air pipe passed through and was connected with the upcast shaft for the purpose of ventilating the lower portion of the shaft. Places had been driven in the Black Bed Seam, 198 yards below the Middleton Seam a distance of 145 yards and the porches formed in them. On the day in question deceased and another five men were engaged putting wire rope guides in. When seven had been put in the eighth and last was being got off the reel by the winding engine at the surface when it caught on a flaming paraffin lamp and knocked it off a girder onto the men, 28 feet below the Middleton Seam. The oil was spilled and burned immediately an explosion occurred and the six men were more or less seriously injured. The others fortunately recovered, but he died on 30th March. About 15 yards of water had accumulated above the places driven in the Black Bed seam and some gas had burst through the water and come up and had been ignited by the burning on the scaffold.

BELL George T. - 1902 - 25/02/1902 – Age 32 - Great Fenton Loader. Staffordshire Coal and Iron Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. Fall of coal and ironstone bands from working face in Little Mine. The coal was holed and supported by sprags and a stretcher against the face. The fall came off from a break and may have been caused by a sudden weight liberating the stretcher. The place appeared to have been well timbered.

BELL Horace Frank - 1909 - 07/07/1909 – Age 21 - Redheugh Onsetter, Co.Durham. Caught by the cage at mid-workings.

BELL Jacob - 1902 - 28/02/1902 – Age 41 - Hamsteels Hewer. Trustees of late Joseph Johnson, Co.Durham. Alleged to have died from an injury to his eye in the pit on July 12th last but post-mortem examination showed death was due to natural causes.

BELL James - 1903 - 06/06/1903 – Age 29 - Balognie Miner. Charles H Balfour, Fife. Deceased was engaged in the top division of the Dysart Main Coal working off the coal coming back and at the time of the accident was backing coal toward the roadhead, when the roof suddenly fell upon him.

BELL James - 1903 - 18/04/1903 – Age 29 - Cambois Fitter. Cowpen Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Deceased, the son of the enginewright of the colliery, who was present when the accident occurred, was assisting in raising an old Lancashire boiler position to act as a tank. Two chocks 29 feet apart were supporting the boiler which was raised at each end in turn by hydraulic jacks and height made good by adding wood to the chocks. Deceased was at the south end of the boiler, the north end then being highest, when it surged forward and crushed him against a chimney stack.

BELL James - 1906 - 20/09/1906 – Age 32 - Houghton Main Trammer. Houghton Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. He was holing a piece of coal which had a loose side, and in addition there was a break 2.5 feet from and parallel to the loose side. Notwithstanding this he neglected to set a sprag, and while working the coal fell upon and fatally injured him. The collier in the place did not, as he should have done, see that the deceased who was his trammer, who was complying with the Special Rules and working in safety. Proceedings were taken against him and he was fined 40s and 15s 6d costs.

BELL James - 1906 - 26/11/1906 - South Hetton Wasteman. South Hetton Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Received an injury to his back on 3rd February, 1893, whilst at work in the mine. Died 26th November 1906.

BELL James - 1907 - 29/03/1907 – Age 44 - Simpsonland No.1 Miner. United Collieries Ltd., Lanarkshire. Fall of coal while holing. Sprags were said to have been set to the undercut coal.

BELL James - 1909 - 16/02/1909 – Age 54 - West Stanley, Owners of West Stanley Colliery, Co.Durham. Explosion of gas 168 killed. Benton Terrace, Stanley.

BELL John - 1901 - 28/05/1901 – Age 17 - Glencraig Drawer. Wilsons Clyde Coal Co Ltd., Fife. Deceased was a drawer but assisted at the foot of a cut-chain brea. Having put an empty tub on one end of the chain a loaded tub was pushed over and it ran away and before he could get clear he was caught and crushed against the wall side, he died six hours afterwards. The cause of the tub running away was the opening of a false link in the chain.

BELL John - 1902 - 10/03/1902 – Age 29 - Seaham Hewer. Londonderry Collieries Ltd., Co.Durham. Alleged to have died from injuries received in the pit but post-mortem examination showed he died from natural causes.

BELL John - 1902 - 21/02/1902 – Age 19 - Heworth Putter. Heworth Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. While coming outbye with a full tub, riding on the limbers on a road with an uneven roof, his head was crushed between the tub and timber.

BELL John - 1905 - 10/07/1905 – Age 38 - Seaton Delaval Hewer. Seaton Delaval Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Deceased and his marrow were hewing together in a jenkin or lift, 16 feet wide in broken workings in the Main Coal Seam, which is made up of 4 feet of top coal, 4 inches of band and 3 feet of bottom coal. The bottom coal and band had been taken out for 13 feet across the place from the loose side to a depth of 13 feet. One stay was set to support the top coal and a shot was ready to bring it down. While deceased was filling a tub a length of 5 feet fell away from the loose side displacing the stay and he was struck and fatally injured. The coal came away from a brassy cleat. More stays should have been set, and there was suitable timber close by. The deputy had visited the place three hours before the accident. The local Inspectors reported, ‘we consider that the place was in a safe and satisfactory condition, and as far as we personally knew the deceased he was a very careful workman.’

BELL John - 1905 - 20/12/1905 – Age 27 - Throckley Hewer. Throckley Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Died 7th Jan 1906. Deceased was kirving in the top of the Brockwell seam in a wide bord, he just turned away off the headways when a blue metal stone 6 ft wide and 20 inches thick at extremes and known as a ‘horse back’ fell from the roof onto him. A prop and headtree were canted out. The deputy had visited him two or three times during the shift and had fired two lifting shots in the coal for him but had observed no signs of insecurity in the roof. There was a good supply of loose timber. The local Inspectors reported that they found the place in sound working order and came to the conclusion that the accident could not have been prevented.

BELL John - 1906 - 06/09/1906 – Age 71 - Wooley Shifter. Pease and Partners, Co.Durham. When walking inbye on 8th April, 1903, he stumbled against a sheaf and cut his face. Died 6th September, 1906.

BELL Joseph - 1902 - 14/11/1902 – Age 31 - Warsop Main Dayman. Staveley Coal and Iron Co. Ltd., Nottinghamshire. Deceased stated that a small fall of roof had occurred and injured his head but none of his fellow workmen knew of any accident nor did deceased complain until some days after the alleged injury. The coroner's jury returned a verdict that 'he died from the effect, of an accident sustained in the pit, and meningitis and pneumonia caused by such injury.' Died 30th November.

BELL Joseph - 1905 - 24/07/1905 – Age 21 - Eldon Putter. Pease and Partners Ltd., Co.Durham. When filling coal, after a coal-cutter, a slab of a dirt parting fell on to him and killed him instantaneously.

BELL Joseph - 1907 - 23/01/1907 – Age 33 - Watergate Hewer. Flimby and Broughton Moor Coal and Firebrick Co. Ltd., Cumberland. Four other persons were injured by this accident. The No.2 Pit is an upcast shaft with fan ventilation; it is 13 feet diameter and 113 fathoms deep to the Cannel band eye, to which point it is traversed by two single decked cages each holding two tubs placed end to end. The covers of the cages are flat and consist of wooden boards. The shaft is walled with bricks for 101 fathoms from the surface and for 33 fathoms above the Cannel band eye, the remainder is lined with wood. The wood lining consists of oak cribs 5 inches square placed about 45 feet apart and to the inside of these cribs, deal boards 10 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick called latting are nailed. The miners were ascending, at the end of the shift, and 5 cage loads had gone up, one of the cages was at the Cannel band eye and had nearly received its complement of 12 men when some stone fell from the side of the shaft 33.5 fathoms above from near the bottom of the latting, which it broke away, and falling on to the cage top broke through the wood cover and killed deceased, injuring some of the others. The stone was blue metal and broke up in its fall, but two of the largest pieces measured 2 feet 8 inches by 10 inches by 7.5 inches, and 1 foot 10 inches by 9 inches by 6 inches respectively. About 3 weeks before the accident a commencement had been made to deepen the shaft to lower seams and sinkers were engaged on this work after the pit was done drawing coal. The shafteman’s reports on the 13th December, the 22nd January, and the 23rd January called attention to defective latting near the point from which the stone fell, but he stated at the inquest that the fall took place above the defective point. The stone fell away from a natural joint in the strata and broke away some of the latting. The Jury found that the deceased were killed by a fall of stone in the shaft but were unable to say definitely whether the defective latting contributed to the fall but they regretted that the report of the 19th December had not been promptly attended to. This mode of securing shaft sides is not the safest as the latting is only held in position by nails. The rotting of wood in the moist air of an upcast shaft may escape notice. An arched iron cover to cages is safer than a flat wooden top. 2 killed.