1853 Accidents

Notes - The information in this page is mainly sourced from the appendix to the Mine Inspectors report for this year. Many accidents are not listed in these reports and additional names have been added from newspaper reports and other sources - these are indicated by a shaded gray background.

Information from Appendix to Inspectors Report
 Extra Information
Month Day Name of Colliery Near where situated Owners name Person(s) killed Cause of death
January 2 Titwood Pollokshaws Sir John Maxwell Barnard Flannigan Explosion of fire damp  
January 7 Cuttlehill Inverkeithing Henderson, Wallace & Co William Rattery Fall of roof at face of working  
January 22 Cambuslang Rutherglen Archibald Russell William Davidson Fall of roof in road  
January 24 Govan Glasgow William Dixon James McKees Fall of roof at face of working  
January   Carfin Bothwell   John McGinnes   Newspaper report
February 8 Govan Glasgow William Dixon James Dick Fall of roof at face of working  
February 10 Palacecraig     Richard Deans   Newspaper report
February 11 Dalzell Hamilton Wilsons & Co Wm Kirkwood Falling down pit  
February 21 Coathill Airdrie John Davidson Andw Speirs Falling down pit from main coal to ironstone  
February 26 Fountenhall Tranent William Naismith John Burns Fall of rubbish in pit  
March 3 Springfield Glasgow William Dixon Robert McKinnon Falling off the barrel when ascending a sinking pit  
March 5 Dundonald Kirkcaldy James Naismith Thomas Campbell Crushed betwixt a hutch and a prop on an incline  
March 22 Cowdenbeath Dunfermline Forth Iron Co George Hunter Fall of roof  
March 31 Carfin Holytown William Dixon Neil Donnochie Explosion of fire in a fall in road  
April 9 Sunnyside Wishaw Archibald Russell David Dunn Explosion of fire damp  
April 16 Whitehill Lasswade N B W Ramsay David Coventry Fall of roof  
April 18 Govan Glasgow William Dixon James Henderson Fall of roof  
April 19 Gargill Coatbridge William Baird & Co William Carson Fall of roof  
April 19 Sunnyside Coatbridge William Baird & Co Archibald Campbell & William Wood Stone falling out of pit  
April 23 Carlincroft Coatbridge William Baird & Co John Dunsmuir Fall of roof  
May 5 Drumpellar Coatbridge Trustees of late John Wilson John Halliday Fall of stone in road  
May 6 Kelvin Glasgow Montgomery and Fleming William Smith Fell off the cage  
May 14 Dalmarnock Glasgow George Wilson James McGillan Fall of stone in road  
May 23 Rosehall Coatbridge Adie, Miller & Rankine Michael Donnelly Explosion of fire damp  
June 14 Barleith Kilmarnock John Galloway John Dunn Fall of stone in sinking pit  
June 18 Rosehall Coatbridge Adie, Miller & Rankine James Ramsay Explosion of fire damp  
June 18 Cowdencleugh     John Donohue   Newspaper report
June 21 Carfin Holytown John McAndrew & Co John Whitelaw Fell off cage when ascending pit  
June 23 Clackmannan Alloa Mitchell & Mowbray Robert Allan Fall of roof  
June 24 Hurlford Kilmarnock John Howie John Wilson Fell down pit when working at pumps  
June 25 Rosebank Rutherglen Colin Dunlop & Co James Pettigrew & Patrick McChane Choke damp in sinking pit  
June 25 Ayr Ayr John Taylor Gordon John Lochrie Fall of coal  
June 30 No 1 Pit, Lochgelly Fife     Downie Hunter    Fife FHS pre-1855 deaths
July 13 Barrhill Kilsyth John Watson John Stockman Fall of coal  
July 13 Westmuir Glasgow Robert Gray & Co James McGill Fell out of the kettle in ascending a sinking pit  
July 18 Elgin Dunfermline Earl of Elgin John Gray Fall of coal  
July 27 Perceton Irvine P B M Macredie James Skelly Explosion of fire damp  
July 28 Thankerton Holytown William Baird & Co Robert Gairdner By hutches on underground incline  
July 30 Calder Coatbridge William Dixon Owen McShee Fall of roof  
August 4 Drumpellar Coatbridge Trustees of late John Wilson Peter Hasson Fall of roof  
August 10 Sauchie Alloa Alloa Coal Company William Foster Fall of coal  
August 13 West Row Coatbridge Wilsons & Co Patrick Crossen Fall of roof  
August 20 Huntershill Glasgow William Dixon William Houston Stone from a shot in a sinking pit  
August 26 Rawyards Airdrie Gavin Eddie Neil McDougall Explosion of fire damp William Davidson, age 40, firesman and roadsman, address Johnston Street, Airdrie was charged with culpable homicide, or culpable neglect of duty in relation to this accident. He was found guilty at the High Court, Glasgow, 15 Oct 1853 and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment - source NAS catalogue
August 31 Westmuir Glasgow Robert Gray & Co James Tennant Fall of roof  
August 31 Pittencrieff Fife    David Bisset    Fife FHS pre-1855 deaths
September 1 Sillyhole Dalmellington Dalmellington Iron Co Walter Rowan Suffocated by choke damp  
September 2 Pittencrieff Dunfermline Forth Iron Co John Russell Fall of roof  
September 8 West Thornton Kilmarnock Archibald Finnie & Son Robert Stewart Fall of roof  
September 9 Redding Falkirk Trustees of late John Wilson Hugh Lynn Fall of roof  
September 15 Coltness Wishaw Alexander G Simpson John Henderson Fall of roof  
September 17 Bargeddie Walbridge Bartonhill Coal Co William Reid, James Quinney Drawn over pit head pulley Newspaper report [NB Newspaper report gives name of second man as James McGuire]
September 22 Wellwood Dunfermline Thomas Spowart William Beveridge Crushed between cage and roof at pit bottom  
September 24 Kipps Airdrie William Baird & Co William King Fell down pit from main to splint coal  
September 26 Binniehall Slamannan John Brown Hugh Sneddon Fall of roof  
October 14 Bredisholm Baillieston Provanhall Coal Co Thomas Kittings Fell from pithead down the shaft with a hutch  
October 15 Greenbank Dalry Merry & Cunningham John Lochrie Drawn over pit head pulley  
October 15 Govan Glasgow William Dixon Michael Docherty Fall of roof  
October 17 Orrmill Pit, Dysart Fife   John Adamson   Fife FHS pre-1855 deaths
October 26 Springhill Baillieston Robert Ramsay George Wilkie Explosion of fire damp  
October 28 Townhead Kilsyth Matthew Hay & Son John Donaldson Fell down pit from ironstone to coal working  
November 1 Rosehall Coatbridge Adie, Miller & Rankine Samuel McComb Fell from pit head attempting to go on cage  
November 15 Ravenscraig Wishaw James Anderson & Co John Gilchrist Fall of coal  
November 16 Gartshore Kilsyth M Wallace & Co Patrick Kane Fall of roof  
November 16 Farme Rutherglen James Fairie William Robertson Fall of roof Newspaper report
November 30 Bankhead Rutherglen McNaughton & Hood John Paton Fall of roof  
November 30 Cowdenbeath Dunfermline Forth Iron Co Edward Sheppard & 4 others Breakage of rope

Newspaper Report

Others were:
David Miller, collier, native of Coaltown of Balgonie
James King, collier age 19
2 bachelors called Campbell, colliers, natives of Baintown, Kennoway
December 1 Glengarnock Kilbirnie Merry & Cunningham Alexander Stevenson Fall of coal  
December 5 Govan Glasgow William Dixon Daniel McFarlane Crushed by hutch loaded with rails  
December 7 Dalzell Motherwell Trustees of late John Wilson John Steven Taken up to pithead pulley and in attempting to leap off fell down pit  
December 13 Garscube Glasgow John Barclay & Co Patrick McDade & 4 others Killed by explosion of fire damp Newspaper Report
December 26 Dalmarnock Glasgow George Wilson Thomas Bryson Crushed between cage and roof of mine  
December 28 Little Raith Dunfermline Lochgelly Iron Co William Howieson Fell down sinking it when stepping into kettle  
December 30 Hamilton Hill Glasgow Wilsons & Co William Dick & Andrew Buchannan Explosion of fire damp Newspaper Report
December 30 Kipps Airdrie William Baird & Co William Kennedy Falling down main coal to ironstone  

Return to Scottish Mining Villages

Last Updated 5th April 2008

 

 

 

© Scottish Mining Villages 2005-2008

 

.