Single Record

Full Details

Surname

FLETCHER

Forename

James Melrose

Day

28

Month

05

Year

1936

Age

14

Occupation

Haulage Lad

Mine/Quarry Name

Newtongrange, Lingerwood Pit

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Lothian Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Newtongrange

County

Edinburghshire

Details of Event

28 May 1936: Newtongrange Pit Worker fatally Injured - James Fletcher, 34 The Square, Newtongrange, a young underground haulage attendant employed by the Lothian Coal Company (Ltd) in Lingerwood Pit, was yesterday found fatally injured. How the lad sustained his injuries is unknown, as no one witnessed the accident. [Scotsman 29 May 1936] Newbattle Pit Accident - Inquiry into Boy 's Death – Cause A Mystery - A public inquiry was conducted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday before Sheriff-Principal Brown and a jury into the circumstances attending an accidents at a Newbattle colliery last month, in which a 14-years-old boy was killed. Questions regarding the accident and the employment at the mine of a boy under 15 years of age have been raised in the House of Commons. The boy was James Melrose Fletcher, son of Joseph Fletcher, a miner, The Square, Newtongrange. The boy was a haulage attendant in the employment of the Lothian Coal Company, and it was stated that he was at work on the electric motor on the haulage for the Whitehill sinking dook at Newbattle Lingerwood Colliery when apparently he was caught between the haulage rope and the rope drum and instantaneously killed. It was stated that it was against the regulations to employ a boy of Fletcher's age in work of that description. Stephen Nelson a miner, Lingerwood Road, Newtongrange, said that on the day of the accident he gave the signal, and the haulage at the dook started as usual. After travelling about 250 fathoms he noticed the haulage slow down and stop. He shouted up the dook to Fletcher, "What's wrong Jimmy?" "I got no reply" he said, "then walked up the dook to see what was wrong. I found Fletcher's body lying on top of the winding drum, with his head near the clutch of the motor. He had apparently been killed instantaneously. In reply to Mr E. Frazer, O.B.E., H.M. Divisional Inspector of Mines for Scotland, witness said he could not explain how the accident occurred, as Fletcher was there alone. It was suggested in the course of further questions put by agents representing various parties that there might have been trouble with the rope not running smoothly on the drum, and that against the regulations Fletcher might have climbed in front of the engine to guide the rope straight. James Watson, Ninth Street, Newtongrange, fireman, who said he looked after the Whitehill dook section, said he personally had never heard complaints about the rope not running properly on the drum. He was not aware that the boy was not 15 years of age. "I got the shock of my life when I heard his age on the day of the accident" he said. Witness agreed that there would not have been any difficulty about fencing the front of the drum from floor to roof, with a slot to allow the rope to run through, and that the front could have been made perfectly secure by fencing. In reply to an agent for the Lothian Coal Company, witness agreed that No.suggestion had been made before that the fencing was not quite adequate. It was fenced on the sides, and that seemed to him all that was required. Alexander Meek, The Saughs, Newtongrange , manager of the Lingerwood Pit, said he had considered the boy competent for the job. Fletcher, he said had never made any complaint about any difficulties, and he (witness ) thought the machine was adequately fenced. The rope did not require guiding, and he could not account for Fletcher being in the position in which he was found. The boy had been two months at that particular job. Replying to Mr Andrew Clarke, secretary of the Mid and East Lothian Miners' Association , witness said the boy was working before he came to the pit, and he had No.occasion therefore to ask him his age. He had thought Fletcher was 18 years of age. "He was a tall boy; he was a strong and a willing boy" said witness who added that had he known that Fletcher was not 15 years of age he would never have allowed him to be employed at the work. "This is a very distressing case," remarked the Sheriff, "and it is rather a mysterious accident too.'' The jury returned a formal verdict. [Scotsman 19 June 1936]