1859 Deaths

1859 Deaths listed in Mine Inspectors Report

Notes - The information in this page is mainly sourced from the appendix to the Mine Inspectors report for this year. - William Alexander for the Western District of Scotland and Robert Williams for the Eastern District of Scotland. Unless stated otherwise, the extra details are from the main body of the report. 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 Details
Year	Month	Day	Name of Colliery	Where situated	Owners name	Person(s) killed	Occupation	Age if given	Cause of death	Extra Details
1859	January	10	Hurlford	Kilmarnock	John Howie & Co	Robert Littlejohn	Collier	25	Fell from a mid-working a distance of 46 fathoms	There were three seams of coal worked at different levels off the shaft; there was a fixed scaffold constructed over one of the divisions of the pit, and the winding rope for that side reached no farther. The rope on the opposite side was used for winding from the upper and lowest seams, the cage being rested upon moveable boards termed "shuts," at the level of the upper seam when required. The preparatory work of turning the "pitbottom," stoop, &c., was going on in the upper seam. Deceased worked alone on one side, and the lever for working the "shuts" was situated on the opposite side; there was no road round the pit for him to get at it; and the only way he could get across the pit, unless when the cage was rested, was by walking on a "buntin" a few inches broad, between the cage guides and the column of pipes. The accident was occasioned by the deceased falling from the upper seam to the pit-bottom, a distance of 46 fathoms. I was engaged making an inspection of the colliery at the time the accident took place, but I did not discover why the deceased had been out of his working-place at the shaft, as he had no coals prepared for sending away, and his hutches were standing empty. A fellow workman engaged on the opposite side of the shaft explained that he had often seen the deceased leap across the pit, a distance of five feet, and the general impression was that he had been foolishly attempting to do so when the accident happened. I suggested to the proprietor that a roadway should be formed round the end of the shaft in the " upper seam," which was done without delay; and I understand that he has since arranged to make a weekly payment to the family of the deceased for a certain number of years.
1859	January	13	Barleith	Kilmarnock	John Galloway & Co	James Duffy	Sinker	48	A stone fell upon the deceased from the side of the shaft which was being sunk
1859	January	15	Hurlford	Kilmarnock	John Howie & Co	Joseph Rae	Collier	25	Fall of roof
1859	January	17	Ayr	Ayr	John Taylor Gordon	Hugh Wassin	Collier	20	Explosion of fire damp
1859	January	17	Redding	Near Falkirk	James Russell & Co	David Forbes	Collier		By falling down pit, the cage being taken above, the conductors indicator out of repair
1859	January	17	Palacecraig			John Donaldson			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report
1859	January	25	Cambuslang	Cambuslang	Archibald Russell	Robert Hamilton	pitheadman	50	Got entangled with the winding machinery while adjusting the ropes, and was dragged round with it
1859	January	25	Stevenston	Stevenston	Merry & Cunningham	William Ross	Boy	15	Explosion of fire damp	This lad was engaged as a drawer, and during a partial stoppage on one of the horse roads a number of the boys had collected together, and were idling and playing. The unfortunate little fellow, who was attempting to get out of the way of his companions, crept through a small hole on the side of the main road (with his naked light") into an old and abandoned part of the waste, where a small quantity of firedamp had collected, and exploded it. He was slightly burned, and died a few days afterwards.
1859	January	26	Carronhall	Near Falkirk	Carron Co	James Thomson	Collier		By falling down pit from a mid-working which was not properly fenced
1859	January	27	Wemyss	Near Kirkcaldy	James E Wemyss	Walter Ness	pitheadman		By a piece of wood falling off a scaffold at pithead
1859	February	2	Boghead	Near Bathgate	James Russell & Co	Thomas Clerk	Bottomer		By fall of stone off side of drawing road near pit bottom	Newspaper report
1859	February	3	Gartgill	Coatbridge	Wm Baird & Co	Stanhope Fleming	Collier	30	Explosion of fire damp	The deceased was a collier, and engaged in driving a " room" A, Fig. 1, forward upon an " end " or " crosscut " B. The " end " B had been worked forward to the position shown, about two months previous to the accident, and a small quantity of firedamp had collected in it. This appears to have been well known to the workmen in the immediate district. On the morning of the accident the deceased had gone round from his own room to the " end" B, for the purpose of sounding the coal, a custom much practised among workmen for ascertaining the thickness of solid coal between two openings, as in the present case. It would appear he had left his naked lamp a short, distance back, as at C., but on his return, and when taking it up, he ignited the firedamp, and received injuries which afterwards proved fatal. Newspaper report
1859	February	4	Cliftonhill	Coatbridge	Thomas Jackson	James Meikland	Bottomer	57	Fell from a mid-working where he was acting as bottomer
1859	February	6	Forth Iron Works	Near Dunfermline	Forth Iron Co	John Condie	Engineman		Crushed betwixt wheels of pumping engine while oiling it when in motion
1859	February	8	Braehead	Baillieston	Charles Tennant & Co	Robert Kirkwood	Boy	12	Fall of roof	Newspaper report
1859	February	10	Lochgelly Iron Works	Near Dunfermline	Lochgelly Iron Co	John Graham	Engineman		By something falling down pit while engaged repairing pump boxes
1859	February	21	Rocholloch	Near Airdrie	George Cowie	Thomas Gimmell	Collier		By fall of stone from the roof at face of working	Newspaper report
1859	February	23	Dalkeith	Near Dalkeith	Duke of Buccleuch	John Portious	Drawer		Overcome and crushed by a loaded hutch on incline
1859	February	23	Rosehall			Alexander Sneddon			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report
1859	February	24	Rouchsulloch	Near Airdrie	George Cowie	Peter McDaid	Collier		By fall of coal and stone at face of working
1859	February		Palacecraig			Thomas Cunningham			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report [NB Died 23 March 1859
1859	March	5	Woodside	Near Hamilton	Hastie & Smith	John Copeland	Collier		By fall of stone while engaged repairing an old drawing road	Newspaper report
1859	March	5	Souterhouse			Matthew Watson			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report [Natural causes]
1859	March	7	Kippsbyre	Near Airdrie	Robertson & Addie	John Dodds	Sinker		By fall of stone from side of pit while engaged sinking	Newspaper report
1859	March	12	Faskine			Duncan Lamond			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report
1859	March	22	Dunnikier	Near Kirkcaldy	J & A Goodall	William Watters	Collier		By fall of coal at face of working
1859	March	24	Drumpeller	Coatbridge	Trustees of John Wilson	David Beecroft	Collier	18	Explosion of fire damp	In this case the unfortunate sufferer was engaged driving an "end" A to connect with a "plane" B which had been worked up to a dislocation and abandoned. For some reason he had gone into the " plane " B with his naked light, beyond the signal-board + C, and ignited the firedamp, which burned him severely. The deceased was well aware of the fact that firedamp lay in the abandoned "plane" B, and the fireman had taken the precaution to prevent any workman from going in to it, by placing a prominent board C at the entrance, with the word fire printed upon it. See Figure
1859	March	26	Barkip	Beith	Hugh Parker	James Arthur	Collier	57	Fall of coal at the coal face
1859	March	28	Arniston	Near Dalkeith	John Christie	James Nichol	pitheadman		By falling down pit with an empty hutch which he pushed into the wrong division	At Arnistone Colliery, James Nicol, pitheadman, lost his life by pushing an empty hutch into the unfenced division of the pit ; he fell to the bottom along with it. Newspaper report
1859	March	30	Faskine			Alexander McIntyre			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report
1859	March		Calder			Francis Kennedy			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report
1859	April	4	Gatehead	Kilmarnock	Archibald Finnie	John Guthrie	Collier	40	Explosion of fire damp	The Procurator Fiscal of Kilmarnock, in this case, charged the " fireman" with culpable homicide, and culpable neglect of duty, and he was tried by Sheriff Robertson and a jury. According to the special rules of the colliery it was the duty of the fireman "to descend first in the morning, and to see that the pit and workings were apparently safe, and in a workable state, &c." It was proved that the fireman had not been in the habit of observing this most important rule, and he endeavoured to excuse himself by asserting that he had other duties to perform, which prevented him from examining the pit daily, and he had no authority to appoint a deputy. The jury, after hearing evidence both for and against the accused, returned a verdict finding the prisoner guilty of culpable neglect of duty, and the Sheriff sentenced him to one month's imprisonment. When such cases of neglect come under my observation, I invariably point out to the public prosecutor the necessity for enforcing the special rule which provides for a careful examination of the underground works before the workmen are allowed to enter them, and that in every such case of neglect the guilty person should be punished. Though it is frequently alleged that the men transgress the special rule bearing upon this important branch of colliery discipline, by going in to their work before the fireman has completed his round of inspection, I have found from inquiry, in nearly all such cases, that the men had been in the habit of going to their work with the firemen, and had not been prevented from passing on to their working-places till after the pit was examined. It is evident that where the workmen go to their work at the same time as the fireman, if he is indifferent, or if for a considerable time he has on examination found the pit clear of firedamp, that a laxity may creep into the system and be continued for a length of time, till some unlucky morning an unsuspecting workman may rush into a body of firedamp with a naked light, and thereby destroy himself and his equally confiding companions. From my experience of these accidents (and others not resulting in loss of life) I am satisfied that the only way to prevent them is to adhere strictly to the special rule which provides for an examination of the works before the workmen are allowed to enter them; and the only sure way to carry it into effect is to provide that no person shall be allowed to go down the pit till after the fireman has made his round of examination. Such an arrangement might possibly cause the fireman to attend a little earlier in the morning, but apart from that no extra trouble or expense would be incurred.
1859	April	8	Armadale	Near Bathgate	Monkland Iron & Steel Co	William Currie	Collier		By fall of coal and ironstone at face of working
1859	April	13	Blackbraes	Near Falkirk	James Russell & Co	Thomas Strang	Collier		By fall of coal at face of working
1859	April	14	Aikieston	Baillieston	James Merry	Malcolm McNeil	Roadsman	21	Fall of roof	This is one of the most severe falls of roof which I have had occasion to examine. The pit was being worked by the Longwall method, and it is customary where this system of working is practised, to have a distinct class of workmen (termed brushers) to take down a part of the roof, and form and secure proper roadways during the night, so as not to interfere with the men who work at the coal during the day. It would appear the deceased and others went to their work at the usual hour for "night men," and during the night four of them had met, or been engaged in one roadway, when a sudden fall of roof, 16ft x 5ft, fell unexpectedly upon them. It is supposed they lay under this mass upwards of four hours, and though there were other workmen in the pit the poor men were not discovered till the morning when the colliers were returning to their work. Two of them were quite dead ; and one of the survivors, with much feeling, explained that how during the gloom and darkness, and after he had exhausted himself crying for assistance, he began to grope around for his companions. His leg was broken and his body otherwise jammed by the fallen stones which lay over him, so that his range was limited, but that he could feel the stiff and lifeless remains of two of his fellow workmen ; and in this painful condition, with the forebodings of another crash from the shattered overlying strata, he lay helpless, anxiously listening to the distant sound of neighbouring workmen, and hopefully longing for the hour when they might be rescued. Newspaper report
1859	April	14	Aikieston	Baillieston	James Merry	James Ketty	Brusher	21	Fall of roof
1859	April	22	Woodhill	Kilmarnock	Merry & Cunningham	Hugh Cairns	Collier	14	Fall of roof
1859	April	25	Clerkstown	Near Airdrie	Thomas Beveridge	Charles Jackson	Gin driver		By falling down pit by his foot slipping when pushing forward a hutch	Newspaper report
1859	April	26	Cleland	Near Hamilton	Robert Stewart	John Simpson	Collier		By fall of stone at face of working
1859	April	27	Wishaw			James Finlayson			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report
1859	May	3	Govan	Glasgow	Wm Dixon & Co	John Tennant	Collier	46	Fall of coal at the face
1859	May	5	South Boig	N Cumnock	South Boig Coal Co	James Kirk	Labourer	40	Got jammed by the cage in the shaft when being drawn up
1859	May	6	Annandale	Kilmarnock	Archibald Finnie	James Ross	Collier	44	Fall of roof
1859	May	6	Nitshill	Hurlet	G & T Coates	James Dunn	Collier	21	Got entangled with the cage in the shaft
1859	May	9	Milfield	Near Airdrie	John Hendrie & Co	John Siddens	Collier		By explosion of fire damp, by going into a working that had been stopped with a naked lamp	There has been only one explosion of firedamp which caused the loss of one life in this district during the past year, which occurred at Millfield pit, at Airdrie, belonging to Messrs John Hendrie and Co come where a collier named John Siddons was so severely burned that he died the following day; the deceased had gone into a part of the working, with a naked lamp, that had been stopped, and ignited the inflammable gas; there was no fence or signal put up to warn the workmen of danger in going into this place. Newspaper report
1859	May	14	Dykehead	Kilwinning	Eglinton Iron Co	Alex Carruther	Collier	27	By the cage getting fastened in the shaft and afterwards falling away with a quantity of slack rope with it
1859	May	18	Springbank	Glasgow	George Wilson	John Courtenay	Collier	43	Fall of coal at the face	Lanarkshire accidents
1859	May	18	Woodmuir	Near Bathgate	Thomas Thornton	Wm Thornton	Collier		Suffocated by choke damp while engaged clearing out an old pit
1859	May	18	Woodmuir	Near Bathgate	Thomas Thornton	Thomas Greenwood	Collier
1859	May	24	Rosehall			Hugh Leckie				Newspaper report
1859	May	24	Rosehall			Hugh Leckie				Newspaper report
1859	June	1	Hurlford	Kilmarnock	John Howie & Co	Wm Shinnens	Bottomer	19	Fell down the shaft from the surface by going improperly on to the cage before it was rested
1859	June	11	Shotts Iron Works	Near Airdrie	Shotts Iron Co	James Caldwell	pitheadman		By falling down pit with an empty hutch which he pushed into the pit when the cage was at the bottom	Newspaper Report
1859	June	15	Greenfield	Parkhead	Trustees of Mr McNair	William Barrie	Engineman	52	By getting entangled with the winding machinery
1859	June	15	Oxenford	Near Dalkeith	John Christie	James Haldine	Collier		By a wood prop falling from the pithead while he was ascending on a cage without a cover	Accident occurred at Oxenford Colliery, near Dalkeith, where John Haldine, collier, was killed by a wood prop being thrown down on the pithead, rolling into the pit, and falling on him while ascending; had this pit been provided with covers to the cages, or self-acting guards, for fencing the top of the pit, this accident would not have happened.
1859	June	15	Wellwood	Near Dunfermline	Thomas Spowart & Co	Thos Chalmers	Collier		By fall of stone at face of working
1859	June	15	Wellwood	Near Dunfermline	Thomas Spowart & Co	David Chalmers	Collier		By fall of stone at face of working
1859	June	15	Woodhill	Kilmarnock	Merry & Cunningham	Hugh Campbell	Boy	13	Fall of roof
1859	June	16	Carron Iron Works	Near Falkirk	Carron Co	George Simpson	Collier		By fall of stone at face of working
1859	June	21	Westmuir	Glasgow	Robert Gray & Co	Wm Barrowman	Collier	58	Fall of coal	Lanarkshire accidents
1859	June	22	Dunnikier	Near Kirkcaldy	J & A Goodall	William Hodge	Collier		By fall of stone at face of working
1859	June	24	Eglinton	Kilwinning	Eglinton Iron Co	David Barr	Collier	34	Fall of roof
1859	June	28	Coltness Iron Works	Near Hamilton	Coltness Iron Co	David Turner	Pony driver		By falling before loaded hutches which were dragged over him
1859	July	8	Espieside	Coatbridge	Wm Baird & Co	John Geddes	Collier	21	Fall of coal
1859	July	8	Stevenston	Stevenston	Merry & Cunningham	Robert Gibson	Redsman	25	Fall of roof
1859	July	11	Shotts Iron Works	Near Airdrie	Shotts Iron Co	Henry Bryden	Collier		By fall of roof at face of working	Newspaper Report
1859	July	12	Fergushill	Kilwinning	Archibald Finnie	Matthew Kerr	Boy	13	Fall of roof
1859	July	12	Clydesdale			John Dunn			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper report
1859	July	19	Elphistone	Near Haddington	Durie & Nisbet	John Charles	Engineman		By falling among wheels of engine by his foot slipping when attempting to oil it while in motion
1859	July	23	Corseford	Johnstone	Ludovic Houston	James Watson	Collier	16	Fall of roof
1859	July	23	Govan	Glasgow	William Dixon & Co	James Campbell	Collier	30	Fall of roof
1859	July	25	Drumlemble	Campbelton	The Duke of Argyle	Donald Kerr	Collier	40	By getting entangled with the signal wire in the shaft
1859	July	30	Kenmuir No 1	Tollcross	David Roxburgh	Robert Davidson	Boy	15	By going into a part of the colliery not at work, he came in contact with a small quantity of firedamp
1859	August	2	Carnbroe	Near Airdrie	Merry & Cunningham	Cornelius Mitchell	Collier		By fall of roof at face of working
1859	August	4	Airdrie	Near Airdrie	Gilmour & Weir	James Neilston	Collier		By fall of roof at face of working
1859	August	17	Kenmuirhill	Tollcross	John Horne	Andrew Rae	Collier	23	Fall of roof (on 18th June)
1859	August	17	Shotts			John McCluskey			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper Report
1859	August	20	Rosehall	Coatbridge	Addie & Rankine	Peter Murray	Brusher	47	Fall of roof
1859	August	31	Rosehall	Coatbridge	Addie and Miller	Patrick McGeoch	Bottomer	27	By the engineman lifting the cage without a signal from the bottom	The mechanical arrangement at this colliery are very complete and the fittings in connection with the signalling apparatus are substantial and of the usual description. The deceased was bottomer, and at the time of the accident was engaged putting a hutch upon the cage preparatory to it being sent up the pit, when the cage was raised unexpectedly and he was crushed between it and side of the shaft. There were drawers close to the pit bottom at the time, who could testify that no signal had been made by the bottomer, and the peculiar situation of the bell handle prevented it being signalled by mistake.
1859	August	31	Stevenson	Stevenston	Merry & Cunningham	Richard Cowie	redsman	27	Explosion of fire damp	A shift of men had been appointed to commence work at 1 a.m. on the morning of the accident, but the night fireman, on examining the workings of a small district previous to allowing the workmen to enter, found that a considerable quantity of firedamp had collected in it. The day fireman, on going to his shift at 6 o'clock a.m., examined the state of the ventilation with the night fireman, and it would appear they were satisfied that the firedamp was gradually getting dislodged. Sometime after this two of the work-men went forward with a safety lamp to observe the progress of the ventilation, leaving their companions behind; they had not left more than ten minutes when the firedamp was ignited. It was difficult to account for this explosion ; the persons engaged with the safety lamp had acted quite judiciously ; the firedamp had not been ignited by them ; they were not injured, neither did they see the explosion. I was of opinion the explosion had been occasioned by a naked light communicating with the gas by a "chink "in the brattice which formed the return air-course. This shows how necessary it is to act with prudence and foresight on such occasions, and how important it is to prevent naked lights from being mixed up with safety lamps where firedamp is known or suspected to exist. The explosion, though trifling comparatively speaking, resulted in the death of the fireman and an assistant.
1859	August	31	Stevenson	Stevenston	Merry & Cunningham	Wm McLelland	redsman	29	Explosion of fire damp
1859	September	13	No 2 Blair Ironstone Pit, Dalry			Robert Lang (native of Hamilton)			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper Report
1859	September	13	No 2 Blair Ironstone Pit, Dalry			James Cooper			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper Report
1859	September	27	Bankhead	Rutherglen	McNaughton & Hood	James Dyer	redsman	30	Fall of roof	Lanarkshire accidents
1859	September	28	Hillhead	Kilmarnock	John Gilmour & Co	Samuel Muir	Boy	11	Fall of coal at the face	This child (little more than ten years of age) had been engaged underground for about three weeks. The seam of coal being worked was divided by a stone, and the lower division or ground coal was worked first and slightly in advance. At the time of the accident, the deceased was clearing away a portion of the ground coal, when a quantity of the upper division fell upon him. An underlying seam, a few feet distant, has been worked out in this field, which has had the effect of shattering the overlying strata, and parting the stratum in immediate connection with the seam being worked. In such a waste, and where falls of coal will be of frequent occurrence, it would be prudent to exclude mere children who, though they may be able to assist in "drawing" upon an easy roadway, are quite incompetent to comprehend any premonitory sign, or indeed, under such circumstances, to protect themselves at the coal face.
1859	October	18	Carnochan	Patna	Dalmellington Iron Co	Hugh Walker	Collier	22	Fall of coal at the face
1859	October	18	Edmonstone	Near Dalkeith	John Wauchope	Alexander Flockhart	Collier		By winding rope giving way at a clasp while ascending	Accident occurred at Edmonston Colliery, near Dalkeith, by the winding rope giving way at a joining with an iron clasp ; while Alexander Flockhart, collier, was descending he fell to the pit bottom, about twenty fathoms of the broken rope falling above him ; it is dangerous to use clasped ropes in any case, more particularly when the clasped part requires to pass over the pithead wheels, for the ends of the clasps wear (or) cut into the rope every time it passes over wheels of small diameter. Newspaper report
1859	October	26	Kenmuir No 2	Tollcross	Davie Roxburgh	David Wright	Collier	32	Explosion of fire damp	This explosion which at first was of the most alarming description gave rise to rumours which cast a doubt upon the system of ventilation and general management of the colliery. It did not appear to me that these rumours were well founded, but as the air-courses and ventilating arrangements were all destroyed by the force of the blast, I took every precaution at the time to make myself acquainted with what had been the mode of working and general ventilation in the pit previous to the unfortunate occurrence. The pit, with some trifling exceptions, has been fitted up in the same manner it was immediately before the accident. It is divided into three divisions ; two of these form downcasts for the air, and the third is used as a general upcast. Two seams of coal were being worked, the first at 66 fathoms from the surface, and the second at 73-g fathoms. The ventilation was maintained by a separate downcast for each seam, and the " rise" division formed a general upcast for both. The workmen in the lower seam had on the morning of the accident been engaged taking down a part of the roof and brattice at the pit-bottom, which had the effect of passing the air direct to the upcast. In the upper seam two men were employed driving a coal mine, to allow the air to circulate round the stoop at the bottom of the shaft, termed " forming the pitbottom " stoop." The works in either seam were limited and entirely of a preparatory description. In the upper seam, the workmen used naked lights ; they had worked from 4 o'clock in the morning till 10 o'clock a.m., when the explosion took place. Their bodies were found thirteen yards out from the face of the coal, which appears to have been the distance travelled by them after the explosion and before they were overtaken by the afterdamp. The workmen in the low seam suffered considerably from the effects of the afterdamp, but none of them were burned. They were confined below for six hours, when by the praiseworthy exertions of neighbouring workmen, a communication was made from the surface to the bottom of the shaft, and they were all brought out in safety. Though it is impossible to arrive at the facts connected with this melancholy occurrence, there can be no doubt the firedamp was generated in the upper seam, and ignited by the lights of the unfortunate men while engaged at their work. A fall of roof had some time previous to the accident deranged the aircourse by which the air was carried into the upper seam, and it was the opinion of the manager that the accident in this case had been occasioned in a similar way. I felt satisfied, however, that the alterations which had been going on at the low seam a short time before the accident happened was the direct cause, by allowing the air from the downcast to pass direct to the upcast, which would have the effect of lowering the temperature of the air in the general upcast shaft, and diminishing its effect, just in proportion as the air from the downcast (in the lower seam) passing into the upcast would be less dilated than if it had performed the circuit of the mine ; and as the air in the upcast, from the connection, approximated to the temperature of the air in the downcast, the ventilation in the upper seam would gradually be checked and become nearly stagnant, when the liberated gases mixing with the air of the mine would slowly become explosive.
1859	October	26	Kenmuir No 2	Tollcross	Davie Roxburgh	James Philips	Collier	46	Explosion of fire damp
1859	October	29	Annandale	Kilmarnock	Archibald Finnie	Matthew Wilson	Collier	45	Fall of coal
1859	November	17	Brownhill	Dalry	C J Walsh	James McMann	Bottomer	50	Crushed between the cage and the doorhead	It would appear the deceased was engaged in the pitbottom at the time of the accident putting a full hutch on the cage. From the position in which he was found (jammed between the cage and the back of the pit) he must have been either on the cage or partly at the back side of the pit arranging the hutch, and could not by accident or otherwise have touched the signal wire so as to communicate a false signal. From the examination and inquiries I made in this case, I felt satisfied that the accident was occasioned by the inattention of the engine-man in raising the cage before receiving the usual signal to do so.
1859	November	21	Polkemmet	Near Bathgate	Shotts Iron Co	Daniel Clark	Sinker		By falling down, by engineman neglecting to secure winding drum to the engine, while descending the pit	Accident happened at a sinking pit at Polkemmet, near Bathgate, by the wheels of the winding-drum getting out of gear (or becoming detached from the engine); this accident was caused by the engineman neglecting to put the key properly in its place, that keeps the wheels in gear, by which Daniel Clark, sinker, was killed, either from the fall down the pit, or from the winding rope falling on him ; Wilson Gibb, the engineman, is to be tried for culpable homicide before the sheriff and a jury at Linlithgow on the 12th of March next.
1859	November	26	Kinniel Iron Works	Near Linlithgow	William Wilson & Co	Thomas Cowan	Collier		By fall of stone at face of workings
1859	November	31	Aronloss	Near Falkirk	James Watt	Alexander Hunter	Collier		By fall of stone at face of workings
1859	December	2	Kilgarth	Coatbridge	Wilsons & Co	Patrick Govan	Collier	53	Fall of coal
1859	December	5	Bonnyton	Kilmarnock	Merry & Cunningham	Alexander Stewart	Collier	45	Fall of coal and roof
1859	December	15	Wallyford	Near Musselburgh	C & A Christie	Charles Fyfe	Collier		By fall of coal at face of workings	Newspaper report
1859	December	17	Ironstone Pit, Mosshouse			John Cameron			Not listed in Inspectors report	Newspaper Report
1859	December	21	Newbattle	Near Dalkeith	Marquis of Lothian	Daniel Potter	Sinker		By fall of stones and ice from side of pit while ascending	Newspaper report NB Name given in newspaper report is Henry but no death certificate for either name have been found.
1859	December	22	Lochgelly Iron Works	Near Dunfermline	Lochgelly Iron Co	Joseph Gilbert	Engineman		By falling down pit in attempting to jump off the cage when in motion
1859	December	24	Stevenston	Near Airdrie	Stevenson Coal Co	Alexander McDonald	Collier		By fall of stone from the roof of an upper working while ascending	Newspaper Reports
1859	December	28	Elgin	Near Dunfermline	Earl of Elgin	James Nisbett	Collier		By fall of stone from the roof of an upper working while ascending	Accident at Elgin Colliery, near Dunfermline, was caused by a large piece of stone falling from the roof of an old working, while the three deceased individuals and another workman were ascending the pit on an uncovered cage; had the cage in this case been provided with a proper cover, the likelihood is that this accident would not have been so fatal.
						John Lyle	Collier
						George Borwick	Collier
1859	December	30	Cuttlehill	Near Dunfermline	Henderson, Wallace & Co	Mary Wilson	Worker on pithead		By being crushed between cage and a beam of a scaffold at pithead

Return to Scottish Mining Villages

Last Updated 5th April 2008