Coal Mine Accident = Machen, Monmouthshire

[The Geneal Geologist]

April Betty - When looking for Welsh coalminers, who have names that are not obviously Welsh, I would suggest searching Bristol area records. Many miners left the exhausted pits in and around Kingswood, Bristol in the C19th and went to join the new coal in South Wales (as was the case for a number of my Bristol mining families). I am assuming HAMMOND could be of English origin.

Good luck.

Mark

[Comosus]

Does the site only record accidents where several people died?

After searching through the burials I found that my GGGGGG Grandfather had died by falling down the coal mine, in 1780.

I also came across a few people with his wife's maiden name who had died in a coal mining accident.

18 May 1781: Joseph Womack father slain by the fire ? at Seacroft also his son Richard Womack who was slain at the same time. The father was aged 43, the son 19 years.
2 June 1781: Joseph Womack son of the above named Joseph Womack collier of Halton his death was occasioned by the bruises he got at Seacroft colliery when his father and brother were slain.

Andrew

[halfasheep]

Hi Betty, my great uncle James Buckley was killed in Tonhir Colliery, near Maesteg, in 1914 (his last shift before he was due to enlist!).

He was killed when a rock struck him on the head.

At that time (although I don't know how far back they used to do this), the mine would be inspected at fairly regular intervals, and cracks in the roof and walls would be noted by an inspector.

There was an inquest into James' death, and this appeared in the local newspaper (of which I have a copy), so there is a good chance your man may well have had his own inquest as well. It provided me with time of death, time he started his shift, the fact that his father was working at the same mine at the time (albeit on a different shift), etc.

If you can find the local paper, you may strike lucky

[stanmapstone]

Hi ,
Harry Quarman - I know for 100% fact he had just turned 60.

Never rely on transcriptions for ages.
Kind regards

The age is apparently taken from the entry in the Accident Report on the causes of, and circumstances attending, the explosion which occurred at Bedwas Colliery, Monmouthshire, on  10th October, 1952.
Harry Quarman     26    Assistant Repairer

http://www.dmm2.org.uk/uknames/9019-13.htm

Stan

[Cell]

Hi,
Harry Quarman was born in 1892 ( and died in 1982 aged 90, not a bad age for a mine worker )as Alfred Henry Quarman, but he was always called by the name of Harry by his family and  by everyone else who knew him he was only known as Harry. He married his wife Alice under his middle  nickname name of Harry  in 1918 too(his father had the same  first birth name as him, so it would have been a bit confusing having two Alfreds in the house ).

This is one pic of him  not that long after the Bedwas accident that my father kept. He is second left of the picture, the one with the burnt skin , which is clearly not a man of 26 yrs.  My dad has the other pictures of him after the accident . I thought I'd scanned them all, but this is the only one I can  seem to find on my computer at the moment. I think he has kept some of the old newspaper reports too.

The second picture is of him age in his late 40's. years before the accident. I've labled it 1939, but it could be just as easily 1938. I know it was was definitely taken around the very late 30's in just those couple of years(as the little boy in the photo with him is my dad).
I don't know how  on earth the accident report has a noted age of 26 for Harry who we knew who was most certainly 60 at the time and born in 1892 . My father knew his uncle Harry extremely well and remembers the accident when it happened quite clearly with him being injured in it. It was a very upsetting time for his family. Harry and his wife Alice couldn't have any children of their own, so were close to their nephews.

Kind Regards

[stanmapstone]

At that time (although I don't know how far back they used to do this), the mine would be inspected at fairly regular intervals, and cracks in the roof and walls would be noted by an inspector.

If you can find the local paper, you may strike lucky

Under the 1911 Coal Mines Act, each district of the mine was the responsibility of a Deputy who was required to carry out an inspection of his district. He was responsible for the ventilation, and had to make reports as to gas, state of the roof and sides, and general safety.


Coal Mines Act, 1911 Section 14. — (1). For every mine there shall be appointed by the manager in writing one or more competent persons (herein-after referred to as firemen, examiners or deputies) to make such inspections and carry out such other duties as to the presence of gas, ventilation, state of roof and sides, and general safety (including the checking and recording of the number of persons under his charge) as are required by this Act and the regulations of the mine. http://www.dmm.org.uk/books/cma11-02.htm#s014

Stan

[Debbie Hooper]

Wow,strange to see photos that I already have!my nan was Harry's brother!

[Cell]

Wow,strange to see photos that I already have!my nan was Harry's brother!

Debbie, we were in contact years ago!! I sent you these photos years ago ( they are photo's from my dad's photo album) How's it  going???   - I lost contact with you!

Found out heaps  of stuff since I've last had contact with you. I also finally managed to track down Alfred's elusive army record - If you haven't got his  army record try under his mother's maiden name on FindMyPast (1903), he joined up under her name. He must have been  ashamed of his father's name  at the time for known reasons, he's also on the national archives site with some of the children's births with his army records under mother's maiden name(alias) and his fathers name listed ) - If you haven't a sub to FindMyPast, private message me your email and I'll send his army records to you. I used to have your email, but can't find it on my computers . Dad's  bro died a few years ago, you probably know ( didn't go to the funeral myself being out here, but my dad and bro did)

Also try this  if you haven't got the article already- (surname search, you should find the amusing article    ) http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/home
 
Nice to hear from you again
Kind regards

[sallyyorks]

Re "wrong ages" in the accident report
My grt x2 grandad a coal hewer  died in a roof fall in the Durham area . On the colliery accident report his age is younger  than it should be. The death index for the area is right about his age though. He was from Wales (Welsh name) and the index record is the only one that fits with the time of the accident in that area. I suspect he may have knocked a few years off his age when he signed up with the colliery. Perhaps he thought he had a better chance of getting the job if  he made out he was a younger man. He wasn't originally from the area , so apart from his family,  who would know