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1869 Deaths listed in Mine Inspectors Report

This table is compiled from appendices to the reports of the Inspector of Mines and Collieries - William Alexander for the Western District of Scotland and Ralph Moore for the Eastern District of Scotland. Unless stated otherwise, the additional details are from the main body of the report.

Year Month Day Name of Colliery Where situated Owners name Person(s) killed Occupation Age if given Category of Accident Cause of death Extra Details?
1869 January 7 Merryton     John Mackie     Not listed in report appendices   From body of report - In December 1868, a collier named Millar went into his working place in Merryton Colliery with his naked light and ignited some firedamp which had accumulated in it during the night. He died in the beginning of last year from the effects of the injuries received, and in June last, Alex. Matthie, the fireman, was tried before Sheriff Bell and a jury for permitting him to enter the place when gas was in it. He was fined ten pounds. Newspaper report
1869 January 14 Grange No 2 Kilmarnock Robert Yeats & Co George Crichton Collier 23 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 January 15 Home Farm Hamilton Hamilton & McCulloch Au. McMinn Collier -- Falls By fall of coal while taking out stoops  
1869 January 19 Ashgill Larkhall Merry & Cunningham Jas. Quin Sinker -- In shafts Fell out of sinking kettle while ascending shaft  
1869 January 23 Aitkenhead Baillieston Provanhall Coal Co Hugh Burns roadman 40 In shafts Fell part way down pit. Mistake of signals  
1869 January 29 Corseford Johnstone Ludovic Houston John Steel Collier 29 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 February 2 Shieldmuir Wishaw Wishaw Iron Co Jno Morton roadman 40 Falls By fall of coal while examining pillar  
1869 February 3 Newbattle Dalkeith Marquis of Lothian Jas Paterson Collier 29 Falls By upper leaf of great seam falling on him while he was working on it  
1869 February 6 Goatfoot Galston Boyd, Gilmour & Co James McGee Collier 18 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 February 6 Heathery Knowe Baillieston Heathery Knowe Coal Co Wm Penman Collier 22 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 February 18 Roughrigg Airdrie Forester & Robson George Bennie Collier 38 Falls By fall of roof at face, Long wall. Seam 30 inches. Roof good  
1869 February 25 Highland Park Kilsyth Brown & Rennie John Mitchell Collier 63 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal at face  
1869 March 1 Cornsilloch Larkhall N Cochrane & Co Thos Cairnduff Collier 25 Explosions Explosion of fire damp There was one fatal accident by an explosion of fire-damp, that of a man who died a few days after he was burned by an explosion of gas at Cornsilloch Colliery, Hamilton, in March last. He was working in a bratticed place, and was re-entering his place, after fifteen minutes absence, with his naked light, and ignited some gas which had accumulated during his absence. The pit had newly reached the coal, the door stoop was not turned, and the ventilating arrangements were only temporary.
1869 March 9 Lodge Slamannan John Watson John Chalmers Collier 20 Falls Fall of roof at face. Coal 30 inches. Long wall  
1869 March 9 Rosebank No 1 Cambuslang James Dunlop & Co Henry W Garvin Brusher 36 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof while engaged securing it  
1869 March 13 Wishaw Wishaw Wishaw Iron Co George Halley Collier 35 Falls Jammed by a fall of top coal  
1869 March 16 Stonecraigs Coltness Coltness Iron Co A Dalziel Drawer 15 Miscellaneous Crushed by cage at pit bottom. Mistake of signals Newspaper report
1869 March 17 Lochfitty Dunfermline Beath & Blairadam Coal Co Peter Webster Collier 30 Falls By the coal he was holing rolling over on him Newspaper report
1869 March 18 Niddrie Edinburgh John Grieve And King Drawer 15 Falls Fall of roof at face Newspaper report
1869 March 20 Overton Wishaw Coltness Iron Co J McCourt Collier 17 Falls Fall of roof while removing pillars  
1869 March 22 Swineridgemuir Beith Merry & Cunningham Andrew Barr Drawer 12 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal  
1869 April 2 Alloa Alloa Alloa Coal Co Wm Ramaye Collier 24 Falls Fall of coal while removing pillars  
1869 April 9 Coats Coatbridge Thomas Jackson James Judge Collier 22 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 April 14 Govan Glasgow W S Dixon Peter Shields Collier 22 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal while undermining it Newspaper Report
1869 April 14 Shotts Shotts Shotts Iron Co Pat Moore Collier 20 Ironstone mines – falls Fall of roof  
1869 April 21 Galston Galston John Horne Andrew Connal Roadsman 58 In shafts Was raised by the cage in the shaft when going off at a mid working In this case there were two seams of coal being worked at different levels. The deceased was a roadsman and general assistant, and had occasion to visit both seams. It appears that on the morning of the accident he, along with the manager, had been "signalled away" upon the cage from the lower seam. It was the intention of the deceased to go off at the upper seam, but from some cause the cage was not stopped at it. The bottomer at the upper seam, on being called upon to signal back the cage to that level, did so, and it was lowered accordingly. At this point some unfortunate misunderstanding as to signals took place, and the engine-man, instead of allowing the cage to remain steadily at the upper seam, raised it while the deceased was in the act of getting off. He was caught between the cage and the side of the shaft, and, after being dragged up a certain distance, fell away from the manager, who had partly a hold of him, to the bottom of the shaft.
The opening for getting off the shaft into the upper workings, was narrow and ill adapted for persons going off the cage at, and though it was occasionally used, particularly by the manager and his assistants, it was not the proper inlet from the shaft.
1869 April 24 Holmes No 3 Pit Galston John Horne Wm Drummond Waggoner 60 Above ground Was run over by a waggon from a “back-lye” when shifting the switches near to the screen From miscellaneous causes only one person was fatally injured. He was an experienced workman, and at the time of the accident was engaged putting some empty waggons into a “back lye” at the colliery. In this case the waggons, owing to the construction of the railway, when put in to motion, moved slowly, by an arrangement of switches, in to the different “lyes” alongside the pit. The deceased, it appears, had at the time been shifting the switches, when the waggons came upon him, and he, either by losing his footing or otherwise, was caught and crushed under them. So far as I could learn, the sufferer, who was 60 years of age, had injudiciously persisted in attending at the work while partially incapacitated from having been indulging too freely in the use of intoxicating drink.
1869 April 28 Westmuir Glasgow Robert Gray & Co David Greenshields Collier 19 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof at face  
1869 April 29 Strone Kilsyth Stone Colliery Co John McKay Collier 25 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof at face  
1869 May 1 Coltness Wishaw A G Simpson R Bradley Collier 30 Falls Fall of “brushing” at road head  
1869 May 1 Kinneil Bo'ness George Wilson & Co Richd Grant Collier 52 Falls Fall of roof in splint coal at face  
1869 May 6 Rosehall Airdrie Robert Addie & Sons J McNulty Brusher 30 Falls Fall of brushing while working at it  
1869 May 6 Springside Kilmarnock Archd Kenneth John Hutchison Roadsman 40 In shafts Was caught by the signal wire, and drawn off the cage, when about to repair it (the wire) On the day of the accident the "signal wire" in the shaft had broken, near to the connexion formed with the signal hammer at the surface, and the deceased, who was one of the underground assistants, repaired it. I understand that after the repair had been made, the pit had not been worked more than an hour, when the wire broke a second time. The deceased and a neighbouring workman, for the purpose of again repairing the wire, had gone on to the cage, and were in the act of being drawn up when the broken wire, hanging partially loose in the shaft, got entangled with the cage, and in some way coiling round the deceased, he was drawn off the cage, and fell down the shaft a distance of 50 feet or thereby.
It was an overlook on the part of the deceased to attempt to go up the division of the shaft where the wire was hanging loose and broken, without first communicating with the engineman as to the state of things, so that he might have raised the cage slowly, and taken all necessary precautions.
1869 May 6 Walliford Musselburgh J & C Christie W Wright Contractor 39 Falls Fall in main road while receding it  
1869 May 8 Dalzellowlie Maybole James Coupar Alexander Jones Collier 45 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal at face  
1869 May 10 Carnbrae Coatbridge Merry & Cunningham J McCorachie Collier 45 Falls Fall of roof at face  
1869 May 11 Benhar Whitburn George Simpson Rob Baxter pitheadman 46 Above ground Winding drum was out of gear and ran amain. He was struck by rope  
1869 May 18 Broomlands Irvine Bourtreehill Coal Co Andrew Stewart Drawer 15 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof at face  
1869 May 19 Edgehead Dalkeith Jno Christie J Aitken Collier 47 Falls Hurt by a piece of stone falling off roadside. Died in infirmary  
1869 May 24 Bankhead Galston Eglinton Iron Co Andrew Holland Collier 19 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof at face  
1869 May 24 Carfin Motherwell W S Dixon D Morrison Stoker 40 Miscellaneous Killed while greasing a beam in shaft  
1869 May 26 Overdalserf Motherwell R Wotherspoon Wm Adair Labourer 30 In shafts Ran “empty” into shaft when cage was not there, and fell in  
1869 May 31 Lochside No 3 Pit Kilbirnie Merry & Cunningham Chas Mulharen Labourer 55 Ironstone mines – in shafts Fell down the shaft by the cage being raised when he was in the act of getting off it  
1869 June 2 Bleeze Dalry Merry & Cunningham Alex Crawford Collier 40 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof at face  
1869 June 4 Alva Alloa James Johnstone James Gillespie Drawer 15 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal at face  
1869 June 4 Carfin Motherwell W S Dixon Jas Trotter Collier 40 Falls Fall of coal  
1869 June 7 Lumphinnans Lochgelly Lumphinnans Iron Co Thos Beveridge Collier -- Falls Fall of roof  
1869 June 8 Dalzellowlie Maybole James Coupar Alexander Paton Engineman 58 In shafts Fell down the shaft from the surface It is difficult to understand how this accident happened, and as no one saw the deceased fall into the shaft, it can only be conjectured that, as his oil pourie was found close to him at the pit bottom, he had gone near to the shaft for the purpose of oiling some of the parts of the machinery, and either overbalanced, or in some way fallen in. The parts of the machinery near to the shaft, and occasionally requiring a little attention, were ill situated for getting at, and the deceased, who had long acted as engine-man, and was advanced in years, had probably exposed himself rather more than was really necessary.
1869 June 15 Wishaw Wishaw Wishaw Iron Co Hugh Dickson Collier -- Falls Fall of roof  
1869 June 18 Gilmilnscroft Auchinleck James Watchman James Caddis Collier 45 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal at face  
1869 June 19 Knownoble Wishaw Scott & Gilmour William Ross Collier 30 Falls Fall of coal at face  
1869 June 24 Netherton Wishaw Scott & Gilmour Geo Arbuckle Collier -- Falls Fall of stone at face  
1869 June 25 Avonhead Airdrie Avonhead Coal Co ---- ---- ---- -- Above ground Engine out of gear and men ran down pit [Men were Michael Queen & James Murdoch-not named in report] Newspaper report
---- ---- ---- -- Above ground
1869 June 30 Annbank Ayr T J Gordon George Dunlop Pony driver 16 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal on a roadway  
1869 July 1 Dundonald Lochgelly Mr Naysmith Thos McMahon Collier 42 Miscellaneous Ran down on incline. Place of refuge close by  
1869 July 3 Alloa Alloa Alloa Coal Co Jas Mitchel Roadsman 40 Falls Fall of stone while repairing road  
1869 July 10 Ashyard Galston James Eaglesham William White Collier 22 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal  
1869 July 10 Lucknow Stevenston Merry & Cunningham Joseph Kelso Collier 16 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 July 17 Dalharco No 2 Dalmellington Dalmellington Iron Co Robert Hamilton Collier 28 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal  
1869 July 19 Tunnel Pit Coatbridge Drumpeller Coal Co Robert Graham Collier 53 Explosions Explosion of fire damp The workings of this pit were principally confined to the broken or taking out pillars. The deceased on the morning of the accident went into his place as directed by the fireman, and continued to work therein for about six hours, when a small accumulation of gas was ignited at his open lamp, and he was injured by it, at first it was thought slightly ; but he was an aged man, and died from the effects of it about a week after,
Apparently the gas had been forced out upon the deceased's lamp ; it may have been by a fall of roof beyond the possible range of the fireman's inspection, but the ventilation at that particular place was weak and barely sufficient to cope with any unusual discharge of gas.
This points to the necessity for the strict use of safety lamps while taking out pillars, if gas is suspected to exist.
1869 July 23 Niddrie Edinburgh J & C Grieve Thos Denholm Labourer 25 Miscellaneous Killed on incline. Mistake of signals  
1869 July 26 Barleith Hurlford John Galloway & Co James Young Fireman 50 Explosions Explosion of fire damp In this case the deceased acted as fireman, and was otherwise engaged assisting in the management of the pit. It appears that one of the working places, A, fig. 3, near to the extreme of one of the sections of work, had been abandoned for some time.
The brattice by which the air was guided into it was not quite up to the face, consequently the air did not pass farther than the end of the brattice, or about 30 feet from the face of the coal. Between the end of the brattice and the coal a small quantity of gas had accumulated. I understand that on the day of the accident the deceased and an assistant had gone into the place A for the purpose of extending the brattice, to clear out the gas, and getting it put into working order. They had extended the brattice 12 feet, or to within 18 feet of the coal face; they had used safety lamps to work with, but kept their open lights back, as at B, about 38 feet from the face. It is understood that at the time of the accident the assistant had gone from the face to where the open lights were placed with the safety lamp for the purpose of trimming it, and during his absence the deceased had commenced to " waff" or displace the gas beyond the brattice, when either by passing back the " intake" to B, or along the return towards C, and finding an opening through the imperfect brattice, it ignited at the open lights at B. There was a slight explosion, by which they were both burned, and the deceased shortly after died from the effects of the injuries.
This description of accident should never happen. Under the circumstances it was absurd to allow open lights to be near to the gas, although the quantity was small, while in the act of displacing it; and it is difficult to conceive how a steady careful man, such as the deceased is reported to have been, should have acted so inconsiderately.
1869 July 30 Rosehall Airdrie R Addie & Sons M Cairns Brusher 40 Falls Fall of brushing he was working at  
1869 August 5 Barrhill Cannock Eglinton Iron Co Andrew Weir Miner 30 Ironstone mines – in shafts Was struck by a kettle which got disengaged while being raised, and fell on him  
1869 August 18 Middhill Holytown Hurl & Young James McKinnon Boy 13 In shafts Ran “empty” in wrong opening and fell down pit  
1869 August 19 Wishaw Wishaw Wishaw Iron Co James Stark Collier 48 Falls Fall of roof  
1869 August 25 Newbattle Dalkeith Marquis of Lothian W Mitchel Collier 15 Above ground Ran on to cage while it was in motion and crushed by it  
1869 August 30 Maidenbank Muirkirk Eglinton Iron Co Andrew Gemmell Collier 25 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal at face  
1869 August 31 Cadder Bishopbriggs Carron Iron Co John Allen Pit-headman 35 Ironstone mines – above ground Was struck by the winding rope in its descent down the shaft, after breaking  
1869 September 3 Haywood Wilsonton Haywood Coal Co Rob Pillans Collier 33 Miscellaneous Squeezed by hutch on incline  
1869 September 3 Stevenston Stevenston Merry & Cunningham John Duff Collier 20 In shafts Was crushed in the shaft while being raised  
1869 September 8 Cowdenbeath Dunfermline Smith Sligo A Hunter Collier 52 Falls Fall of roof at face  
1869 September 11 Shieldmuir Motherwell Wilsons & Co W McCrae Collier 35 Falls Fall of stone  
1869 September 15 Neilston Kilsyth James Wallace & Co Alex Fisher Collier 33 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof at face  
1869 September 17 Milnwood Holytown Jno Christie Jas McGill Collier 18 Falls Fall of roof at face  
1869 September 20 Quarter Hamilton Colin Dunlop & Co W Fleming Sinker 42 In shafts Rope caught on bunton and fell on him  
1869 September 22 Elphingstone Musselburgh Deans & Moore Jno Ferguson Drawer 14 Miscellaneous Squeezed while putting something on cage in motion  
1869 September 28 Benhar Whitburn R Addie & Sons J Salsburgh pitheadman 52 In shafts Ran hutch into wrong side of shaft and fell after it  
1869 October 8 Peep o'Day Airdrie Monkland Iron & Steel Co Robert Watson Sinker 35 Ironstone mines – above ground Got entangled with the crank of the pumping engine  
1869 October 9 Newbattle Dalkeith Marquis of Lothian J Buchan Labourer 50 Above ground While putting crane in single gear with weight on, it overpowered 6 men, of which these were two  
J Shimm Labourer 50
1869 October 12 Neilston No 1 Kilsyth W Baird & Co Alexander Patrick Roadsman 27 Ironstone mines – miscellaneous Explosion of gunpowder whilst stemming a shot  
1869 October 15 Brownieside Airdrie Shotts Iron Co G Smillie Sinker 42 In shafts Fall of hanging scaffold  
1869 October 15 Castlehill Carluke Shotts Iron Co J Cameron Sinker 40 Miscellaneous Suffocated by choke damp  
1869 October 23 Drumshangie Airdrie Law & Brand Joseph Eager Drawer 30 Miscellaneous Crushed by cage at pit bottom. Mistake of signals  
1869 October 24 Limerigg Slammanan Robert Baird W Jackson Collier -- Miscellaneous Crushed by cage while attempting to cross the bottom  
1869 October 30 Balquhatstone Slammanan Jno Watson Chas Morgan Collier 22 In shafts Fall off rope which he was attempting to slide down  
1869 October 30 Garriongill Wishaw Coltness Iron Co Wm McGhie Collier 17 Miscellaneous Jammed by hutches on incline. He had no business there  
1869 November 11 Eastfield Cambuslang T G Buchanan James Lindsay Collier 20 Falls of coal and roof Fall of coal at face  
1869 November 15 Burnbank Galston Boyd, Gilmour & Co Richard Armour Labourer 32 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 November 15 Todds Calder Coatbridge W S Dixon Peter Gillespie Brusher 37 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 November 16 Glespin Douglas James Gwann J McLean Engine 20 Above ground Fell in between wheels, while greasing them in motion  
1869 November 16 Stepends Airdrie Summerlee Iron Co R Know Engineman 40 Above ground Fell in among machinery  
1869 November 16 Townhill Dunfermline Townhill Coal Co A Hynd Collier 25 Falls Fall of roof Newspaper report
Jas Milne Collier 29
1869 November 20 Fergushill No 17 Kilwinning Archd Finnie Alexander Bryden Drawer 14 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof  
1869 November 27 Cadder Bishopbriggs Carron Iron Co John Bankier Sinker 30 Ironstone mines – in shafts Breakage of a chain, which knocked him off a scaffold in its descent  
1869 December 8 Kirkwood Coatbridge John Hendrie Thomas White Sinker 48 In shafts Struck by a stone which fell from the side of the shaft  
1869 December 9 West Pleans Bannockburn Moyes Murray & Co Thomas Robertson Pit-headman 23 In shafts Fell down the shaft from the surface The deceased was a young man and assistant pit-headman, and at the time of the accident he was engaged emptying a water chest, and returning with it to be placed upon the cage, when he fell into the shaft and was fatally injured.
If self-acting moveable fences, such as are in use at the majority of pits, had been in operation this unfortunate accident could not have happened.
1869 December 14 Burgh Colliery Irvine A G Simpson William Cairns Fireman 40 Explosions Explosion of fire damp The unfortunate sufferer in this case was a young lad who worked with a collier in the "main" seam. It appears to have been arranged with the oversman that they should change their place of work from the main to the " ell" coal, and they had their choice of the walls A, B, fig. 4. I understand that on the morning of the accident the deceased had gone into the "ell" coal, as explained by the person with whom he worked, for the purpose of examining the roads leading into the walls A and B, to find out which of them would be the most suitable for "drawing" upon, and while in the act of going into the wall-face A, a quantity of firedamp was ignited at his lamp, and by which he and the person who was working in the wall C were seriously injured.
In this case the fireman had wilfully neglected to examine the colliery before allowing the workmen to enter to their work. He was charged by the Procurators Fiscal, Messrs. Hart and Gemmell, with culpable homicide, also culpable neglect of duty, and tried by the sheriff of Lanark and a jury. He was found guilty of culpable neglect of duty, (the charge of culpable homicide was not proven,) and sentenced to one month's imprisonment or pay a fine of £10.
1869 December 14 Mount Vernon Baillieston John Young Walter Davidson Collier 16 Explosions Explosion of fire damp The deceased was night fireman, and on the evening of the accident, before allowing the workmen to descend to their work, he in making his examination discovered that the ventilation was defective. He dismissed the workmen on account of the pit not being in a fit state for persons to work in, but after a few hours he again descended with an open light for the purpose of making a farther examination when, as reported, a quantity of fire-damp was ignited at his unprotected light near to the pit bottom. Owing to the situation of the "waste" of this pit, it is difficult to comprehend how an explosion of firedamp could happen at the pit-bottom without being much more destructive than the one in question. And no doubt a flask of gunpowder had been exploded in addition to any other explosion, which of itself might possibly have accounted for the accident.
There was something painful about this occurrence, the poor fellow, on account of a derangement of the "slides" in the shaft, having to lie a considerable time at the bottom of the pit before he could be got up. He lived a few weeks after the accident, but died from the effects of the injuries.
1869 December 18 Cleland Holytown Monkland Iron Co R Adair Roadsman 35 Above ground Struck on head by a block falling from pulley  
1869 December 21 Faskine Airdrie Wm Baird & Co James Smith Sinker 18 Ironstone mines – falls of ironstone and roof Fall of roof at face while engaged securing it  
1869 December 22 Mount Vernon Baillieston John Young John Connolly Collier 48 Falls of coal and roof Fall of roof at face Lanarkshire accidents
1869 December 23 Kenmuir Airdrie Wilsons & Co Pat Develine Miner 26 Ironstone mines – falls of ironstone and roof Fall of roof  
1869 December 30 Kinneil Bo'ness Kinneil Iron Co R Grant Miner 13 Falls Fall of stone from roof of working place  

 

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