Hill Top Colliery

Nottinghamshire Guardian - Thursday 23 August 1855

On the 10th instant and by adjournment on the 17th instant, an inquest was held at the Three Tuns Newthorpe, on the body of a boiler maker named Joseph Bullock, aged fifty three years. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased was employed in repairing the boiler at the colliery of Messrs, Richardson and  Fullwood. He finished his work about two o’clock in the morning of the 9th instant, and went into the engine house, where was also the driver of the engine, and a man named Clarke. The latter two fell asleep, and on being awoke sometime afterwards they found the deceased had left the room. Inquiries were made respecting him, and on observing that the board at the head of the “lander” was broken off it was surmised that he had fallen down the pit. Clarke and another man subsequently descended the pumping shaft, which is about 95 yards deep, and discovered the body of the deceased in the water at the bottom. His skull was very seriously fractured and he had sustained other serious injuries. There was no fire in the fire pan near the shaft and the probability is that the deceased partially awoke and finding his candle had burnt out, walked out of the engine house and accidently fell over the pipes at the mouth of the shaft. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased accidentally fell into a pit and was killed.