Here is an addition to the burials in Kingsway Old Cemetery (Kirkby).

My father's oldest brother, Harold Godfrey, was killed in an accident at the Summit Colliery, Kirkby, in 1917. I took the photo of his grave in Kingsway Old Cemetery a few years ago. The nature of the accident is recorded in the press reports of the inquest as being the result of falling under a train of coal tubs. The extracts from the Notts. Free Press for May 4th & 11th 1917 detail the tragedy. (The press reports gave his age as 17 but his DoB was 29 Oct.1900 so the grave inscription of 'age 16' is, in fact, correct.)

Thanks for maintaining this most interesting and informative website.

Regards
Don Godfrey

FRIDAY, MAY 1917
KIRKBY NOTES.

Reported in Nottinghamshire Free Press and Derbyshire Chronicle
(Published in Sutton-in-Ashfield)

A fatal accident took place at the Kirkby Colliery on Wednesday morning, whereby a youth named Harold Godfrey, aged 17, and residing in Oxford Street; in East Kirkby, lost his life. An inquest will of course be necessary and the facts will be brought out then. A sad feature is that the youth had only begun work down the pit three weeks ago, having previously been engaged on the pit bank. His father too met with a serious accident some time ago, and has only recently resumed work, and he was one of those who helped recover the body of his son.

Newmillerdam Colliery Co. Ltd., Newmillerdam, Wakefield, Yorks.

Hello,
I am currently researching my family ancestry and would like to find out more about a relative of mine; Cyril Gent. He died on 6th February 1938 in an accident at Shipley Colliery, Derbyshire. From what I know he was on his way home from work the day he died. I would be interested in knowing more about what his working day would have been like and the kind of environment he would have worked in day in day out.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Rachel

I was wondering if you have any more information on the following individual or accident.
 
Regards
 
Paul Glasby

15- Mar -1923 / Edward Polkey / 55 / Blackwell 'A' Winning / Alfreton, Derbyshire / Fall of roof

There is also a George Edward Polkey, died 30- Jun -1908 aged 19 at South Normanton, Fall in a roadway

Nottingham Evening Post
Saturday 04 August 1923

A shocking fatality occurred this morning at the ‘A’ Winning Colliery of the Blackwell Colliery Co., when a youth named Frederick Polkey (19), the son of a South Normanton widow, was killed under extraordinary circumstances.

He was employed on the bank and in descending some steps he appears to have slipped, with the result that he fell between the buffers of two moving trucks which closed up just at that moment.

His head was caught between the buffers and death was almost instantaneous.

This family has a terrible record of fatalities. The boy’s mother has now lost her husband and three sons through colliery fatalities, all in the space of less than one year, while another is permanently disables by accident.

Alan Beales

Can you tell me if the New England Pit at Eastwood was the one in Coach Drive area.

Thanks.

Sent from my iPad

Hi Alan
I've just been looking at your excellent database of mining deaths at Derbyshire coalfields. My great-uncle, Samuel Beale was killed on 21st November 1929 at Coppice Pit, Shipley.  According to your website the cause of death was "Fell down the shaft".

It's always been believed within the family that he was in the cage and that the cage operator somehow lost control causing the cage to descend far too rapidly which in turn lead to my great-uncle's death (I was told by my late father that Samuel was decapitated as a result of the accident). I've no way of knowing whether the above version of events is indeed true, or if your website is correct in saying that he fell.

I'd be interested to know where you got your information from in order to assist me in finding out more about this tragedy.

Kind Regards

Hi,
I am hoping you might be able to offer me a little direction and help.

My grandfather died in a pit disaster on the 18th of March 1967 when my mother was 4, my grandmother was expecting at the time and has never spoken of it and with our family expanding to include my mothers first grandchild she has so many questions regarding his death but I just can't find anything online and that's where I hope you might be able to help.

All I know is that he worked in the thorncliffe seam at the Broadsworth colliery and I believe there had been reports that the tunnels were not properly supported and collapsed at the change of shift on march 18th 1967 when my grandfather Brian Hall was crushed and later died in hospital of hypoxia and shock.

I would love some more details regarding the mine and the circumstances of the collapse etc any pointers you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for you help,

Katie

Broadsworth Colliery

Brodsworth Colliery was a colliery near Woodlands, South Yorkshire, England that operated from 1906, when the pit was sunk, to 1990 when it closed. It was known for Woodlands, a high-quality model village constructed for its workers. The colliery was consistently amongst those that employed the most miners in Britain, employing around 2,800 workers throughout the 1980s.

The pit site is soon to be redeveloped for housing. The spoil tip has been restored and developed as a community woodland; it is owned by the Land Restoration Trust and controlled by the Forestry Commission.

In 1910, the Woodlands May Festival was started when the squire's wife and mine owner's sister persuaded the owner to give a day off with pay to the men who lived at Woodlands. They and their families were able to participate in the festival.

Information from Wikipedia

Abel Gilbourne, also died at Brodsworth Colliery, 1928

Hi Alan,
I'm researching my husband's family who came from Hucknall Torkard in Nottinghamshire. The men in the family were mostly coal miners. I'm trying to find out something about the accident that lead to the death of my husband's Grandfather James Henry STAFF who died in Nottingham General Hospital 25th November 1932 as a result of injuries he sustained by an accidental fall of a roof while at work in the pit

While searching the internet for information, I came across Fionn Taylor’s very interesting web page on the history of mining and consequently found your name in connection with mining disasters. I understand that a disaster is only given that classification when 10 or more men have died so obviously our James is not mentioned.

Can you point me in the direction of where I may find information about this accident please.

Regards
Moira Hill

Hi Alan, I have been reading about the accidents and fatalities on the site. I am hoping you can shed some light, on exactly where the accidents in Low Stubbin, actually occured? Especially Fredrick Morris Smith, aged 15? I am researching the area, immediately on and around, 1-7 Low Stubbin, what was on the site, before they were farm buildings/barns/ animal sheds, etc.  Did the actual mine, accident, or any part associated with the pit, pass anywhere near where these houses are today?
I would be very grateful for any information, or where to go to get anymore, that can help my research, the library has been unable to answer this question.

Frederick Morris Smith, aged 15, died in an accident on the 20th June 1910 at Low Stubbin Colliery, in Yorkshire, owned by Earl Fitzwilliam.  Fredrick was bringing a train of 46 tubs down a road having a slight gradient. The tubs were running under their own power just using gravity.  Another boy placed a bar of wood across the rails to steady the train. It is thought that Frederick was playing about and stood on it, after sliding a short distance he lost his footing, and fell in front of the train and was killed. Not more than 16 tubs should have formed the train.

From Ian Winstanley's Coal Mining Resource Centre