Southport Colliery

12th. September 1892.
Serious Accident.
A serious accident was reported at the Southport Pit in which three men lost their lives. Thomas Sharrock aged 41 years the manager of the colliery, Peter Cook aged 24 years, a fireman and Thomas Ball aged 28 years, a collier were the victims. At 7.15 a.m. in the 2nd. hour of the shift, they were suffocated by firedamp following an explosion. The shaft had just been completed and several men were engaged in opening out the roadways when the explosion took place. The certificated manager went down and he and two others were overcome by fumes and died. (Mines Inspectors Report) (Colliery Guardian)

12th. May 1893. Fatal Accident. A collier named James Percival met with a shocking accident when he fell out of the cage 210 yards to the bottom of the shaft. The Coroner, Mr. Brighouse, held the inquest at the Waggon and Horses and Mr. John Robinson said the shaft was 500 yards deep and when the cage was ascending, the cage struck a bearer at the gangway of the Nine Foot Mine. There were guide rods and the cage was held in position by 3-ton weights at the bottom. Mr. Thomas Robinson, the mechanical engineer at the colliery, said the normal vibration of the cage was 1 or 2 inches and he had not known a cage to vibrate so much. The vibration could have been caused by the engine as it started. Mr. Hall, the Government Inspector, found it difficult to say how the vibration was caused. The jury brought in a verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ with a recommendation that the Company should fit additional guard rails. Mr. Robinson said that this would be done. (St Helens Lantern) (Mines Inspectors Report)

2nd. February 1906.
St. Helens Colliery Fatality.
Rescuers Gallantry Commended. The body of Richard Moss, aged 46 years, of 3, Latham Road, Haydock who was buried at the colliery from Wednesday morning until Friday afternoon was held at the Town Hall on Saturday. Moss was working with a man named John Ainsworth and in the morning about 11 o’clock Moss went to the brow and the face suddenly caved in. It is supposed that the slope of the roof caused a stone to slide sideways onto the timber. The deceased was covered. Frank Lee of 28, Rose Street, Haydock heard the sound of moaning coming from under the debris and looked in the direction of John Ainscough, a farmer, of 198, Church Road, Haydock. The rescue was carried out. When he was found the deceased had a timber across his back. Mr. Matthews the Government Inspector said that he agreed with the evidence and that he complimented the rescuers. They had worked bravely in a dangerous place. A verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ was recorded and the Coroner thought Ainscough and Ainsworth should be highly commended. They had worked for twenty-seven ours to release the man. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)

26th. February 1909.
Remarkable Evidence At Haydock Inquest.
At the inquest before Mr Brighouse at the Waggon and Horses on William Davies, of 136, Chancery Lane, St. Helens, the inquiry heard that he spent long hours in the mine. His death was due to complications due to a mishap while he was at work and which was only known to have occurred by a statement of his own. He was at work on the 10th. February, and when he was at work lashing and worked until 5 a.m. the next morning and then he continued until 11 a.m. According to his statement, the rope made a jerk and caught his left leg causing him to fall on the landing plate. He told the fireman on duty and worked until the pit stopped at 3.20 p.m. Arthur Wade the fireman at the pit said the deceased had taken charge of the tubs that had been brought up to the landing place. Mr. Robinson, the manager of the colliery, said the deceased He was down the pit from 8 p.m. on Wednesday until 3.20 a.m. on Thursday. The Coroner said that when the Eight Hour Bill came into force he would not be able to do that. It was also found that he had worked three sifts with one hour between. The next day he worked until stopping time. On the 13th of February, Dr. Jackson of Haydock caused him to be removed to the Cottage Hospital and death took place two days later. At a post-mortem, the doctors when the found he had a disease that had caused his death brought on by the accident. His forearm was thickened and inflamed and there had been an operation to relieve the swelling and gathering and there were signs of trouble to the lungs. The cause of death was blood poisoning due to inflammation of the bones. Sympathy for the deceased relatives was express and the jury returned a verdict that ‘death was due to disease set up by the accident’. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)

7th. May 1909.
Sudden Death Of Haydock Collier.
Mr. Brighouse, the County Coroner, at St. Helens at the inquest into the death of Thomas Duffy of 53, Clipsley Lane, Haydock heard evidence from John Lemington, a daywageman, of Morgan Street, St. Helens, stated that shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday, he went to work at the balance in the mine and he took a dozen empty boxes to the motion brow and the deceased did not complain and came to work on Friday morning. When they had walked about 100 yards the deceased fell and the witness asked him if he was alright said he was and got up and they began filling in and Duffy became unconscious. Assistance was obtained and they got him to the pit eye where they found he was dead and removed him to the mortuary. It was said that his death was in no way connected with the colliery Company and the doctor gave evidence of the post-mortem which was performed by Drs. Johnson, Thompson and O’Keiff. They found that death was due to heart failure due to disease of the blood vessels and he was liable to die at any moment. A verdict of ‘Death by natural causes’ was recorded. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)

17th. February 1911.
Fatal Railway Siding Accident.
Mr. Brighouse, the County Coroner held the inquest into the death of Henry Gaffney aged 51 years of Burtonwood Cottages, who was killed on the 9th. by being run over on the Sankeybrook sidings. Mr. Mortram, the Government Inspector of mines was present at the inquiry. Matthew Smith, a collier, of 13, Wood Cottages said the deceased had lived with him for some years and was employed at the Southport colliery. He saw him alive in the morning and died in the sidings the same afternoon. He was a waggon repairer and they were working together on two waggons on the Brook siding and he was fitting a brake block on one of the waggons. While they were talking, two waggons were being shunted in and they knocked the empty waggons. They both had to jump and the deceased was killed and he escaped. The waggons were going to the brick kilns. The witness said he did not hear a whistle. The surface foreman who lived at 199, Newton Road, saw the accident take place and he shouted for them to get out of the way George West, the brakesman, started to lower the waggons and looked to see if anyone was in front but could not see anyone. He had his hand on the brake which he applied when he heard the shout. A verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ was returned but it was recommended that there should be a red flag on the waggons when they were being repaired. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)

24th April 1925.
Haydock Miners’ Death.
A verdict of death by natural causes was recorded at the inquest into the death of Thomas Berry 60 a miner who resided in Haydock Lane who was injured by a fall of roof at the Southport Pit about 18 months ago. Dr Cobban did the pm and said that death was due to cancer of the pylorus. He did not think that the fall of the roof was the cause of death Dr. Dowling was called by Mr McDonald and he was present at the post-mortem and agreed with the statement as to the cause of death. (Newton & Earlestown Guardian)

Information supplied by Ian Winstanley and the Coal Mining History Resource Centre.