Mining is a dangerous activity and unfortunately many have been injured and died working in the pit.
Between 1875 and 1965 114 men lost their lives at Hamstead Colliery with the worst loss of life in 1908 that made the national headlines.
These pages remember those who died or were injured at Hamstead.
The base data that supports this information was created by Ian Winstanley for his website, The Coalmining History Resource Centre. The information in the database is derived from primary historical sources. The website includes information about more than 164,000 accidents and deaths in the coal mining industry. Ian Winstanley has recorded his sincerest gratitude to Ancestry for hosting and making this National Database searchable and freely available.at https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62506/#aboutSection
This information has been added to with reference to newspaper articles and information provided by relatives.
Each record has the date of the incident, the summary of the cause of death and the role and age of the miner, plus any additional information found.
For a list of miners occupations see this list from the Durham Miners Museum http://www.dmm.org.uk/educate/mineocc.htm
14 September 1910
A Bump Occurred in A Thick Coal Working, and Was Immediately Followed By A Heavy Fall of Roof Coal Over an Area 20ft. By 15ft. and 5ft. Thick. Six Props Were Discharged and the Two Deceased Were Killed Instantly. 2 Killed
Employed as Loader, age 26
7 January 1909
Deceased Was Taking Off Coal From the Side of A Thick Coal Stall, When A Bump Caused and A Piece of Coal Weighing About 4cwts. to Fall, Exposing A Slip At the Hack of It. the Piece of Coal Knocked Deceased Down and Fractured One of His Legs. He Was Taken to the Hospital Where He Died on March 1st From Pneumonia Following Upon the Injuries Received
Employed as Loader, age 36
21 November 1911
Deceased Had Finished His Work in the Opening, and Was Walking Down the Side of A Heap of Coal Towards the Gate Road, When A Large Piece of Coal and Top Dirt Fell Off the Lip of the Road and Struck Him Down. Simultaneously A Quantity of Loose Coal Rolled From the Upper Part of the Heap and Buried Him. When Released He Was Found to Have Died From Suffocation. There Was A Visible Line of Fracture At Both Ends of the Piece of Coal Which Fell. It Should Have Been Got Down
Employed as Stallman, age 56
12 July 1887
Fall of Coal in A Thick Coal Opening Which Injured Deceased Fatally and Another Seriously. Cause, A Sharp Bump. Employed as Pikeman, age 56
19 december 1914
Deceased Was Working At Some Side Landing in A Thick Coal Stall. He Had Partly Undergotten A Length of Coal, But As the Coal Was Very Strong, the Stallman Thought A Shot Necessary to Get It Down. Deceased Was Cutting It A Little At the Fast End When the Piece Fell, and He Apparently Stepped in Front of It, Being Killed Instantly. the Fall Was 10 Feet Long, 4 Feet Thick At the Top, and the Height of the Place 6 Feet. It Came Off to A Slip At the Back, Running to the Loose End
Employed as Loader. age 45 of 2 back 4 Harlington Road Aston
23 February 1909
Deceased Was Redding and Packing on A Main Haulage Road Which Dipped 1 in 9 Inbye. the Haulage Was By Endless Rope At A Speed of Two Miles Per Hour. the Loaded Tubs Were Attached to the Rope in Sets of Four By A Screw-Down Clamp in Front and A Two Pronged Fork Was Attached to the Back of the Last Tub in Each Set. the Empty Tubs Were Attached in Sets of Eight By Similar Clamps Fore and Aft, on Account of Irregularities in the Gradient. an Empty Set Had Apparently Become Derailed and the Clamp in Front of It Broken. Pressed Forward By the Rear Clamp, the Set Buckled Across the Road, Caught an Outgoing Full Set, Broke the Clamp in Front of It, and Set the Tubs Amain. the Strain on the Rope At the Point Lifted It Off the Floor and the Fork Being Astride, Slid Along Without Derailing the Tubs Or Impeding Their Motion. Deceased Presumably Concluded From the Noise Made By the Empty Tubs That They Had Broken Away, and Stepped Across to the Full Road to Avoid Them. the Loaded Tubs Ran Back Rapidly and Comparatively Noiselessly, and Crushed Him Against the Following Loaded Set, Killing Him Instantly. the Accident Shows the Unreliability of A Two-Pronged Fork Under Such Conditions
Employed ass Loader, age 37
9 June 1910, died 14 days later
Deceased Was Working At A Curve in the Haulage Road When, Owing to the Breakage of A Drawbar of A Tub, Two Full Tubs Rail Back, and A Piece of Coal, Thrown Off One of the Tubs, Struck Him in the Abdomen and Caused Injuries From Which He Died
Employed as Gripper, age 18
9 December 1900, died 16th December.
Explosion of Firedamp. Employed as Loader, age 25.
4 September 1893
Fell From Scaffold Into Sump of Upcast Shaft. Employed as a Dataller, age 38.
6 September 1913
Deceased Was Engaged in Taking Down the Top Layers of the Thick Coal in Small Opening. the Opening Was Apparently Adequately Timbered But A Bump Occurred Which Reeled Out the Timber and A Fall Resulted. Deceased Was Almost Liberated From the First Fall When A Second One Occurred Completely Burying Him
Employed as Stallman, age 29
18 August 1901
Explosion of Firedamp. Cause Naked Lights and Inadequate Ventilation. 2 Killed.
Employed as Stallman, age 20
27 October 1913
Deceased Had Been in the Stall Where the Accident Happened and Had Carefully Examined It Three Times Previously During the Shift. the Stall Was Almost Finished and Deceased Was Evidently Anxious For the Safety of His Men. He Took Two Stallmen With Him on to Some Fallen Coal and Sounded the Roof Over the Whole Area of the Stall Even Sounding the Piece Which Afterwards Fell and Caused His Death, After Sounding the Roof Deceased and the Stallmen Turned and Were Coming Down Off the Coal When the Stone Fell and Struck Deceased on the Back of the Neck, Fracturing It. Dolan Was an Experienced and Careful Man Being Respected By Officials and Workmen Alike
Employed as a Deputy, age 38
6 November 1919
Explosion of Gas. 2 Killed
16 December 1921
Buried A Month Previous At the Hamstead Colliery At Had Still Not Been Recovered. 2 Killed. (Colliery Guradian
21 June 1907
Deceased and Another Man Were Working in A Small Opening in Thick Coal Seam About 6 Feet in Height When There Was A Heavy Bump and the Top Coal About 3 Feet 6 Inches Thick and A Tough Shale 8 Inches Thick Fell All Over the Opening, Breaking Over the Timbers Deceased Was Completely Buried and It Took Nearly Two Hours to Recover the Body. He Had Tapped the Top Coal Shortly Before the Accident. the Undermanager Visited the Place At 8a.m. and Remarked Upon Its Good Condition
Employed as Stallman, age 55
19 Jun 1902
Poisoned By Carbonic Oxide From an Underground Fire While Travelling Return Airway. 2 Killed
Employed as Deputies Companion, age 24
1 June 1888
Fall of Coal in A Thick Coal Stall. Cause, A Bump" Which Knocked Out A Tree. Employed as Stallman, age 25
21 August 1902
Crushed Between Tub (Drawn By Horse) and Post At Side of Road. No One Saw How the Accident Occurred
Employed as aDriver, age 28
23rd January 1939
Fractured dislocation of cervical spine due to being accidentally knocked down by a
fall of coal when following his occupation of a coal miner.
Employed as Pikeman, age 39 from Hartland Road, West Bromwich.
8 February 1911, died 24 May
Deceased Had Been Down the Pit, But As There Was No Work For Him He, With Eight Others, Returned to the Surface, Some of the Men Alighting From One Side of the Cage and Some From the Other. Deceased Was the Last to Pass the Banksman, Who Then Proceeded to Push the Empty Tubs on to the Cage, But on Turning Round He Saw Deceased Fastened Under One of the Drop Cages Used For the Simultaneous Decking. He Was Severely Crushed Why Deceased Went Under the Fence and Beneath the Drop Cages Instead of Taking the Proper Road Is Inexplicable.
Employed asd Loader, age 34
19 June 1911
Deceased Was Lifting A Tub in an Opening in the Thick Coal, When A Bump Occurred, Causing A Piece of Coal to Be Projected From an Unseen Slip. He Was Struck on the Back and Severely Injured. He Died on the Same Day
Employed as a Loader, age 42
29 February 1908
Deceased, the Manager, and A Deputy Were Spraying Water Upon A Fire in the Main Return Air Courses Presumably Caused By A Small Furnace Which Had Been in Use For About Two Years For the Purpose of Drying the Return Air the Moisture in Which Had Been Found to Affect the Strata Forming the Roof and Sides and to Cause Frequent Falls. Deceased Inadvertently Turned the Spray Upon the Heated Side, When the Rock Immediately Cracked, and A Heavy Fall Too Place Completely Burying Him and Slightly Injuring Others. Deceased Was Covered By About Tons of Heated Rock. He Was Extricated in an Hour and Half But Was Found to Be Dead
Employed as Undermanager, age 48
28 August 1905
Poisoned By Gob Stink
Employed as Examiner, age 38, lived at 66 Bradford Street Hamstead
8 May1902
Crushed Between Tubs Arid Door. the Tubs Appeared to Have Been Insufficiently Lockered When Left in Shunt and They Ran By Gravitation to Where Jenkins Was Repairing A Door Frame
Employed as Dataller, age 67.
12 January 1901
Fall of Roof Coal and Timber in the Thick Coal Seam. Cause A Bump. Employed as Pikeman, age 29
17 July 1899
Fall of Roof Undergoing in A Brooch Coal Head When Resetting Timber. Employed as Pikeman, age 42
23 March 1905
Fall of Roof (Coal) in an Opening in the Thick Coal When the Coal Had Only Been Got Out to A Height of 6 Feet. on the Occurrence of A Bump A Large Piece of Roof Coal Fell From Between Two Slips Knocked Out Two Or Three Posts Set Under It
Employed as Loader. age 26
7 May 1886, died 21st May.
A Piece of Coal Which Was on A Heap 14 Feet High Rolled Down and Crushed Him Against A Tub. Employed as Loader, age 35
1 November 1905
While Repairing in A Steep Part of an Endless Rope Haulage Road A Tub Which Had Been Left At the Top of the Steep Part With Two Lockers in the Wheels Was Bumped By Other Tubs Shoved By A Waggoner, and Ran Uncontrolled Down the Steep Part and Ran on to Deceased
Employed as Loader, age 39
14 may 1888, died 15 May.
His Head Was Crushed Against the Roof When Riding in an Empty Tub. the Tub Bad By Some Means Left the Rails.Employed as Door Boy, age 14
18 March 1940
Killed by Fall of Roof. One other killed Whettle, Wilfred Ronald and 11 others injured.
Employed as Storeman for three years, age 35 married with one child, from Stewarts Road, Walsall Wood
18 August 1901
Explosion of Firedamp. Cause Naked Lights and Inadequate Ventilation. 2 Killed.
Employed as Loader, age 22.
14 December 1900
Fall of Coal in Thick Coal Opening From Side of Pillar. Cause A Bump. Employed as Stallman, age44.
26 August 1889
Rate of Coal From Side. Cause A Heavy Bump. Employed as Stallman, age 34
14 September 1910
A Bump Occurred in A Thick Coal Working, and Was Immediately Followed By A Heavy Fall of Roof Coal Over an Area 20ft. By 15ft. and 5ft. Thick. Six Props Were Discharged and the Two Deceased Were Killed Instantly. 2 Killed
Employed as Pikeman, age 46
31 May 1878
Fall of Side of A Roadway in Red Measures Driven For Pound Room Near Sinking Pit. Employed as Sinker, age 50
31 October 1901
Fall of Roof. For Some Reason He Went Under the Coal Which the Stallman Was Getting Down. It Fell Upon Him and Killed Him. Employed as Loader. age 41.
8 September 1908
Deceased Was Working At the Side in A Still of the Thick Goal, His Son and Another Man Being Also Employed in the Stall, When Suddenly A Bump Reeled Out Part of the Timber and Brought Down A Quantity of Top Coal. Deceased Was Knocked Down Partially Buried With His Face on the Floor and Was Suffocated. the Deputy Had Been in the Stall Less Than Five Minutes Before the Accident and Considered It Safe and Well Timbered
Employed as Stallman, age 46
2 June 1882
The Engineman Ran the Descending Bowk With Great Force Into the Bottom of the Shaft, Killed This Man, and Injured Two Others. Employed as Sinker, age 47.
9 April 1906
Deceased Was Taking A Loaded Tub of Coal Outbye in the Thick Seam When A Bump Took Place and About 20 Tons of Coal Fell Killing Both Him and His Horse
Employed as Driver, age 29
16 December 1921
Buried A Month Previous At the Hamstead Colliery At Had Still Not Been Recovered. 2 Killed. (Colliery Guradian).
11 Jun 1904
Fall of Side (Coal) While Assisting to Extinguish A Fire in A Thirling Between Main Intake and Return in Thick Coal Seam
Employed as Pikeman, age 55
23 November 1910
Deceased Was Preparing to Drop Top Coal in an Opening 7 Yards By 6 Yards. He Was Loosening One of the Trees With A Pricker When the Roof Collapsed Over the Whole Area, Knocking Out the Trees, and Burying and Suffocating Deceased Near the Bolt-Hole. After the Fall, Slips Were Exposed Along Two Sides of the Opening
Employed as Stallman, age 37
19 June 1902
Poisoned By Carbonic Oxide From an Underground Fire While Travelling Return Airway. 2 Killed, the other being Flavell, John
Employed as Deputy, age 35.
6 September 1907
Deceased Was Waking Outbye Along an Engine Plane At the Close of His Shift. the Endless Haulage Rope Which Travels At the Speed of 1.5m.p.h. Is Usually Stopped While Persons Are Travelling But on This Occasion As the Landing Was Blocked With Tubs and the Men Could Not Get Out of the Level the Rope Was Kept Going to Clear the Road. Deceased Was Walking on the Empty Road Where the Engine Plane Was 10 Feet 7 Inches Wide and There Was A Clear Width of 6 Feet Between the Full Tubs and the Empty Side of the Road. Someone Shouted 'look Out, the Horses Are Coming' the Shouting Was Apparently A Clumsy Attempt At A Practical Joke As No Horses Were Coming But It Alarmed Deceased Who Attempted to Step on the Coupling Between A Full Tub and A Water Tank Which Was Passing Him At the Time. He Slipped and Fell Under the Tub Which Crushed His Head Severely Resulting in His Death A Few Minutes Afterwards. the Identity of the Person Who Shouted Could Not Be Discovered But His Mischievous Or Thoughtless Act Was Undoubtedly the Cause of the Boys Death
Employed as a Doorboy. age 14
21 April 1888, died 23 April.
Crushed By Cage At Pit Top Through Some Misunderstanding As to Signals.Employed as Cager, age 40.
6 April 1886
A Very Loud Bump Caused A Fall of Timber and Roof Coal on Him and Killed Him. Employed as Horse Driver, age 20.
18 March 1940
Killed by Fall of Roof. One other killed - Mills, Charles Henry, and 11 others injured.
Employed as Horse Driver, age 17 , from High Street Cradley
30 June 1904
Fall of Roof (Coal) in Bolt Hole in Thick Coal. A Lump of Coal Fell Out From Between A Slip and A Break in the Roof of the Bolt HoleEmployed as Stallman, age 37
13 July 1934, died 20 July 1934
Crushed between tubs
Employed as miner, age 48, from Victoria Terrace, Dawson Road, Handsworth
7 November 1913
An Old Road Which Had Been Standing For , Many Years Was Being Reopened. the Road Had Arched Itself, and One Side an Open , Break Ran in the Coal Parallel With the Road. Deceased Had Tried to Pull With His Pick , Part of This Rate of Coal, But Failing to Do So Continued to Dress Off Sufficient to , Enable Him to Get A Setting of Timber In. Suddenly A Portion of the Rate Broke Off , and Knocked Deceased Down. He Fell on His Back Across the Rails, and Sustained A , Fractured Dislocation of the Spine, From Which He Died Too Days Later. the Rate , Should Have Been Got Off With A Bar
Employed as Pikeman, age 47