Hello.

I am a Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson of Joseph Bradley who died in the shaft collapse at Grassmoor Colliery in 1856. I noticed on your website that it says he was 60 when he died; in fact he was born in 1787, making him 69 at the time. I thought you would like this more accurate information. If you have any further information on the accident I would be very grateful for this.

Thank you.

Hi Andrew, Fionn has sent me your e mail. On the HMI annual report 1856 it gives J Bradley 60, and W Fletcher 25, killed by a fall of earth in a sinking shaft Grassmoor 13-12-1856. That is where I got the detail. If you are still in the area try Chesterfield Library there may be an inquest report in the Derbyshire Times, or if you cannot get, phone the library they are usually very helpful. The same detail is on Coalmining resource  centre On Line
All the best in your search
A Beales

Thank you for updating me on the situation regarding Joseph Bradley being aged 69.

I have information as you found, that I assumed maybe wrongly attributed, that he was one of the two sinkers killed in 1846 which would make him 60 years old. However if he was born in 1787 then that would be correct. However if he was 69 then he was killed in another sinkingthat I have found reference to and that started in 1852 and that it would still be sinking in 1856. Sometimes these shafts did take several years to sink due to as stated bad ground whilst other generally only took about 2 years. It is possible that I misinterpreted the info years ago (as you see I have been writing this for over 50 years). The bad ground could be problems with water that is why it took longer to sink. They had to get rid of the water that would flood the shaft and that was very difficult as sometimes there were no pumps only primitive ones and it was raised using large buckets or kibble or whatever. This obviously took a great deal of time because sinking through the water-bearing measures the water influx  would never stop and could have been several hundreds of gallons a minute.  You might say that the water bearing strata was not too deep therefore many kibbles full could be raised fairly quickly. I don't know. There is a photo showing boarding being pinned round the shaft and joined up as per a Cooper making a beer barrel. One description stated that to stop the water coming in they used sheep's fleeces and wedged them in. Brickwork was built as a circle around this and the shaft sizes were obviously less diameter than the original excavation and the earlier ones were only about 10 feet (3.3m) finished internal diameter. This was called tubbing.  At some shafts they used cast iron tubbing bolted together in sections forming a circle. I have no evidence of this yet but I am continually researching.

Only this week I found lots of information about some Butterley Co pits at the Archives at Matlock so it is possible I may find some more for Grassmoor in the future.  It is a huge task as you will appreciate but I do persevere as you can see. There were eventually 12 shafts at Grassmoor and I think the last one was in 1878. However he was obviously working at the bottom of the sinking of an earlier shaft when there was a fall and I have no evidence of this at present that the shaft side higher up above them did collapse on him and the other sinker. However this a possibility. Of course the other one is that he was attempting to support the side of the shaft at the bottom with his mate when the side gave way and buried or fell on them. Working in that water under terrible conditions must have been hell. However he managed up to his seventieth year doing extremey difficult and hard work and obviously dangerous but he no doubt only wore a flat cap (no protection) moleskin trousers etc or oilskins and a Sou'wester whist sinking through the water. He could well have been a very experienced sinker travelling round from one Company to another possibly from his early 20s. Unfortunately these people were rarely mentioned by name and sometimes even when killed as shown above. The Mines Inspectorate were only just starting and they rarely went to an accident unless there were ten or more killed..............
 
I hope this gives you an insight and answers to your query.

Bob Bradley

My grandfather Norman Fieldsend was a very proud miner in Derbyshire working in the Glapwell, Bolsover area.  He  lost his life in about 1943 in a Pit accident in Glapwell, Roof fall. 

My grandmother was given £100 for his life as the pit owners suggested that he should have checked the pit props. My grandmother claimed that the pit just didn't want to 'pay out'. I would be interested to find more information about this. Do you have any?

Marie Dickinson, Great-granddaughter

No Information yet but there was a Pharaoh Fieldsend, possibly an ancester, he was aged 38 when he died at Glapwell (Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Co Ltd) 14 Dec 1897. He was a stallman and was killed by a roof fall. Pharaoh and another man were removing slack from the floor for the purpose of setting timber under the roof and between two slips when the roof fell and fatally injured the deceased. He died the same day. The other man was seriously injured.

Hi I wonder if you can help me please?

I am researching a pub called the Railway Inn in Swadlincote. A former landlord was an Albert Enoch Jones from 1910-33. According to a newspaper article when he died he was involved in an accident at Langwith Colliery in 1904 which resulted in him having a leg amputated but I cannot find any details of this accident. you have a couple listed on here for 1904 but his name isn’t mentioned.

Carol Cheshire

Hi

Can you tell me more about this accident.  I am researching Charles Crann who died in the above Colliery on Harehill lane.  I would like to know where this mine was can you point me in the right direction for a map. Do you have anymore information on this disaster.  It was on the 30th Dec 1857.

Regards

Jillian Williams
CRANN  ONS
New Zealand

Charles Crann, age 17, and Joseph Garside age 30, died after a boiler burst 29 Dec 1875 at White Horse Colliery, owned by Messrs Garsides of Leeds, Yorkshire. Charles actually died on the following day, the 30th Dec.

Harehills Lane leads down to York Road, the red ’A’ marks the White Horse pub.

The White Horse, 364 York Rd, Leeds LS9 9DN

White Horse colliery -  Information from abandonment plans, unfortunately very little information on them, very poor plans - Garside colliery adjacent.
James Brown estate...10 acres 2 roods 26 poles of Crow coal (Better bed) worked 1870-1877. A pillar was left to protect Broomhill House.

Another reference in Township of Potternewton - Harehill Lane...Rock bed coal worked - Earl Cowper ... abandoned Aug 1858.  George H Bond (Chesterfield) was the Surveyor.
This would be the colliery as the date for 30 Dec 1857 ties in, however that is all I could find.

Bob Bradley

Alan - many thanks for a very useful resource. Just a couple of questions:
1) Am I correct in thinking Radford fatalities would appear under Wollaton?
2) Can you identify and locate High Holborn colliery which seems to have been owned by Cossall Colliery Co but had no workers?

Thanks in advance if you're able to help. We're trying to put together a history of the Middleton Estate collieries.

Kind regards, Peter Gurd (Wollaton Historical Society).

High Holborn pit in Cossall. Thomas North worked Deep Soft and Deep Hard. Shaft depth 130 yards (119m).
It was sunk about 1838 and discontinued working in 1848 and abandoned in 1850.

Bob Bradley

Hi,

I hope you'll be able to help with any information about my Gt Gt Grandfather Josephus Hackett, who I believe was killed in a mine accident at Hickleton Main Colliery, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, on January 14th 1905.

I've visited the cemetery at Thurnscoe and found his grave and those of his daughter-in-law (unmarked) and Granddaughter (unmarked).

Any information about him or his family would be gratefully received.

Andrew Butler