BELL Levi - 1903 - 27/10/1903 – Age 42 - South Moor, Hedley Fireman. South Moor Colliery Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. He was running seven tubs of stones down a tramway, when they got out of control, three others followed and he let the seven go but attempted to stop the three and was dragged a distance of 490 yards when they collided with the seven and they severely injured him. Died November 11th.

BELL Michael - 1905 - 21/04/1905 – Age 17 - South Moor, Morrison Pony putter. South Moor Colliery Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Fall of coal. Skull fractured and neck broken; also left leg fractured. He was filling some lying coal in a place where a headways lift had been taken out in the main coal, the timber drawn and the overlying Five Quarter Seam pierced or broken up. He had reached in under the lip to lift some coals when a quantity of Five Quarter coal burst in upon him without warning.

BELL Richard - 1900 - 02/10/1900 – Age 75 - West Sleekburn Shifter. Bedlington Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Died 27th Feb. 1904. Deceased slipped on a sleeper about 2nd. Oct 1900 and was never able to work again. No inquest held.

BELL Robert - 1903 - 02/06/1903 – Age 55 - Bedlington Hewer. Bedlington Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Died July 23. This accident was not reported until July 22. Deceased was working alone in a wide bord in the Five Quarter seam when some coal fell from the face and broke his leg, while he was starting a hole for a shot. The accident happened at 5.30 a.m. and he was able to crawl back to his clothes where he was found by the deputy at 7.30 a.m. He was removed to the surface and taken home and progressed favourably until June 18 when pleurisy and pneumonia set in. The manager at first 'did not consider it a serious accident' but here I think he was wrong and that an accident causing a broken leg should have been reported at once.

BELL Robert - 1903 - 11/09/1903 – Age 45 - Rosehall No.5 Miner. R Addie and Sons Collieries Ltd., Lanarkshire. Coming in contact with signal wires which had accidentally been charged with electricity from the power cables. 2 killed.

BELL Robert - 1906 - 29/05/1906 – Age 37 - Tillery Collier. Powells Tillery Steam Coal Co Ltd., Monmouth. Died on the 18th June from pneumonia. He had received a slight blow on his leg when at work at Tillery Colliery on the 29th May, and his family attempted to prove that death resulted from it, but medical evidence was clear that it was not so.

BELL Roger - 1908 - 04/08/1908 – Age 47 - Walker Hewer. Walker Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Fall of roof stone at working face.

BELL Thomas * - 1902 - 22/04/1902. Wearmouth, Wearmouth Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham.

BELL Thomas - 1900 - 08/01/1900 – Age 14 - Choppington A Driver. Bebside Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Inquest attended. There was no evidence to show how the accident occurred but it is supposed that he had fallen in front of a tub whilst attempting to get on to the limbers.

BELL Thomas - 1900 - 08/01/1900 – Age 44 - White Lea Hewer. Pease and Partners Ltd., Co.Durham. Killed by a fall of stone from the roof close to the face which fell between timber.

BELL Thomas - 1901 - 13/05/1901 – Age 32 - North Walbottle Stoneman. North Walbottle Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. A gelignite shot had missed fired and deceased in drilling a second hole exploded the first charge.

BELL Thomas - 1901 - 19/06/1901 – Age 26 - Gibfield Dataller. Fletcher Burrows and Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Fall of roof in working place. While taking a tub down an inclined road, a projecting scotch in a wheel caught a prop knocking it out and causing the roof to fall. Prop too vertical. (Good roof).

BELL Thomas - 1905 - 04/06/1905 – Age 51 - Murton Deputy. South Hetton Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Died suddenly of heart disease in the mine.

BELL Thomas - 1907 - 03/09/1907 – Age 54 - Gillfoot Park Iron Ore Shiftman. Wyndham Mining Co. Ltd., Cumberland. Deceased was a shiftman, or general repairer. On the day of the accident he intended to complete the erection of a brake for a short inclined plane. Before commencing this work he went into an empty working place, about 40 yards beyond the brake, and he was found there a few minutes later under a fall of ore. He was conscious when extricated, and said that he had gone into the working to look for a board. No men were at work in the place at the time, the previous shift had left four hours earlier and had fired five holes on leaving. It was the ground shattered by these shots which fell, apparently at the very moment that deceased entered the working. When shots are fired on leaving, the usual custom is to place an obstruction at the entrance of the working, but according to the evidence nothing of the kind had been done on this occasion.

BELL Thomas Burke - 1906 - 20/07/1906 – Age 14 - Craig Labourer. William Baird and Co. Ltd., Ayrshire.  He opened the gate at the ground level and pushed an empty hutch into the shaft, while the cage was not there, and fell after it.

BELLAMY James Bertram - 1909 - 25/06/1909 – Age 18 - Bolsover Horse driver. Bolsover Colliery Co. Ltd., Derbyshire. Whilst taking his horse to the stables, after a day’s work, another horse kicked the deceased. He died 27th June.

BELLAMY Thomas - 1902 - 08/10/1902 – Age 25 - Newbottle Margaret Coal filler, Lambton Collieries Ltd., Co.Durham. He was assisting to get a tub on to way in a gateway when he got a shock from the coal cutting electric cables caused by a short circuit from the armouring of the cable. A fall of stone had fallen on to the cable and caused the armour wire to penetrate the insulation and come in contact with the internal copper wire.

BELLIS Jesse - 1909 - 11/03/1909 – Age 45 - Mains Metalman. Cross Tetley and Co., Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire. When engaged clearing dirt, after two shots had been fired in the main downbrow, a portion of the side came over upon him, capping two sprags.

BELLIS John - 1901 - 17/01/1901 – Age 42 - Peelwood Collier. Tyldesley Coal Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Fall of roof at face of working place. Overhanging and probably commencing to weight. Deceased had warning but slipped whilst
getting away (Bad roof).

BELLIS William - 1901 - 07/01/1901 – Age 48 - Bettisfield Collier. SW Higginbottom, Flint. Inspection made and inquest attended. When in the act of setting a bar, near the face of his roadway, a piece of coal fell upon him from a slip. He succumbed to the injuries on the 27th.

BELLWOOD James - 1908 - 24/08/1908 – Age 18 - Windlestone Landing lad. Pease and Partners Ltd., Co.Durham. A hauling rope broke when pulling 21 tubs up an incline, rising 8 inches per yard; the tubs ran back and onto him at the foot of the incline. He should not have been standing where he was standing. There was plenty of room for him to have stood out of harm's way. The breaking strain of the rope was 27 tons, and the working load a little over 3.5 tons.

BELMONT William (injured) - 1909 - 27/09/1909 - Ely Naval Colliery Co. (1897) Ltd.,  Glamorgan.  Twenty eight men were descending. The reversing gear of the winding engine failed to act. The descending cage sped to the bottom and the ascending cage went upwards into the sheaves (which it broke) and then fell back down the pit onto the full cage. Five men in the upper deck were killed instantaneously. Those in the lower cage escaped with horrific injuries. Two died later in hospital. 7 killed 14 injured.

BELT William - 1902 - 09/12/1902 – Age 51 - Bedwellty Journey rider. Tredegar Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. After putting the first tram of his journey over the crossing, at the double parting, he missed his footing when stepping back and fell and the other trams passed over him.

BELTON William - 1909 - 17/12/1909 – Age 24 - Gurnos Collier. Gurnos Anthracite Colliery Co., Brecon. Explosion of firedamp. 2 killed.

BENBOW David - 1906 - 27/04/1906 – Age 34 - Park Haulier. Ocean Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan.  Deceased had to take seven trains of stones down a dip about 130 yards. Instead of dividing the number into two or three lots, he started to take them all in one journey. He had put two sprags in each tram but the weight on the down gradient, of 2 inches per yard, caused the trams to increase in speed and this frightened the horse. It turned to one side and pulled the front tram off the road, and deceased, who was riding on the gun, was crushed. He died in two days.

BENBOW Thomas - 1906 - 06/04/1906 – Age 40 - Shelton Deep Dataller. Shelton Iron Steel and Coal Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. Deceased was taking out ground at the deep side of a level of the Cockshead seam to make room for a wall. A fall occurred and deceased, who was in a stooping position, was struck on the back. He died from the injuries received on May 29th, 1906.

BENCE Daniel Mark* - 1907 02/04/1907 45 Whitburn Back overman Harton Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. No details.

BENDELOW John William - 1902 - 08/05/1902 – Age 14 - Browney Driver. Bell Bros., Ltd., Co.Durham. He was travelling inbye on a self-acting incline as a full set was coming out and it by some means caught him. Died 9th.

BENDILOW James - 1904 - 22/07/1904 – Age 31 - East Tanfield Hewer. James Joicey and Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Died July 29. Deceased was sitting on his cracket kirving in the bottom coal of the Brockwell seam in a longwall place when a piece of band stone, 2 feet thick, fell on his left leg which was badly broken. The fall was 3.5 feet long and came away at one end from a small hitch which crossed the place and about which deceased had been cautioned by the manager the day before. The leg was amputated the same day but small-pox broke out, the wound suppurated and gangrene set in. The Local Inspectors reported it was a pure accident.

BENFIELD Alfred - 1900 - 13/02/1900 – Age 30 - Llwynypia No.2 Asst. hitcher. Glamorgan Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan.  When pushing a full tram into the cage it was raised without a signal, the full tram being only partly in caught at the top of the mouthing and deceased fell out.

BENFOLD John - 1909 - 16/02/1909 – Age 15. West Stanley, Owners of West Stanley Colliery, Co.Durham. Explosion of gas, 168 killed. 6 Henry Street, Stanley.

BENGE William - 1908 - 11/06/1908 – Age 25 - Wickham, Chalk Quarry Digger. Martin Earle and Co. Ltd., Kent. When, with others, barring down a fall of overburden at the edge of the pit or Quarry, the ground gave way suddenly, and he, overbalancing and fell about 120 feet into the Quarry.

BENIANS Samuel - 1908 - 26/03/1908 – Age 32 - Onllwyn Asst. repairer. Sir Griffith Thomas, Glamorgan.  Fall of roof on road while repairing a stone, 6 feet, by 4 feet by 13 inches in thickness, it fell while a piece of the side was being chipped away. Three pairs of timbers had been cut down, leaving 19 feet in length of the roof unsupported. A safer plan would have been to repair the roadway in shorter lengths. Nine Feet Seam. Safety lamps.

BENISON John Edward - 1909 - 23/02/1909 – Age 37 - Hamstead Loader. Hamstead Colliery Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. Deceased was redding and packing on a main haulage road, which dipped 1 in 9 inbye. The haulage was by endless rope at a speed of two miles per hour. The loaded tubs were attached to the rope in sets of four, by a screw-down clamp in front and a two pronged fork was attached to the back of the last tub in each set. The empty tubs were attached in sets of eight by similar clamps fore and aft, on account of irregularities in the gradient. An empty set had apparently become derailed and the clamp in front of it broken. Pressed forward by the rear clamp, the set buckled across the road, caught an outgoing full set, broke the clamp in front of it, and set the tubs amain. The strain on the rope at the point lifted it off the floor and the fork, being astride, slid along without derailing the tubs or impeding their motion. Deceased presumably concluded from the noise made by the empty tubs that they had broken away, and stepped across to the full road to avoid them. The loaded tubs ran back rapidly and comparatively noiselessly, and crushed him against the following loaded set, killing him instantly. The accident shows the unreliability of a two-pronged fork under such conditions.

BENISTON Samuel Ernest - 1908 - 09/12/1908 – Age 15 - Whitwick No.6 Horse driver. Whitwick Colliery Co. Leicestershire. Deceased was kicked on the head by the horse he was driving and while riding on the limmers contrary to the rule of the mine. He died 18th December.

BENJAMIN ? - 1906 - 09/02/1906 – Age 33 - Chapel Miner. Chapel Coal Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. Deceased was wedging down coal, at the roadhead, when the roof fell away suddenly upon him, in its descent the stone threw out a prop which supported it.

BENJAMIN John - 1905 - 11/07/1905. National No.2, United National Collieries Ltd., Glamorgan. This explosion was specially reported on by E Milner-Jones. 1 James Terrace, Ynyshir.

BENNETT Alfred - 1907 - 09/09/1907 – Age 54 - Langwith Stallman. Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Co. Ltd., Notts. Fall of roof. Deceased had attempted to withdraw a steel prop from a waste by using a ringer and chain, but failed. He struck it with a hammer and when the prop was made loose, a large quantity of the roof fell. Another man was injured.

BENNETT Edward - 1901 - 24/05/1901 Universal Repairer’s helper. Universal Steam Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. This explosion was specially reported upon by W Galloway Cd 947. 81 killed.

BENNETT Frederick - 1909 - 27/01/1909 - Age 32 - Barnsley Main Coke quencher. Barnsley Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. Bennett was engaged in unloading slack at the elevators, when the locomotive brought additional wagons
to be unloaded. The force of the impact between the moving and standing wagons caused Bennett to fall through the bottom door of the wagon he was in and 3 wagons passed over him. It is said that the shunter had warned Bennett that the locomotive was bringing additional wagons.

BENNETT George - 1906 - 18/08/1906 – Age 30 - Penycraig Collier. Penycraig Coal Co., Glamorgan. Explosion of firedamp caused by naked light. 2 killed.

BENNETT James - 1905 - 05/03/1905 – Age 44 - Featherstone Main Deputy. Featherstone Main Collieries Co., Yorkshire. He was teaching a youth to hang tubs on to the haulage rope at the bottom of a dip drift when two full tubs ran back and hit another one and knocked it on to the deceased and killed him. Since this accident jack catches and run-away catches have been put in on this drift.

BENNETT James Thomas - 1909 - 28/07/1909 – Age 49 - Birches Sandstone Quarry Owner. James Thomas Bennett, Derbyshire. When removing a cank ball from the face, with a bar, the cank ball fell away suddenly and caught his head, killing him instantly.

BENNETT Job - 1901 - 06/03/1901 – Age 18 - Parkfield Labourer. Bedminster, Eston, Kingswood and Parkfield Collieries Ltd., Gloucester. Fall of stone in a roadway where he was working with, and assisting, an experienced repairer.

BENNETT John - 1908 - /08/1908 – Age 41 - Maypole Contractor. Moss Hall Co., Wigan, Lancashire. Explosion of firedamp and coal dust. 75 killed.

BENNETT Joseph - 1903 - 10/07/1903 – Age 36 - Liverton Ironstone Labourer. Cargo Fleet Iron Co. Ltd., North Yorkshire. Fell a distance of 40 feet from scaffolding on the top of a buildings that was being erected. Died same day.

BENNETT Joseph - 1906 - 27/10/1906 – Age 21 - Himley No.4 Loader. Earl of Dudley, Staffordshire. This accident occurred in the Thick Coal, which was about 18 feet in thickness. The coal had been worked back to the jig head, with the exception of a small pillar, 3 to 5 yards square, on each side of the jig. Deceased, and another, were fetching out a loaded tub when a goth or bump took place, and the coal which formed the roof of the jig fell for a length of 20 feet and a width of 10 feet. The jig top was not timbered, except one post and lid at the left side. The doggy or fireman examined the place an hour before the accident took place, and he and the miners who were at work were of opinion that, notwithstanding the proximity of the working faces, the road did not require to be timbered.

BENNETT Joseph - 1908 - 09/07/1908 – Age 37 - Burradon Coal cutter, Burradon and Coxlodge Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Caught by cutter shaft of Pickquick coal cutter.

BENNETT Joseph Francis - 1907 - 01/02/1907 – Age 20 - Ashwood Dale Limestone Quarry Quarryman. New Lime Co., Derbyshire. Deceased was loading up stone which had been got by blasting and held together by frost. A large stone in the heap rolled over and crushed him. He died next day.

BENNETT Richard - 1904 - 25/08/1904 – Age 18 - Holly Bank No 15 Driver. Holly Bank Colliery Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. Fall of roof (shale) on a road near the longwall face in Brooch seam. The fall occurred at a place where the empty tubs were sided over to allow the loads to pass out. A bar supporting the roof near the place was split and a fireman ordered the colliers to set two bars, one on each side of it but they only set one; if they had set the other it might have prevented the accident.

BENNETT Robert - 1908 - 04/03/1908 – Age 38 - Lochore Miner. Fife Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased worked in a dook dipping 45 degrees. The tubs rested on a prop, while being filled; the prop was insecurely fixed between the roof and pavement and it slipped out at the foot, and a tub ran back and crushed him against the coal face. He died nine hours later.

BENNETT Thomas - 1906 - 29/06/1906 – Age 29 - Rockingham Ripper. Newton Chambers and Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. Along with afternoon shiftmen he was going inbye along the endless haulage road and when about 20 yards from the terminus a set of two full tubs became detached from the rope and ran down a gradient 1 in 15 and caught and killed him.

BENNETT Walter - 1908 - 06/04/1908 – Age 33 - Denaby Main Contractor. Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. A place was being made for an underground engine house and as a preliminary step the shale to a thickness of 6 feet 8 inches was being removed from above the Barnsley seam, the intention being when this had advanced far enough, to cut trenches in the coal and build the side walls in these trenches and finally remove the block of coal. On a Friday water was thrown on the face of the place and on the following Monday about 16 tubs of shale had fallen. The deceased and another man had filled 11 tubs and were about to move a tub out of the place when a huge piece fell from the face and killed Bennett. The place was 24 feet wide by 6 feet 8 inches and the stone which fell was almost as high and wide as the place and averaged 1 feet 6 inches thick. The fall disclosed converging slips which were not visible before it occurred.

BENNETT Walter - 1909 - 08/02/1909 – Age 33 - Norden Clay Miner. B Fayle and Co., Dorset. These men were engaged at a depth of about 44 feet from the surface taking out the lining boards or sheetings of an old abandoned shaft 4.5 feet square. The ground behind the boards was a very fine and dry sand. They appear to have stripped about 3.5 to 4 feet of the shaft. when apparently a rush of sand occurred which knocked out some of the boards higher up and covered them and smothered them immediately. They called to be pulled up just as the rush commenced, but the evidence at the inquest was that they only called once when it was too late. They do not appear to have had previous experience in this immediate work and a mistake was made in that at least one man experienced at it did not go down, as one or more of the gang of five men had bad experiences, but they decided among themselves who should go down and the authorities anticipated no danger. 2 killed.

BENNETT William - 1907 18/01/1907 42 Welwyn Flint Quarry Labourer RM Parkinson Hertford He was wheeling a barrow load of gravel on a staging five feet when he fell off, a distance of eight feet to the ground. Died 25th January.

BENNETT William Milner - 1908 - 29/08/1908 – Age 37 - Hoyland Silkstone Collier. Hoyland Silkstone Coal and Coke Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. Killed by a fall of roof at the loose end of his working place. He was alone at the time, but it is probable he had heard a fall and went to look at the loose end and when examining it a further fall buried him.

BENNION Hugh - 1903 - 12/05/1903 – Age 60 - Bettisfield Pumpman. Bettisfield Colliery Co. Flint. Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased had been attending to the underground pumps, after the men were out of the pit. The engineman received signals from the deceased, that he was about to ascend, but he must have fallen into the sump as the cage came up empty and he was found dead in the sump.

BENNISON Robert Jenkinson - 1903 – 22/08/1903 – Age 20 – Newton Engineer. Newton Colliery Ltd., Northumberland. A shaft reopened after a recent abandonment had partly filled with water which was in course of being pumped out. Deceased, the son of the manager, and not regularly employed about collieries was on a scaffold about 45 fathoms from the surface assisting another man to fix the pump. The water suction pipe too was about 1 foot below the scaffold and about 40 feet deep. A stone fell from the side of the shaft and knocked him into the water and he was drowned. The shaft was walled to within 6 fathoms of the scaffold; below the walling was the natural strata which had been examined by a shaft man and it appeared secure.

BENSON Henry - 1904 - 19/04/1904 – Age 15 – Pandy Asst. fitter. Naval Colliery Co. (1897) Ltd., Glamorgan. Deceased and some fitters had been repairing a hauling engine and to see how it would work the engineman started it. Directly he did so he heard deceased scream out. The engine was stopped and deceased was found between the arms of the flywheel. When it was decided to start the engine deceased, who was standing near the flywheel, was asked if he was safe and he replied that he was.

BENSON McLaren - 1905 – 28/10/1905 – Age 22 – Habergam Collier. Executors of Col. Hargreaves, Lancashire. Small piece of cannel coal burst from face, cut knee slightly. Saw doctor 2 pm. same day, On 3rd Nov. received note from doctor to go back to work on 6th but on 5th blood poisoning set in, from which he died 12th November.

BENSON Patrick - 1903 - 18/04/1903 – Age 24 - Bearpark Coke filler. Bearpark Coal and Coke Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. He was emptying a truck of ballast on the waste, heap it had got away from him, and in attempting to stop it with a pinch-bar he was caught by the latter and fatally injured.

BENSON Sydney - 1908 - 18/09/1908 – Age 15 - Wharncliffe Woodmoor Pony driver, Wharncliffe Woodmoor Colliery Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. He had been employed at the shaft bottom for about a year coupling empty tubs but at his own request he was started to drive a pony and the accident happened the second shift after he began. At this colliery it is the custom for a man to go with new drivers to instruct them in their duties, and a roadman was with the deceased when the accident occurred. He was bringing five full tubs out-bye. The pony was walking steadily, the roadman was putting in a locker to hold the tubs down, a slight gradient, and the deceased was getting on the front tub when he slipped and fell under the tubs and was fatally injured. Died on the 21st. The drivers were allowed to ride on the tubs on this road, which was in excellent order.

BENT Peter - 1908 - 01/05/1908 – Age 44 - Lower Hall Dataller. West Leigh Colliery Co. Ltd., Lancashire. In roadway, whilst repairing a side thrust displaced a running bar across the refuge hole (Good roof.).

BENT Richard - 1901 - 26/03/1901 – Age 45 - Eatock Brakeman. Wigan Coal and Iron Co. Ltd., Lancashire. In a gale of wind, whilst getting off the buffer of one of a train of waggons, he either slipped, his clothes caught or he overbalanced or by force of wind fell so that the slowly moving wagon crushed his head. Accident occurred on branch line one mile from the pit.

BENTLEY George - 1901 - 29/05/1901 – Age 45 - Biddulph Valley, Brown Lees Roadsman. R Heath and Sons Ltd., Staffordshire. Fall of roof at bottom of jig dip in Holly lane seam while he was assisting the fireman to set a bar. Died 30th May.

BENTLEY Lord - 1906 - 14/10/1906 – Age 65 - Wingate Miner. Owners of Wingate Grange Colliery Ltd., Co.Durham. Explosion of coal dust result of a shot firing. 25 killed.

BENTLEY Richard - 1909 - 10/06/1909 – Age 39 - East Holywell Hewer. East Holywell Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Fall of roof stone at face of longwall.

BENTON George Alfred - 1909 - 10/04/1909 – Age 17 - Holly Bank, Sneyd Jig lad. Holly Bank Colliery Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. The accident occurred at a longwall face in a seam which is 4 foot in thickness with a band of dirt near its centre. It is holed in the dirt, the top coal taken down and punch props set on the bottom coal to support the roof until the bottom coal is got up. The stallman knocked out a punch prop to get up some bottom coal and thereby liberated a piece of sandstone 20 foot in length by 3 foot in width and 8 inches in thickness, which came away suddenly from a false beddling. The stallman was seriously injured and deceased, who had come in from his jig and was apparently trying his hand at holing at the gateway received injuries to which he succumbed on the same evening.

BENTON Samuel - 1907 - 21/09/1907 – Age 28 - Quinton Loader. Quinton Collieries Ltd., Staffordshire. A fall of roof and side had taken place in a crosscut 7 feet wide, at a point where it crossed a 6 feet upthrow making the road about 11 feet wide and 12 feet in height. Two pikemen were sent to secure it and the deceased were sent to assist them to handle the heavy timbers and to work under their direction. Two sets of timber had been set, side laced and poled, and they were about to set a third. A needle hole had been cut at one side and one bar 11 feet long rested on it and the men were raising the other end of the bar to rest it on a prop 8 feet 6 inches in height when a large stone 5 feet by 3 feet by 2 feet suddenly fell upon the bar and slid down it crushing the men under it. Benton was killed outright, Edward’s skull was fractured and he died five days afterwards and the other two men were seriously injured. One of them was acting as a fireman and had inspected the place in the morning before work was commenced and at frequent intervals during the day. The roof consisted of blue bind and was wet and slippery. After the accident the stone was found to have fallen away from a slip. 2 killed.

BENTON Silvanus - 1903 - 21/12/1903 – Age 23 - East Cannock Dataller. East Cannock Colliery Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. Run over by trams.

BENYON John - 1907 - 21/09/1907 – Age 19 - Spindlepoint Gang rider. Clifton and Kersley Coal Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Crushed by water tank tub which ran amain from the coupling hook breaking. Two water tubs being lowered by engine first tub slackened speed, in crossing level landing, second tub bumped it forward took up three feet of slack coupling chain with a jerk, the hook broke, set free first tub in 20 yards overtook the deceased who foolishly had gone in front in passing him inflicted two cuts on his head. Tub ran four yard further then left the rails. There was a manhole opposite but he was trying to get under the brattice sheet to be out of the way. Died 27th.

BENYON Thomas Philip - 1907 - 03/09/1907 – Age 25 - Killan Trammer. WW Holmes and Co., Glamorgan. Deceased and three other trammers got into trains which were about to be sent down a slant having a gradient of 1 in 2.5. Someone pushed the trams over the brow and they ran wild. The trammers jumped out, and two were injured slightly. Erysipelas set in, and Beynon died on the 19th Sept. It was illegal to ride on trams. The other men were prosecuted by the manager, and convictions were obtained.

BERESFORD Albert Edward - 1902 - 07/03/1902 – Age 24 - Warsop Loader. Staveley Coal and Iron Co., Nottinghamshire. The two men were suffocated by a fall of coal suddenly thrown out from the face of a heading and due to gas under great pressure bursting out the coal from a fault towards which the heading approaching. 2 killed.

BERESFORD John - 1906 - 02/11/1906 – Age 52 - Alma No.3 Stallman. Alma Colliery Co., Derbyshire. Fall of coal. Deceased was getting coal down and when it fell he slipped on the rising floor. His head was crushed by the falling coal against a prop which was supporting the roof.

BERESFORD Walter - 1905 18/05/1905 - Age 14 Markham Rope boy Staveley Coal and Co. Derbyshire. He was found fatally injured on the full road side of an endless rope and several tubs had passed over him. He died the same day.

BERESFORD William Henry - 1900 - 12/11/1900 – Age 49 - Hartington Stallman. Staveley Coal and Iron Co., Derbyshire. Fall of roof. Deceased went into the goaf to complete the building of a pack when a portion of the roof fell running a prop out and killing deceased.

BERNARD Thomas - 1907 – 22/06/1907 – Age 48 – Denbeath Fireman. Weymss Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased was superintending the erection of an electrically driven air-compressor, to be used for the purpose of underground shaft sinking, the receiver was guaranteed to stand a pressure of 100 lbs. per square inch. The receiver had been fitted to this compressor and before finally putting this machine in use a test was ordered. This pressure was gradually put on and when 90 lbs. had been reached the end of this receiver blew out, and it struck deceased and killed him instantly. The ends of the receiver were electrically welded and it was due to a defect in the welding that this end blew out, the thickness of the metal was 0.25 inches, but at the part which blew the welding was only 1/16 inch.

BERRESFORD George Henry - 1909 – 01/10/1909 – Age 35 – Clay Cross No.9 Stallman. Clay Cross Colliery Co. Ltd., Derbyshire. The clod overlying the coal seam was standing, supported by props over a small area only, and when deceased was setting another prop to it, the whole of the clod fell, killing deceased and injuring another stallman.

BERRESFORD John Samuel - 1902 – 13/01/1902 – Age 18 – Victory, Limestone Quarry Horse driver. Samuel Bibbington Ltd., Derbyshire. Run over by a loaded wagon. Deceased appears to have slipped in front of a train of three loaded wagons when uncoupling his horse and while the wagons were in motion.

BERRIDGE George - 1901 – 05/12/1901 – Age 52 – Slipton, Ironstone Quarry Quarryman. Islip Iron Co., Northampton. Deceased fell from a plank, placed from the Quarry face to the spoil bank following up behind the Quarry face. He was going to his work in the Quarry and having to travel across the plank he slipped and fell a distance of 20 feet to the ground. The morning was very dark and the plank was slippery through frost. He died the next day.

BERRINGTON David - 1902 – 31/12/1902 – Age 26 – Vauxhall Rope follower. Vauxhall Colliery Co., Denbigh. Inspection made and inquest attended. When a journey of six full tubs were being hauled upbrow the first tub got off the rails, and the five tubs became uncoupled and ran back into the shunt where three empty tubs were standing. These empty tubs were sent with force further down the brow crushing the deceased who was attending to some other tubs. He succumbed to the injuries received Jan. 1st 1903.

BERRINGTON James - 1903 – 06/02/1903 – Age 30 – Bedford Dataller. J Speakman and Sons, Lancashire. Fall of roof whilst packing in airway, 13 yards from coal face. Glaring want of temporary support, 80 square feet unsupported near broken and breaking roof. (Good roof.)

BERRISFORD Thomas - 1906 - 30/03/1906 – Age 57 - Addeley Green No. 9 Collier. Stirrup and Pye Staffordshire. Deceased was cutting up in the top coal, 4 feet thick, in order to drop the coal in a waste. About two tons of coal suddenly fell from two slips at right angles to each other, previously unseen, and killed him instantly.

BERRY Henry - 1900 - 13/12/1900 – Age 27 - Pemberton Fireman. J Blundell and Sons, Wigan, Lancashire. Inspection made and inquest attended. He was in the waste where the nightmen had been drawing out props and chocks and it was thought probable that the deceased was knocking out props when a large fall of roof occurred upon him.

BERRY James - 1902 - 09/06/1902 – Age 68 - Pemberton Shaftman. Pemberton Colliery Co., Wigan, Lancashire. Inquiry made. They had been taking some bottom up in a roadway and appeared to have disturbed the prop supporting the roof as a fall of roof occurred upon the deceased capping two props.

BERRY James - 1904 - 22/02/1904 – Age 23 - New Tredegar Collier. Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. He apparently knocked out a sprag to allow the coal to draw or loose, instead of which the coal fell at once and crushed him against the gob.

BERRY James - 1906 - 14/07/1906 – Age 17 - Moorfields Drawer. Altham Coal Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Fall of stone from side of drawing road, stone 2 feet 6 inches long, 18 inches wide at the top, tapering to a point, two drawers preceding deceased had stopped four minutes, having heard slight weighting, becoming quiet they passed along as deceased went by, this stone fell on his leg, fracturing it. Following amputation, he died on 3rd August.

BERRY James - 1907 - 04/10/1907 – Age 28 - Foggs Collier. Andrew Knowles and Sons Ltd., Lancashire. The men were ascending, one end of the cage got in the path of the descending cage at one corner the collision caused the rope of the ascending cage to draw from the capping setting free the cage, Owen's Safety Catches did not hold, the cage and ten men fell to the bottom, crashed through wooden beams into water in the dib hole, the cage wedged itself against the shaft side a few yards below the surface of the water. The conductors of wood 5 inches square at each end of the cage, the horse trees or bearers were 5 inches square and 15 feet apart all of pitch pine. All the shoes of the ascending cage were found to be intact in proper position after the accident. The cause of the accident was primarily, a wood conductor broke setting free the cage, the clearance between the cages at the meetings was 3.5 inches, the overlap was proved to have been 3.25 inches at the corner diminishing to nothing at 2 feet 9 inches from the corner, length of cage 6 feet 3.5 inches. A secondary cause was the weakness of the rope capping which was one of the ordinary hooped ones. 10 killed.

BERRY James Taylor - 1907 - 25/05/1907 – Age 48 - Spindlepoint Engineman. Clifton and Kersley Coal Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Crushed by the connecting rod of the air compressing engine, no one saw it happen, it is believed he opened the tap, to run cold water into the cooler, then sat close by the connecting rod and either in sleep fell or he lost his balance so as to get into the way of the connecting rod and was terribly crushed when found.

BERRY John H. - 1905 - 22/07/1905 – Age 33 - Douglas Bank Underlooker. Rosebridge and Douglas Bank Collieries Co., Wigan, Lancashire. Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased and three firemen were engaged in the night shift clearing the damp from some old workings when he attempted to pull down a haulage cloth where firedamp was present and was suffocated.

BERRY Joseph - 1905 - 09/05/1905 – Age 30 - Rothwell Haigh Miner. J and J Charlesworth Ltd., Yorkshire. He was levelling the coal on a tub he was filling when a fall of roof took place, and he was so seriously injured by being crushed between the top of the tub and the fall of the stone that he died the following day. The place was well timbered. A sprag had been drawn under the coal and when the coal fell the roof stone followed it.

BERRY Samuel - 1907 - 26/09/1907 – Age 24 - Bowhill Miner. Bowhill Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased was preparing a rest on the solid coal for an advance crown when the roof suddenly collapsed. He died as the result of his injuries eight months after the accident.

BERRY Thomas - 1900 - 26/07/1900 – Age 72 - Lawns Delf (sandstone) Miner. J Laithwaite, Lancashire. Inspection made and inquest attended. He with another man was getting bed stones out of a large fallen heap in the mine. They chained the bottom stones out first which caused a large one to slide from the top and it rolled against the deceased before he could get clear, killing him.

BERRY Thomas - 1902 - 09/10/1902 – Age 39 - Agecroft Collier. A Knowles and Sons Ltd., Lancashire. Fall of roof in working place from a slip which should have been seen. Props beyond a fixed distance (Good roof.).

BERRY Thomas - 1905 - 08/02/1905 – Age 54 - Cleworth Labourer. Tyldesley Coal Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Crushed between buffers of waggons when passing between some stationary waggons, to join a labourer emptying dirt from a waggon. A door of a waggon was let down, the door caught the brake, unpinning it and allowing the waggon to close up to the next just as the deceased was passing through. Only his head caught between the buffers.

BERRY Thomas - 1909 - 18/05/1909 – Age 42 - Spindlepoint Dataller. Clifton and Kersley Coal Co. Ltd., Lancashire. Scratched his elbow whilst taking up the floor, against the side, blood-poisoning caused his death on 25th.

BERRY Walter - 1907 – Age 30 - Crigglestone Deputy. Crigglestone Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. He was taking up rails in a disused road and had been about half an hour, he had taken up all the rails but one when a fall of roof took place and killed him. The road was packed at each side and the roof apparently good but it was at the edge of some pillars which were being taken out and doubtless a weight had come over the place owing to this. No date recorded.

BERRY William - 1904 - 10/03/1904 – Age 42 - Peel Hall Collier. James Roscoe and Sons, Lancashire. Whilst travelling up the main jig brow, to his working place, a piece of rock broke from the roof falling on his back, 3 foot x 2 foot thick and 6 inches thick. Probable cause a settlement of the roof. Died 7th May. (Good roof).

BERTRAM Matthew - 1900 - 14/09/1900 – Age 16 – Wearmouth, An Incline boy. Wearmouth Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Inspection made and inquest attended. He had neglected to attach the rope to the set of empty tubs, at the bottom of a selfacting incline, with the result that the full set ran amain and caught him.

BEST James - 1908 - 07/02/1908 – Age 14 - Elemore Driver. Hetton Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. When taking an empty water-tub outbye, he caught his head against a baulk. His skull was broken and he died without regaining consciousness. The road was in good order and of ample dimensions.

BEST Matthew - 1906 - 02/07/1906 – Age 28 - West Pelton Stoneman. James Joicey and Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Deceased and another stoneman were shooting up a bottom caunch, 3 feet 3 inches thick, in a waggonway place with coal sides in the Drift district of the Maudlin seam, 3 feet 4 inches, thick of the Alma pit when a gravely post stone full of plant impressions, of elliptical shape, having diameters 13 feet and 6.5 feet and varying in thickness up to 8 inches relieved by coal pipes and a slippery parting, fell upon him while he was filling stones into a tub from a shot of carbonite fired 40 minutes before. His mate, also filling the tub, escaped and at once raised the alarm but deceased had been instantly killed. They had taken out a prop and headtree just beyond the caunch before firing. No timber was under the stone but permanent timber would have been set when they had cleared away the stones and there was a supply of timber close at hand. The back shift deputy had passed the place, which was part of the road along which the coal was led during the day, about 4.30 pm or about two hours before they started work and the master shifter visited them at 1 pm, or two hours before the accident, and had jowled the roof and thought it safe but as the character of the stone was altering he warned them to be careful. The Local Inspectors reported ‘found everything to our satisfaction as regards our examination.’

BEST Samuel - 1909 - 07/12/1909 – Age 51 - Eston Ironstone Miner. Bolckow Vaughan and Co., North Yorkshire. He was busy working some stone from the bottom of the seam with a pick, when a piece of ironstone, weighing from one to two hundredweight, fell from near the top of the seam and striking his head caused him to fall backwards. There was a partially laden tub in the place and his head, when he fell backwards, came in contact with the buffer of this tub. His skull was fractured and he died eight days afterwards. The seam, at the place where the accident occurred, is from twelve to thirteen feet thick.

BEST Walter H. - 1900 - 06/03/1900 – Age 14 - Northfields Chalk Waggon attendant. Knight Bevan and Sturge, Kent. The lad was standing on a railway in the Quarry for some unexplained reason and in spite of the shouts of the horse driver and other men he did not get out of the way of a waggon which was being pushed towards him by a horse. He was crushed between it and the chalk face and killed on the spot.

BESTWICK Joseph - 1902 - 13/07/1902 – Age 55 - Wollaton Dataller, Wollaton Colliery Co., Nottingham. He was injured in the mine on 2nd July 1901 by a fall of roof and died from paralysis one year and eleven days later.

BESWICK John - 1903 - 22/06/1903 – Age 52 - Ashton Moss Collier. New Moss Colliery Ltd., Lancashire. Fall of roof at working face from between a slip and a break, both plain to be seen, one prop would have prevented and ought to have been seen. Fireman had urged him to put coal aside and set a prop. (Average roof).

BETLEY E. - 1903 - 24/06/1903 – Age 42 - Monckton Main Collier. New Monckton Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. Died 25th June. Fall of roof in coal-cutting face. Cause, a slip.

BETNEY James - 1906 - 22/10/1906 – Age 27 - Wath Main Trammer. Wath Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. He was holding a light, for a collier while he was baring some coal down, when there was a bump which burst a piece of coal out of the solid face, it knocked the prop out and hit him on the side. Died 27th Oct.

BETTERSON Charles - 1902 - 14/01/1902 – Age 48 - Onllwyn Collier. Griffith Thomas Glamorgan. Struck by a runaway journey on engineplane rising 1 in 3, owing to the breaking of a shackle. The bar-hook had been lost on the way out. 2 killed.

BETTNEY John - 1906 - 06/01/1906 – Age 17 - Roundwood Rope boy. Dalton Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. He was taking empty tubs forward, on December 29th last, by means of a lashing chain upon the endless rope with a detaching arrangement at the tub end. He was alone and stated that he, the deceased, put the ring of his lamp into his mouth, and got hold of the chain to take it off the rope when his light went out and at the same time his hand got fast between the chain and the rope, and he was dragged about 10 feet and then around a horizontal pulley, and back along the return rope for 16 feet when he fell to the ground. Died to day.

BEVAN Evan - 1909 - 13/09/1909 – Age 46 - Merthyr Vale No.2 Engineman. Nixon's Navigation Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Deceased, having landed a full journey at the pit bottom, he had his body through the fly wheel of his engine and was oiling a bearing. In the meantime a shackler, having hitched the main rope to the outer end of an empty journey and the rope of a blocking engine to the inner end, gave a warning signal to the deceased, and a signal to the blocking engine to pull in towards the faces. The result of the blocking engine pulling in was that the drum of the big engine was set in motion, and the deceased was crushed between the spokes of the fly wheel and the bedplate. He had omitted to throw his drum out of gear after landing the journey.

BEVAN Isaac - 1909 - 03/11/1909 – Age 51 - Maesteg Deep Collier. Norths Navigation Collieries Co. (1889) Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall of roof at the face while filling coal at the face, a piece of shale roof broke off at a prop and fell upon him. He died on the 6th November from the injuries he received. Two Feet Nine. Safety lamps.

BEVAN John - 1901 - 28/02/1901 – Age 26 - Gelli Steam Rider. Cory Bros. and Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Sixteen trams, owing to the breaking of a link, ran back knocked out four pairs of timber and killed the deceased.

BEVAN Thomas - 1901 - 18/01/1901 – Age 17 - Prince of Wales Collier’s boy. United Collieries Ltd., Monmouth. Clod fell from the face as he was carrying coal to the tram in front of it. Had it been properly spragged the accident would not have occurred. In addition to killing the boy it broke the collier's leg.

BEVAN William - 1907 - 17/03/1907 – Age 48 - Seven Sisters Mechanic. Evans and Bevan, Glamorgan. He had been engaged in plumbing the South pit winding shaft, to test positions of the wire guide ropes, and was on the staging at the pit bottom when a cage came down on him, and so crushed him that he died in two days time. It appears that the cage had left the surface, to convey a pumpman to a lodge room in the shaft, and was expected to return to the surface again. It being a Sunday there was no banksman in attendance at the surface.

BEVERIDGE James - 1907 - 12/12/1907 – Age 31 - Woolmet Brusher. Niddrie and Benhar Coal Co. Ltd., Edinburgh. The roadway was being widened, close to the shaft bottom, to make room for a brick wall, when a piece of coal fell off the side upon the deceased.

BEVERIDGE James - 1908 - 07/12/1908 – Age 21 - Lumphinnans Miner, Fife Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased was apparently taking coal off the face, when a large fall of roof took place killing him instantly. The roof was bad and was well timbered and the part which fell threw out a parallel set of props about 2 foot from the face.

BEVERIDGE Robert - 1901 - 25/04/1901 – Age 69 - Newbattle Miner. Lothian Coal Co. Ltd., Edinburgh. Deceased was travelling down a self acting incline, 160 fathoms in length and having an average dip of 1 in 5. He was informed that a ‘wreck’ had taken place shortly before, owing to the ascending and descending sets colliding, but he appeared to think he could get down the brae before the traffic was resumed. He had gone down about 70 fathoms when the repairers having the tubs on the rails signalled to the wheeler and the tubs were set in motion. Deceased appears to have been tripped by the ropes or struck by empty tubs. He fell amongst them and was crushed against the roof sustaining injuries to which he succumbed while on the way to the pit bottom. The repairers had not observed his light in the road and believed he had been in the dark.

BEVERIDGE Robert - 1905 - 21/04/1905 – Age 16 - Little Raith Drawer. Lochgelly Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased was preparing to run a full tub down a short brae dipping 1 in 3.5 and got in front to adjust it to the rails when it moved forward and pushed him in front to the level below where he was fatally crushed.

BEVERLEY Charles * - 1900 – Newburgh, Radcliffe Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland.

BEYNON David - 1907 - 18/11/1907 – Age 47 - Ynishir Repairer. Ynishir Steam Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall of roof on road, a large quantity of cliff and coal from the roof and side fell off a concealed slip in the side on to the stage upon which he was working while making room for an arch, and killed him. Five feet seam.

BEYNON M. - 1900 - 12/02/1900 – Age 41 - Cwm Haulier. Crawshay Bros., Ltd., Glamorgan. Found dead 20 minutes after letting down a journey over an incline. No one was near him.

BEYNON Philip - 1906 - 27/03/1906 – Age 51 - Moody’s Graigola Stoker. Moody Bros., and Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Killed by the end of a haulage rope striking his head and fracturing his skull, whilst standing near the drum for the purpose of guiding the rope on to it. The rope having broken owing to a journey being derailed and jammed against the side at a curve.

BIBBS Eben. - 1905 - 27/09/1905 – Age 33 - No.1 Main Collier. Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall of roof at face; fall of clift roof while he was holing, causing instantaneous death. Victoria seam.

BIBBY William - 1904 - 30/12/1904 – Age 40 - Worsley Menses Chargeman. Worsley Menses Colliery Co., Wigan, Lancashire. Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased persons were at the bottom of the downbrow tunnel and appear to have connected the wires of a shot to a cable attached to the electric (haulage) signal which exploded the shot, fatally injuring Collinson and also Bibby who succumbed to the injuries received at the Wigan Infirmary. 2 killed.

BICKDERDYKE Ben - 1909 - 06/12/1909 – Age 33 - Garforth Asst. timberdrawer. Owners of Garforth Colliery, Yorkshire. The deceased, with others, was drawing timber. Having failed to pull out a prop with a go block and chain he proceeded to loosen the foot of the prop with his pick. He undermined it so far that the prop slipped out and the large stone which it was supporting fell upon him. Temporary timber should have been set whilst the prop was being loosened.

BICKERTON Hugh - 1902 - 23/09/1902 – Age 51 - Silverdale No.6 Dataler. Butterley Co., Staffordshire. Fall of roof on a level road in the rough 7-foot seam caused by the foot of a post slipping out on the head side of the level where a turn up had been made.

BICKETON Herbert - 1909 - 29/04/1909 – Age 57 - Wheatley Hill Stoneman. Weardale Steel Coal and Coke Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. When walking outbye he bumped his head against a baulk. Died 1st May, 1909, from a low form of pneumonia in an already inefficient lung.

BICKLEY Enoch - 1900 - 10/09/1900 – Age 62 - Coppy Hall Labourer. Executors of Edward Barnett, Staffordshire. Crushed between a loaded truck at rest and three empty ones in motion.

BIDDLE Charles Henry - 1901 - 10/09/1901 – Age 36 - Llanbradradach No.2 Ostler. Cardiff Steam Coal Collieries Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. This explosion formed the subject of special report by Mr. J. S. Martin. Cd885. 8 killed. some injured.