BOLAM John - 1907 - 30/04/1907 – Age 56 - Houghton Hewer. Lambton Collieries Ltd., Co.Durham. He was hewing under the top coal, which was spragged, in the Main Coal Seam, when a piece came away from a slip; it knocked him down and crushed him. He died on 22nd May in the Infirmary.

BOLAN Patrick - 1904 - 09/09/1904 – Age 49 - Lochgelly Sinker. Lochgelly Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. A circular shaft, formerly in use, was reopened and to do the necessary repairs a scaffold, two feet less in diameter than the shaft was requisitioned. The scaffold was suspended with chains at the corner and two winding parallel ropes were used and while travelling in the shaft four guide ropes kept it in position. The material was conveyed in tubs fixed on the suspension chain. Deceased and another workman were being raised at the end of their shift along with a tub which they did not fix and on the way up the tub began to move and the deceased, in endeavouring to steady it, went too near the edge which caused the scaffold to cant and he and the tub were precipitated to the bottom, a distance of about 40 fathoms.

BOLAN Patrick - 1909 - 02/02/1909 – Age 37 - Glenburn Dataller. John Griffiths and Son, Skelmersdale, Lancashire. He was packing near the face of a roadway, when a piece of middle dirt in the coal seam fell, fatally crushing him against a prop.

BOLAND Michael P. - 1906 - 07/06/1906 – Age 36 - Framwellgate Timberdrawer. Framwellgate Coal and Coke Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. He and his marrow were drawing timber in a bord when a stone, 9 ft. long x 3.5 feet wide x 14 inches deep, fell and injured him internally. He died in hospital the same day. If a prop and headtree had been set as a protection, it is probable his life would have been saved.

BOLDEN Thomas - 1900 - 10/11/1900 – Age 53 - Wednesbury Oak Pikeman. Phillip Williams and Sons, Staffordshire. Fall of stone in new mine coal working face. 3 killed.

BOLDERSTONE William - 1901 - 07/11/1901 – Age 56 - Bridgewater Engineman. Bridgewater Trustees, Lancashire. Crushed by cog-wheels of screening belt. Oiling machinery while in motion.

BOLLAND George - 1906 - 06/06/1906 – Age 57 - Ireland Coke leader. Staveley Coal and Iron Co., Derbyshire. He fell down dead while at work on a stage near the coke ovens. The coroner’s jury returned an open verdict. The widow sought compensation through the county court, when the judge referred the case to the medical referee, who reported that death was due entirely to natural causes, namely, by a sudden attack of ‘angina pectoris.'

BOLSOVER Joseph - 1903 - 13/01/1903 – Age 35 - Birley, South Dataller. Sheffield Coal Co., Derbyshire. Fall of roof. Two steel bars supporting the roof of a main level had fallen and the two deceased were setting a centre prop under the covering timber which appears to have taken the weight off the adjacent bars causing them to fall. The debris above the covering timber fell and killed the two deceased. 2 killed.

BOLSWORTH Thomas - 1908 - 24/06/1908 – Age 21 - Ellesmere Dataller. Earl of Ellesmere, Lancashire. In main haulage road while repairing. No support to roof. A fall of roof occurred before 6am., four or five tubs in quantity. Thomas Tyldesley, fireman, sent Brooks and two others to remove this fall. Tyldesley got to the place soon after and examined the roof, knocked at it and said it was safe. He left the men and in three or four minutes a large fall of roof occurred. Bolsworth was killed, Brooks injured, and another man had a narrow escape. The latter was just about to step under to remove a stone, a stride forward and he would have been killed. On one side of the fall a slippery, glassy parting, clearly showing the fatal fall came from this. The first fall should have been a warning to pull down or support a further impending fall. (Good roof).

BOLTON George - 1905 - 02/08/1905 – Age 60 - Glass Houghton Collier. Glass Houghton and Castleford Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. He and his mate were pushing a full tub along a gateway when a piece of stone fell from the roof and killed him. The fall was caused by a ‘bump’.

BOLTON John - 1905 - 06/05/1905 – Age 49 - Wyken Stallman. Wyken Colliery Co., Warwickshire. Fall of roof. Deceased was cutting a prop out of a waste when the roof fell and fatally injured him. He died 9th May. The ringer-and-chain were not in use at the time.

BOLTON Robert - 1904 - 08/09/1904 – Age 23 - Earnock No.1 Miner. John Watson Ltd., Lanarkshire. The shotfirer, fired by electricity, a shot of roburite but failed to first see whether or not the deceased had retired from his working place.

BOLTON Thomas - 1904 - 04/11/1904 – Age 60 - Bamfurlong Labourer. Cross Tetley and Co., Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire. Inquiry made and inquest attended. He was riding on the endless rope, behind a tub of props on the surface gangway, from one pit to the other and when he came to a rise in the tramway he fell backwards to the end and fell through the fencing to the ground below, a distance of twenty one feet and was killed.

BOLTON Walter - 1901 - 30/12/1901 – Age 29 - Crofthead Brusher. United Collieries Ltd., Linlithgow. After firing a shot in the brushing, deceased began to take off the loose material when a stone fell from the roof killing him instantaneously.

BOLTON William - 1909 - 31/10/1909 – Age 29 - Newbiggin Sinker. Newbiggin Colliery Co. Ltd., Northumberland. Descending the sinking pit on a grab when the chain broke.

BOND A. * - 1903 – Seghill, Joseph Laycock and Co., Northumberland.

BOND Alexander - 1901 - 29/08/1901 – Age 21 - Seghill Putter. Joseph Laycock and Co., Northumberland. Died 26th December, 1902 (more than a year after the accident). No inquest held. Fall of top stone.

BOND Charles - 1908 - 04/09/1908 – Age 31 - Cwmcylla, Sandstone Quarry Quarryman. E Lewis and Sons, Glamorgan. A thin piece of rock broke off the face of the Quarry, and liberated the gravel topping, which fell on the deceased, and caused him to fall and strike his head against a stone. His skull was fractured, and he died soon after. I believe the topping had been overhanging, and should have been removed.

BOND H. - 1900 - 11/09/1900 – Age 35 - Littleton Labourer. Littleton Collieries Ltd., Staffordshire. Explosion of a shot in gravel. Died 27th Sept.

BOND John - 1904 - 24/05/1904 – Age 39 - Ross Chain runner. Thomas Barrs Trust, Lanarkshire. A race of empty hutches, on a dook, got unhooked from the rope and ran down on him.

BOND Robert - 1908 - 09/05/1908 – Age 14 - Dalmeny oil shale Signaller. Dalmeny Oil Co. Ltd., Linlithgow. Deceased was engaged at a haulage dook, he left his station and stood between the rails and when the rope started he was thrown down, and the tubs fatally crushed him as they were drawn up.

BOND William - 1907 - 04/10/1907 – Age 60 - Foggs Dataller. Andrew Knowles and Sons Ltd., Lancashire. While 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 which did not hold, the cage with the 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 pitchpine. 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.

BONE Henry - 1903 - 12/02/1903 – Age 15 - Ellenborough Wagon trimmer. Ellenborough Colliery Co. Ltd., Cumberland. Deceased was caught by moving screen belt and dragged under a jigger screen which delivered coal on to the belt. He had walked along the belt in the reverse direction to which it was moving, to a fenced place at the end of the belt to remove small coals that collected there and he was probably caught when getting on to the belt to return. His ordinary work was trimming wagons. The jury thought there had been some neglect on the part of the officials in allowing the boy to act as he did.

BONE Henry - 1906 - 05/03/1906 – Age 37 - Fir Grove Gravel Quarry Labourer. T Patterson and Son, Surrey. They were working in a trench about 6 feet deep at the bottom of the face of sand and gravel, when a quantity slipped out and buried them. 2 killed.

BONNER Joseph - 1901 - 30/10/1901 – Age 23 - Britannic Steam Collier. Dinas Main Coal Co., Glamorgan. Fall of roof at face clod, 3.75 feet x 2.66 feet x 1.5 feet thick fell from between slips causing instantaneous death. There were several props stood but none under the portion of roof which gave way. Upper Seam.

BONNING George - 1905 - 14/09/1905 – Age 33 - Ashton Vale Hewer. Ashton Vale Iron Co. Ltd., Somerset. While engaged getting coal down at the face from against which he had removed the sprag, the coal fell and knocked out a prop which struck him on the head and fractured his skull. He died on the 28th September.

BONNINGTON William Henry - 1907 - 21/05/1907 – Age 16 - Moorgreen Trammer. Barber Walker and Co., Nottingham. He received a slight injury in the mine, and died on 17th July. The coroners jury returned a verdict that "he died of blond poisoning, the result of in accident on 21st May."

BONSALL Henry - 1907 - 24/01/1907 – Age 37 - Blackwell A Dataller. Blackwell Colliery Co., Derbyshire. Fall of side. Two shots had been fired for widening a main road, and while the stone was being loaded up a piece of the side fell and killed deceased.

BONSER Robert Marriott - 1902 - 26/12/1902 – Age 27 - Church Gresley Loader. Moira Colliery Co., Derbyshire. Deceased died as the result of 'influenza' and it was said that he had been injured in the mine a week previous. An inquest was held and a verdict returned that death was due to influenza.

BOOCOCK Benjamin - 1907 - 09/09/1907 – Age 39 - Barnsley Main Filler. Barnsley Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. He was filling a tub with coal when a fall of roof took place and killed him. The stone was 6 feet 6 inches long by 5 feet 6 inches wide by 2 feet 6 inches thick and in falling it displaced three props.

BOOKER James - 1904 - 01/06/1904 – Age 44 - New Riber Loader. William Spooner, Derbyshire. Fall of side. Deceased was loading coal when a large piece of the side fell over and fatally crushed him. He died the same day.

BOOKER William Henry - 1908 - 04/08/1908 – Age 17 - Barnsley Main Trammer. Barnsley Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. Died from injuries received when following his employment on October 5th. When the accident occurred the deceased was at a pass-bye at the bottom of a crossgate dipping 1 in 15. Three trammers were brining full tubs down the crossgate, the first 100 yards in front of the second and the third a few yards behind the second and as the last of these trammers was opposite a gate a fourth trammer came through a canvas sheet with a tub and the two tubs collided. The trammer immediately in front, expecting the tubs behind him to run down left hold of his, and the trammer in front of him hearing it running towards him also got out of the way and allowed both of the tubs to run towards the pass-bye where they caught the deceased and fatally injured him.

BOOTH George jnr - 1909 - 16/02/1909 – Age 20. West Stanley, Owners of West Stanley Colliery, Co.Durham. Explosion of gas, 168 killed. 2 Sand Street Stanley.

BOOTH James - 1902 - 16/12/1902 – Age 27 - Pye Hill Loco. Driver. James Oakes and Co., Nottinghamshire. Deceased was in charge of a locomotive drawing a train of railway wagons when the locomotive ran off the rails and the deceased was thrown into the first truck. He died the same day.

BOOTH James - 1909 - 10/09/1909 – Age 53 - St. George’s Collier. Astley and Tyldesley Collieries Ltd., Lancashire. At working face, whilst preparing to set a prop, from pronounced slippery fault; he ought to have had a prop set sooner. (Died 2nd October) (Roof good).

BOOTH Richard - 1908 - 30/03/1908 – Age 28 - Harehills Labourer. Leeds Fireclay Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. He brought three empty wagons down to the screens, but they stopped about 5 feet short of the place where they were wanted, he therefore attached a coupling chain to them and two full wagons standing in front of them. The locomotive was coupled to the full wagons and pulled them and the empty wagons. When they were in motion the deceased attempted to pass between the buffers and was fatally crushed.

BOOTH T. - 1901 - 08/03/1901 – Age 23 - Clough Hall No.18 Taker off. Birchenwood Colliery Co., Stafford, Staffordshire. Crushed by full tub running wild down a jig, 10 yards long. The jigger had landed the full tub and placed a stopblock across the top of the dip consisting of a bar of wood 9 feet long by 4 inches square. Wile he was twisting the tub, on the plates, the stop block was displaced and the tub ran wild down the dip and caught the taker-off at the bottom. A safer form of stop-block was recommended.

BOOTH Thomas - 1906 - 19/06/1906 – Age 29 - Shelton Deep Crutter. Shelton Iron Steel and Coal Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. This accident was directly due to a breach of Special Rule 127. A shot-firer, who was also more or less injured, had charged a shot at the face of a dip crut. Deceased was meanwhile collecting and moving hack tools from the face. The battery had been left behind at a crosscut, about 45 yards away. One of the cutters went to it, while a third stood near the face holding the wires to, as he said, test the cable. The latter at a word from the shot-firer handed over the wires, and the shot firer connected up. No sooner had he done so than the charge exploded and the deceased received the rook, blown out on his face and chest.

BOOTH Thomas - 1909 - 16/02/1909 – Age 18 - West Stanley, Owners of West Stanley Colliery, Co.Durham. Explosion of gas, 168 killed. 2 Sand Street Stanley.

BOOTH W. - 1901 - 14/06/1901 – Age 46 - Fleetingly Beck Sinker. T and RW Bower, Yorkshire. Fell from scaffold. 2 killed.

BOOTHBY George - 1908 - 13/07/1908 – Age 19 - Cadeby Main Driver. Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. He was bringing two full tubs outbye with lockers in the front wheels of each tub. The pony stopped at a flat part of the road, and the deceased, who was behind the tubs, went to the front to take out a locker. Whilst he was doing this the pony started and his head was crushed against an old prop the end of which was projecting about 1 foot 6 inches out of the floor.

BOOTHBY George H. - 1908 - 04/03/1908 – Age 23 - Littleton Stallman. Littleton Collieries Ltd., Staffordshire. Deceased was working at the face in the Deep Seam, building the way-end cog on the rise side of the stall, when a piece of rock weighing about a ton fell from between two breaks in the roof and caught him on the heel, knocking him down to the lower side of the stall road and killing him instantly. The roof, a hard sandstone but very jointy, was well timbered but the piece fell between the props.

BOOTIMAN Lionel - 1906 - 18/04/1906 – Age 50 - Edlingham, Sandstone Quarry Foreman. Isaac Bewley, Northumberland. A 10-ton steam crane, made by Messrs Anderson & Co. of Carnoustie, was placed on the edge of the Quarry in a somewhat confined space where stones were dressed. The craneman had heaved up the jib, which was 51 feet long, and was winding up the burden rope when he heard a loud crack and something fell. He shouted to warn the deceased and a labourer, but the jib fell and killed deceased instantly and broke the labourer’s leg. In falling the jib caught the hook at the end of the burden rope, but broke a bolt and was not held. After the accident it was found that six of the 16 teeth on the ratchet-wheel on the jib drum shaft were broken, and the cast iron bracket attaching the crane engine to the mast was fractured at a point above the jib drum, where there was a flaw, having dimensions of 1.5 inches by 0.75 inch in the casting. Whether a tooth in the ratchet wheel or the bracket broke first could not be determined.

BORELAND James - 1900 - 09/04/1900 – Age 20 - Roanhead, Iron Ore Miner. Kennedy Bros., Ltd., Lancashire. Inspection made and inquest attended. A shot had been fired, which blew out a leg and let down the third head-tree from the working face. Apparently they were examining the damage done when a fall occurred displacing another set of wood and burying both men. No one was working near and the two men were entombed for a period of five hours before being discovered. Boreland was got out alive but subsequently succumbed to shock. 2 killed.

BORGESSON Johan - 1905 - 25/06/1905 – Age 21 - Naval Harbour Works, Quarry Diver’s pumper. W Hill and Co. Ltd., Portland. He was standing on the seat of a small boat sculling, in work connected with the Harbour Extension Work, when the oar slipped out of the notch, consequently he overbalanced and falling overboard, was drowned.

BORLAND Robert - 1909 - 05/09/1909 – Age 20 - Arniston Brusher. Arniston Coal Co. Ltd., Edinburgh. Explosion of firedamp.

BOSTON James Henry - 1902 - 10/03/1902 – Age 16 - Bolsover Horse driver. Bolsover Colliery Co., Derbyshire. Deceased was driving a horse attached to four full tubs and was walking in front. He appears to have fallen down and the horse passed over him first and then he was crushed by the first tub of the train.

BOTHWELL Francis - 1900 - 05/02/1900 – Age 45 - Eastrigg Brusher. Eastrigg Coal Co., Linlithgow. Deceased bored a hole for a shot to blast down the brushing which was composed of very bard sandstone and while inserting part of the charge of gelignite an explosion occurred. The cartridges were hard.

BOTTERILL George Frederick - 1902 - 07/07/1902 – Age 41 - Knighton Junction Quarry Quarryman. Knighton Junction Brick Co. Leicestershire. He was working on a ledge 15 inches wide and 22 feet from the floor of the Quarry when he fell off and received injuries from which he died the same day.

BOTTOM T. - 1905 - 23/12/1905 – Age 18 - Dodworth Hurrier. Old Silkstone Collieries Ltd., Yorkshire. He and two other lads had to come up a place with empty tubs and were standing resting in the end of a cross-gate when, without any warning, a piece of rock fell from the roof from between two weight breaks and killed him on the spot. The roof was so hard that no part of the cross-gate is timbered but for a radius of three or four yards it had become moist and afterwards quite wet and this no doubt caused the stone to fall from between the breaks.

BOTTOMLEY Joseph - 1901 - 18/07/1901 – Age 28 - Nook Shaftsman. Astley and Tyldesley Collieries Ltd., Lancashire. Fell from cage whilst ascending the shaft. The cage passing at the place the deceased wanted to stop at, he got hold of the signal wire to signal stop and was drawn out of the cage. Confusion of signals might have been avoided had the deceased used the special signal wire as directed by the manager to be used.

BOTTOMS Terrance - 1909 - 16/02/1909 – Age 32. West Stanley, Owners of West Stanley Colliery, Co.Durham. Explosion of gas 168 killed. 2 Sylvia Terrace.

BOUGH Edward - 1904 - 26/04/1904 – Age 72 - Morton No.6 No occupation. Clay Croos, Co., Derbyshire. Deceased committed suicide by failing down the shaft. He was not in the employ of the colliery company, and had been unemployed some years.

BOULTON Albert - 1906 - 05/05/1906 – Age 53 - Parkfield Engine driver. Gloucester. Hanged himself.

BOULTON James - 1904 - 26/03/1904 – Age 59 - Elliscales, Iron Ore Miner. Ashburner Ltd., Lancashire. Deceased was employed as a miner in a small hematite mine but there were no empty wagons forward, he was directed by the foreman to cut down some elm trees growing within yards of the mine mouth and which were being buried with debris from the mine and an adjacent Quarry. He cut down one small tree and then attacked another, 15 inches diameter, which, assisted by a labourer, he had cut two-thirds through with a two-handed cross-cut saw when the stem split up and the tree broke off, about 14 feet up and pinned him to the ground and he died two hours afterwards. The Jury added a rider to their verdict that accidental death that the work of cutting down trees should be carried out by men who understood the work.

BOUNDS B.R. - 1904 - 22/09/1904 – Age 39 - Blaina, Lower Deep Collier. J Lancaster and Co. Ltd., Monmouth. Fall of roof between two posts, owing to a crush which had just commenced and which afterwards extended right across the face. There were some faults in the place which made the roof all the more treacherous.

BOUNDS Stephen - 1906 - 07/02/1906 – Age 23 - Cwm Rope changer. Crawshay Bros., Cyfartha Ltd., Glamorgan. Deceased was struck on the head and killed by a crab handle. The haulage rope was attached to the crab, to be pulled in, and a signal was said to have been given to the engineman to slack out instead of which he said that he received a signal to pull in. He did so, with the result that the crab was caused to revolve rapidly. The accident was due to bungling over the signals.

BOUNDS Timothy - 1902 - 11/02/1902 – Age 54 - Whitwick Platelayer. Whitwick Colliery Co., Leicester. He died of 'heart disease' while at work. An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict that deceased died from natural causes.

BOURHILL George - 1909 - 28/09/1909 – Age 17 - Wallyford Winchman. Edinburgh Collieries Co Ltd., Edinburgh. Deceased worked a crab winch used to haul debris to the redd Bing. It appears that the engine centred, and he got up on top to move the drum and inadvertently put his foot on the throttle valve lever allowing full steam to cylinders and causing the drum to revolve whereby he was thrown over it to the other side and fatally injured.

BOUSA Thomas - 1908 - 18/07/1908 – Age 36 - Charity Onsetter. Stanley Bros. Ltd., Warwickshire. Crushed by full tubs while attempting to push one forward for running on to the cage.

BOUSALL William - 1901 - 29/08/1901 – Age 59 - South Wingfield Dataller. South Wingfield Colliery Co., Derbyshire. Fall of roof. Deceased was preparing to set some bars to support the roof where a small fall had occurred and while examining the place a further fall took place and killed him.

BOWATER Benjamin - 1907 - 21/09/1907 – Age 37 - Lumley Sixth Machineman. Lambton Collieries Ltd., Co.Durham. He was electrocuted by a leakage of current from the trailing cable of a coal cutter.

BOWATER Cornelius - 1905 - 10/02/1905 – Age 21 - Brandon No.3 Loader. T and J Marsh, Worcester. Irruption of mud and water through breakdown of the roof to the surface. 2 killed.

BOWDEN William - 1904 - 15/11/1904 – Age 34 - Bamfurlong Drawer. Cross Tetley and Co., Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire. Inquiry made. Deceased appeared to have slipped and injured his knee when pushing a tub underground. Blood poisoning set in afterwards and he succumbed to the injuries received at the Wigan Infirmary, November 24, 1904.

BOWE George - 1907 - 02/12/1907 – Age 44 - Neilston No.3 Night fireman. United Collieries Ltd., Stirling. Whilst acting as a chain runner, he was sitting in front of a full race being drawn up an incline to the surface when he was apparently caught by a very low crown, thrown off and run over by the hutches.

BOWELL Luke - 1907 - 12/09/1907 – Age 61 - Eston Ironstone Miner. Bolckow Vaughan and Co. Ltd., North Yorkshire. He had fired a shot and afterwards had dressed down all the loose stone. When drilling another hole, a piece of stone probably loosened by the previous shot, fell onto him, and caused injuries from which he died in hospital the same day.

BOWEN Daniel - 1904 - 16/05/1904 – Age 32 - Ferndale No.5 Engineman. D Davis and Sons Ltd., Glamorgan. Deceased said that he ruptured himself by lifting a pipe at the colliery, he was operated upon on the following day and died the day after. He had an old rupture for some years previously. No one saw him lifting the pipe and the manager said there was not a pipe to lift.

BOWEN David - 1903 - 28/04/1903 – Age 43 - Park Labourer. Ocean Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Run over by a journey of three trams, on a self-acting incline having a gradient of eight inches per yard. He had only walked up it 28 yards when he met with the accident.

BOWEN David John - 1907 - 15/08/1907 – Age 19 - Great Mountain Collier. Great Mountain Collieries Co. Ltd., Carmarthen. Fall of roof at face. While filling coal into a tram, at road end, a fall of roof from a bed of shale occurred, fracturing his skull and injuring the foot of the other. Joints were visible in the roof after the fall and it appears that the beds are thin and require careful timbering. Green Vein. Safety lamps.

BOWEN Evan - 1903 - 23/03/1903 – Age 23 - Merthyr Vale No.2 Repairer. Nixon’s Navigation Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall on road fireclay 6 feet by 7 feet by 39 inches thick. Deceased knocked out one of two pairs of timber supports to make more height when the fall occurred and he failed to get out of the way. This accident would have been prevented if mechanical means had been used to draw the timbers out. Nine feet seam.

BOWEN George - 1905 - 18/01/1905 – Age 40 - New Cross Hands Collier. New Cross Hands Collieries Ltd., Carmarthen. Fall of roof at face; while wedging down a piece of coal a portion of clift roof, 14 feet x 4.5 feet and 10 inches thick, fell on him. There were no props, apparently within the area of the fall. Pumpquart seam.

BOWEN Henry - 1904 - 03/11/1904 – Age 38 - Tir Pentwys Repairer. Tir Pentwys Black Vein Steam Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. He was working with a timberman, cutting out ground for a side wall, one side had been dressed back and this one was being prepared in the same way. When loosening a stone behind an arm a bump occurred which caused six pairs of timber to be discharged. These timbers, although strongly lagged and heavily weighted with stone and rubbish, were loosened by the cutting out of the side and once started fell over like a pack of cards.

BOWEN John - 1903 - 23/03/1903 – Age 32 - Fforchwen Collier. Cwmamman Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall at face cliff, 15.5 feet by 5.25 feet by 2 feet thick, fell while deceased was fetching coal from the face. It was quite unsupported because it was said to have been so strong. Seven feet seam.

BOWEN John - 1906 - 30/11/1906 – Age 43 - South Tunnel Asst. repairer. Guest Keen and Nettlefolds Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall of side on road, rock 4.5 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet thick fell from a smooth joint, Deceased and the repairer had been ripping the roof and taking off of the side in the place. A shot, which had been fired 5 feet from it, may have loosened the stone.

BOWEN John Stephenson - 1903 - 28/07/1903 – Age 19 - Ryhope Waggonwayman. Ryhope Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. He was bringing the landing horse through a landing, past the tub, when the stretcher of the tail chains caught and displaced some timber and caused a fall which caught and killed him.

BOWEN Llewellyn - 1905 - 04/11/1905 – Age 25 - Upper Graigola Collier. Bevan and Bowen, Glamorgan. Fall of roof at face; he had holed into an old working, and while making a place to stand a prop, under a suspicious looking stone, broke off and injured him and he died on 15th November. The stone was about 3 feet x 2 feet and semicircular in section. Graigola seam.

BOWEN Stanley - 1905 - 25/05/1905 – Age 13 - Morlais Coal cleaner. Thomas Williams and Sons, Carmarthen. Crushed between a loaded waggon and a wall near the weighing machine house.

BOWEN Thomas - 1901 - 06/07/1901 – Age 20 - Whitworth Engineman. Tredegar Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. Crushed and mangled by an endless haulage rope engine which he was attending and which stands on the surface. It is supposed that he stepped over the fence rail and fell forward when trying to see out in front of the engine.

BOWEN Thomas - 1905 - 06/02/1905 – Age 52 - No.1 Main Collier. Main Colliery Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall of roof at face; a stone, 9 feet long, 3 feet broad, fell on his foot. He died in Swansea Hospital, after amputation, on 13th March.

BOWEN Thomas - 1909 - 26/06/1909 – Age 30 - Fernhill Collier. Watkinson and Sons Ltd., Glamorgan. Fall of roof at working face. Died 11th February, 1910.

BOWEN Walter - 1903 - 21/10/1903 – Age 53 - Clydach Merthyr Ostler. Graigola Merthyr Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. Died 23rd October from injury to the head, having struck the roof while conveying horse food by tram, drawn by a horse along the road to the stables. He continued at work the rest of day and the next.

BOWEN William - 1905 - 21/01/1905 – Age 18 - Elba Coal shifter. Baldwins Ltd., Glamorgan. By explosion of gas and coal dust. 11 killed.

BOWEN William - 1908 - 05/05/1908 – Age 44 Brynhenllys Rider. Brynhenllys Colliery Co. Ltd., Brecon. When last seen alive, he was riding in front of a journey of loaded trams. He was found dead, lying across the railway, between the second and third tram. It is probable he fell off the iron seat hooked on to the first tram.

BOWER Adam - 1907 - 18/01/1907 – Age 32 - Townhill Miner. West of Fife Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased had just taken down coal at the working face, which received a mass of rock from the roof and a part striking him caused fatal injuries.

BOWER Edward - 1904 - 16/12/1904 – Age 42 - North Staveley Shaftman. Aston Coal Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. They were changing the clack in a pumping set when the scaffold on which they were standing gave way and they fell down the shaft and were fatally injured. 2 killed.

BOWER William Henry - 1907 – 11/10/1907 – Age 40 – Chapelfield, Sandstone Quarry Stone dresser. Mellor Bower and Mellor, Yorkshire. While striking a chisel with a hammer, the hammer slipped and hit his left hand. Blood poisoning supervened and he died 21st.

BOWERS James - 1905 - 11/11/1905 – Age 56 - National No.1 Sheaveman. United National Collieries Ltd., Glamorgan. Deceased was attending to his duties on the main level when a bail of ironstone, 30lbs. in weight, fell on his back from above the lags of some double timbers. He died in 5 days. Two feet nine seam.

BOWERS Thomas - 1904 - 06/09/1904 – Age 53 - Parkhouse Fireman. JH Pearson, Staffordshire. Fall of roof (clod) at working face in Red Shagg ironstone. The fall was 7 yards long and 3 feet wide and of triangular section from between a small fault and a slip. The place was well timbered according to rule but no extra steps for safety were taken on account of the fault, which was hidden, being exposed by a previous fall.

BOWERS Thomas - 1908 - 08/12/1908 – Age 40 - Shelton Deep Collier. Shelton Iron Steel and Coal Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. On the day of the accident the deceased and his mates had been engaged in moving up the landing, in a jig in the Cockshead Seam, where the inclination is 1 in 4. A length of ripping, which at this point was 5 feet in thickness, had been blown down on the previous night. During the first part of the day the debris from the ripping was being removed and at 9.30 am deceased set a bar under the ripping and about 1 foot 6 inches from its edge. A post was then drawn at a point about midway between this bar and another bar 5 feet distant from it. This caused a little weighting of the roof but it was said that it soon settled and went quite still. About half an hour later deceased was standing in the jig, just beneath the edge of the ripping, handing up a prop to his mate when a huge lump of stone, weighing between 4 and 5 tons fell from the edge of the ripping on to deceased causing instant death. The bar set under the edge of the ripping was reeled out by the fall which came from a longwall break. It is evident that an ordinary setting of timber was not sufficient in this position to support so great a thickness of loosened roof at this inclination. It is probable that an additional prop at each side of the jig might have prevented the accident.

BOWES George - 1904 - 30/12/1904 – Age 47 - Pilsley Labourer. Pilsley Colliery Co., Derbyshire. The two deceased were resting in a cabin on the dirt tip. The tip was on fire and there was a strong wind blowing from the end of the tip towards the cabin. The wind blew the smoke through the tip onto the two men who were found dead, having been killed by carbon-monoxide poisoning. 2 killed.

BOWES George - 1909 - 16/02/1909 – Age 32. West Stanley, Owners of West Stanley Colliery, Co.Durham. Explosion of gas. 168 killed. 8 Wood Street, Stanley.

BOWES James - 1901 - 09/08/1901 – Age 72 - Clara Vale Screener. Stell Coal Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Inquest attended. The deceased was crushed in attempting to pass between two waggons.

BOWES Thomas - 1907 - 07/02/1907 – Age 21 - Malton Weighman. SH Sadler Ltd., Co.Durham. Caught and killed between two trucks when assisting to put a cover over one.

BOWIE Hugh - 1902 - 10/10/1902 – Age 30 - Neilston No.3 Miner. James Wood Ltd., Stirling. While being lowered down a dook to their work, in bogies with the engine, it got out of gear and the break failed to act and the bogies ran away. Another three men were injured. 2 killed.

BOWKER George - 1907 - 20/09/1907 – Age 33 - Birchenwood No.6 Collier. Birchenwood Colliery Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. A ventilating door near the foot of a jig was controlled by the hooker-on by means of a chain passing over a pulley, hung from a plug driven into a hole drilled into the roof. When the door was pulled open, to permit the passing of a tub passing through, the plug came out and the hooker-up shouted to the deceased, who were at work a few yards further up the jig, to come and replace it. They examined the roof, which consisted of floating or irregular sandstone and apparently considering it safe, they proceeded to drive the plug in again. They had only struck it two or three times when a large stone, 7 feet by 6 feet by 1 foot thick at one side diminishing to 2 inches at the other, suddenly fell killing both men. The plug was in the line of the thick edge of the stone and had apparently acted as a wedge and the stone had probably been more or less shaken by some shots fired in the neighbourhood on the previous day. 2 killed.

BOWKER John - 1907 - 20/09/1907 – Age 34 - Birchenwood No.6 Collier. Birchenwood Colliery Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. A ventilating door near the foot of a jig was controlled by the hooker-on by means of a chain passing over a pulley, hung from a plug driven into a hole drilled into the roof. When the door was pulled open, to permit the passing of a tub passing through, the plug came out and the hooker-up shouted to the deceased, who were at work a few yards further up the jig, to come and replace it. They examined the roof, which consisted of floating or irregular sandstone and apparently considering it safe, they proceeded to drive the plug in again. They had only struck it two or three times when a large stone, 7 feet by 6 feet by 1 foot thick at one side diminishing to 2 inches at the other, suddenly fell killing both men. The plug was in the line of the thick edge of the stone and had apparently acted as a wedge and the stone had probably been more or less shaken by some shots fired in the neighbourhood on the previous day. 2 killed.

BOWLES David - 1901 - 24/05/1901 - Universal Rider. Universal Steam Coal Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. This explosion was specially reported upon by W Galloway Cd 947. 81 killed.

BOWLEY James - 1904 - 13/01/1904 – Age 43 - West Hallam Stone breaker. West Hallam Colliery Co., Derbyshire. Deceased was in the end of a stone heading when a shot containing 8 oz. bellite was fired and he received the full force of the explosion which instantly killed him.

BOWMAN Archibald - 1906 - 17/10/1906 – Age 26 - Minto Loco. Fireman. Lochgelly Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased was engaged on shunting operations in the colliery sidings, and while putting down the brakes of the waggons he fell among the wheels, and the moving train passed over him.

BOWMAN Jackson - 1904 - 26/05/1904 – Age 32 - Woodfield Hewer. Bolckow Vaughan and Co. Ltd., Co.Durham. Alleged to have died from effects of injury by a fall of stone on November 17th 1903 but the doctor gave a certificate that death was due to natural causes and no inquest was held.

BOWMAN Robert - 1903 - 31/12/1903 – Age 21 - Portland No. 4 Miner. Portland Colliery Co. Ltd., Ayrshire. Fall of roof at working place.

BOWMAN William - 1903 - 21/04/1903 – Age 22 - Little Raith Miner. Lochgelly Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Fife. Deceased was engaged withdrawing props from a lift, where the coal had been extracted, when a large stone fell from the roof and buried him.

BOWMAN William - 1907 - 21/10/1907 – Age 55 - Dunnikier Repairer. Walter Herd and Sons Ltd., Fife. A room was being made for a motor, in an old roadway, which had fallen a considerable height and while deceased was filling a tub with debris, a small stone fell off the side and struck him. The injuries were considered very slight but he succumbed from the effects 16 days later.

BOWYER Edwin - 1906 - 15/09/1906 – Age 55 - Gun Sandstone Quarry Stonebreaker. Richard Dale, Staffordshire. While wheeling rock from the Quarry face a quantity fell from a height of about 14 feet and struck him, causing injuries which terminated fatally ten minutes afterwards.

BOX Abraham - 1901 - 22/07/1901 – Age 38 - Great Fenton Shunter. Staffordshire Coal and Iron Co. Ltd., Fenton, Staffordshire. Crushed between truck and locomotive while coupling trucks owing to the trucks he was coupling being bumped by other trucks. He was provided with a coupling pole but had left it on the engine.

BOX Edward - 1900 - 21/04/1900 – Age 33 - Cleynen Collier. Monmouth. Died on the 29th April from pneumonia. He sprained his wrist when at work, underground on the 21st April, and an attempt was made to prove that his illness was the result of the sprain. Medical evidence showed that although the accident might have aggravated the illness it could not have been the direct cause of death. Not comprised.

BOX John Thomas - 1903 - 22/04/1903 – Age 29 - Saltwell No. 24 Pikeman. Earl of Dudley, Staffordshire. Fall of roof (coal) in opening in thick coal.

BOX William - 1902 - 10/10/1902 – Age 40 - Norton Hill Collier. Norton Hill Colliery Co., Somerset. He and his comrade were charging a hole in the roof with compressed powder. The hole appears to have been small at some part and due to the force being exerted to get the pellet down it exploded.

BOYCE A. - 1901 - 10/03/1901 – Age 28 - Don Pedro Sinker. H Briggs Sons and Co. Ltd., Yorkshire. When removing a temporary scaffold, at mid inset, the three last planks tilted and Boyce fell to the bottom, a distance of 85 yards and was killed.

BOYCE Henry - 1903 - 11/08/1903 – Age 40 - Waterlip Limestone Quarry Quarrier. Mendip Granite and Asphalte Co. Ltd., Somerset. When drilling a pophole in a large piece of rock, at the foot of the Quarry face, a fall occurred causing fatal injuries to Boyce and facial injuries to his mate.

BOYCE Thomas - 1900 - 10/09/1900 – Age 13 - Bogleshole No. 4, Stone picker. James Dunlop and Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. While climbing upon a waggon, to get a ride home, the locomotive started and the jerk caused him to fall, he was run over by the waggon wheels.

BOYCE William - 1902 - 1/01/1902 – Age 52 – Meadowfield Engineman. United Collieries Ltd., Lanarkshire. Deceased was caught between a stay and a haulage wheel and fatally crushed. No one saw the accident.

BOYD Alexander - 1901 – 20/09/1901 – Age 44 – Braehead sandstone Quarry, Quarryman. Turners Ltd., Linlithgow. Deceased was pinching a stone in the bottom of the Quarry and in doing so loosened a stone on the face above and as it was falling he attempted to escape under the crowbar, and just as he stooped, to get under, the stone struck the crowbar which came in contact with his head.

BOYD Alexander - 1909 – 03/09/1909 – Age 17 – Carfin No. 6, Haulage man. William Dickson Ltd., Lanarkshire. He appears to have been reaching beneath the fencing of the haulage gearing, to wipe something, when he was caught by pinion wheels.

BOYD George * - 1902. Wallsend, Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Co. Ltd., Northumberland.

BOYD George - 1902 - 02/04/1902 – Age 62 - Broomhill Labourer. Broomhill Collieries Ltd., Northumberland. He was standing at the bottom of a hoist or lift when a tub fell from the top and striking his head killed him.

BOYD George - 1903 - 25/12/1903 – Age 16 - Udston No. 2 Miner. Udston Colliery Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. Fall of roof on road while passing with a hutch.

BOYD Hugh - 1909 - 11/10/1909 - 37 - Newcraighall Sinker. Niddrie and Benhar Coal Co. Ltd., Edinburgh. Deceased, and another sinker, were descending in the kettle, and when 8 fathoms from the bottom, the kettle struck a beam causing him to be thrown out into the shaft.

BOYD James Henry - 1901 - 19/05/1901 – Age 44 - Ashton Moss Stoker. New Moss Colliery Ltd., Lancashire. Suffocated by underground fire.

BOYD John - 1904 - 08/08/1904 – Age 59 - Byermoor Stoneman. John Bowes and Partners Ltd., Co.Durham. Caused by the premature explosion of a shot, in the sandstone roof of a coal seam, charged with 2.5 lbs. of compressed gunpowder. The mode of firing was to light a piece of greased paper stuck under the sulphur covered end of a patent squib inserted into the hole left by the withdrawal of the pricker. Deceased lived three quarters of a hour after the accident and stated that on lighting the paper it flared up and the shot exploded. The Local Inspectors reported ‘it has been a pure accident.'

BOYD John - 1909 - 23/06/1909 – Age 38 - Barony No. 1 Sinker. William Baird and Co. Ltd., Ayrshire. He fell off a scaffold in the shaft while signalling.

BOYD John snr. - 1903 - 17/07/1903 – Age 40 - Bogleshole No. 4 Miner. James Dunlop and Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. Upon entering their working place, to commence work after it was reported all clear by the fireman, their naked lights ignited firedamp and they were fatally injured by the explosion. 2 killed another man injured.

BOYLAND William - 1904 - 12/09/1904 – Age 14 - Llanbradach No. 1 Collier boy. Cardiff Steam Coal Collieries Co. Ltd., Glamorgan. At face, coal 6.5 feet by 19 inches by 18 inches thick fell as he was stowing rubbish in the gob. The collier in charge of the stall was told at 9 a.m. by the fireman to take the coal down as the bottom coal had been worked from under it. He did not do so with the result that the boy was so severely injured on his head that he died in two days. Nine feet seam.

BOYLE Anthony - 1901 - 13/02/1901 – Age 30 - Victoria Sinker. Victoria Colliery Co., St Helens, Lancashire. Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased was working, with others, on a bricking scaffold attached to the winding rope. The brake was not sufficiently powerful enough to keep the scaffold in one position and the engineman had to keep the steam on in aid of his brake when suddenly the steam overcame the brake and the scaffold was jerked up a few feet which caused the deceased to fall over the side to the bottom of the pit, which contained seven yards of water and he was drowned before he could be rescued.

BOYLE Henry - 1906 - 24/09/1906 – Age 46 - Stane Fireman. Kepplehill Coal Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. Deceased, and another, were doing some repairs on a level road and while preparing to put up a set of timbers a crown above him fell and injured him. He met his injury on 12th September, 1905.

BOYLE James - 1901 - 05/08/1901 – Age 40 - Silverburn Whinstone Quarry Labourer. John Best, Edinburgh. Deceased was holing the tirring when the face fell over and buried him.

BOYLE John - 1905 - 28/02/1905 – Age 23 - Bothwell Castle Nos 1&2 Drawer. William Baird and Co. Ltd., Lanarkshire. When taking a hutch down a road, a drawer behind lost control of his full hutch, owing, it is said, to a snibble having broken and the latter hutch ran down and caught him.

BOYLE Michael - 1904 - 01/06/1904 - Age 20 - Clough Hall No. 6 Braker. Birchenwood Colliery Co. Ltd., Staffordshire. Crushed by tubs in jig-dip. While he was attempting to shove two tubs, which had not lauded properly the tubs came unhooked and one ran back and crushed him.

BOZLE Michael - 1908 - 18/08/1908 – Age 25 - Maypole Contractor. Moss Hall Co., Wigan, Lancashire. Explosion of firedamp and coal dust 75 killed.

BRABBAN John Greener - 1906 - 05/02/1906 – Age 53 - Ouston Deputy. Charles Perkins and Partners, Co.Durham. A drop staple (8 fathoms deep) in the Ouston A pit is used for lowering coal from the Low Main to the Hutton Seam; it is fitted up with two cages running in wooden guides, each holding a single tub. The rope passes with one dead coil round a wheel at the top and motion is controlled by a powerful brake applied to the wheel and worked in the Low Main Seam. Electric signals from the bottom to the top are used, the push placed 5 feet from the flat sheets, at the bottom on an upright beam between the cages consisted of a plain spring with a knob on it, and very little pressure was necessary to cause contact. Workmen had been allowed to use the staple at one time, but latterly this had been restricted to officials, and they were in the habit of getting on the cage top instead of inside for two reasons 1st, so as not to interfere with the lowering of the coal, and 2nd, because the cages were under better control when containing the ordinary load. Deceased, who was on his way to the Hutton seam, to write his report, got on to the top of one of the cages, which contained a loaded tub and was safely lowered to the bottom. The attendant there took out the loaded tub and moved away with it. The attendant at the top took out the empty tub and stated he then received a signal from the bottom and in this he was corroborated by another person at the top; he put in a loaded tub and then commenced to lower but finding at once that the ascending cage was light he put on the brake. Deceased was found jammed between the cage he had descended on and a cross beam 7 feet above the flat sheets at the bottom. The only apparent explanation of the accident was that he had inadvertently touched the signal while in the act of getting off the cage and that it had moved away before he was clear. The manager arranged to prohibit riding on the tops of the cages and to fix a push less liable to be accidentally pressed. The Local Inspector reported, ‘we are of opinion that it was a pure accident.’

BRACE Alderman - 1904 - 08/02/1904 – Age 27 - Llanerch Haulier. Partridge Jones and Co. Ltd., Monmouth. He was riding on the gun or connecting bar, between the tram and limbers, down a heading dipping about 1.5 inches to the yard, when the tram, which was spragged, by some means got off the rails and crushed him against a post.

BRACE George (injured) - 1905 - 10/03/1905 - Cambrian No. 1. Cambrian Collieries Ltd., Glamorgan. This explosion was the subject of a Special Report by FA Gray. 33 killed.

BRACE Isaac - 1908 - 20/10/1908 – Age 41 - Waunlwyd Collier. Ebbw Vale Steel Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth. He appears to have strained himself on the 16th October, and to have worked two shifts afterwards. A doctor saw him on the 20th, and diagnosed a small lump or tumour. He appears to have passed this through his bowels during the day, and serious internal haemorrhage occurred which lasted for nearly a week. He died on 28th May, 1909, probably from a tumour or cancer, but as no post-mortem was made it could not be stated with certainty which it was. Death apparently resulted from the effects of a strain received in the course of his work by assisting to lift a full tram on the rails. It would probably not have been heard of before the Compensation Act came into force and in any case it is not even now altogether certain that it is one which is comprised under the Coal Mines Regulation Act.

BRACE William - 1909 24/08/1909 36 Marine Haulier Ebbw Vale Steel Iron and Coal Co. Ltd., Monmouth Leg fractured by the lash of the haulage rope when starting front a station where additional trams were added to the journey on its way to the shaft. It did not seem serious at first but there was a fracture which was not externally noticeable, and blood poisoning resulting, the leg was amputated. He died from blood poisoning on September 24th.