Explosion at Fallowfield lead mine

[Geordie Mag]

I have found among family papers a very scrappy newspaper cutting, without a date or any identification of the newspaper, headed "Explosion at Fallowfield lead mine". This states that there had been an explosion at Fallowfield on the Monday morning and that William Little (my g.g. uncle I think) of Lantern House Acomb and William Davison, also of Acomb, had been injured. I have found out from the Mines website that Fallowfield had in fact ceased being used as a leadmine in 1846 and had been used for extracting wetherite since then. However it had closed in1911 (although another site says 1913), possibly beacuse of increased competition. However I can find no mention anywhere of this explosion. Does anyone know when it happened?

[Radcliff]

I can only find three deaths for this pit one in 1873 and two in 1909,no mention of explosions,

The Durham mining museum has some very interesting information on the pit for you to look at,

[Michael Dixon]

GM,

Was your gg uncle a leadminer or a coalminer ? From your knowledge of him can you not estimate a time window for the explosion ?

Michael

[Bilge]

Have you read this?

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NORTHUMBRIA/1998-07/0901593154

http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/f909.htm

[Geordie Mag]

Thanks for the links and interest- I shall browse and report if I find anything significant. William was born about 1849. In the 1881 census, he is living at Acomb and recorded as a lead miner, which suggests he was not at Fallowfield at the time. His brother, my g. gradfather, was however a coal miner. Little being a common name, there are several deaths recorded for William Littles in the Hexham district (assuming he was there at his death). The most likely seems 1905. I have some of my grandfather's diaries, but the earliest is about 1911, so no information there.

[c-side]

Were the only casualties the two injured men?

If so I'm thinking that this was more likely to be a shot blasting accident rather than the kind of explosion that qualifies as a disaster and gets a mention on dmm.

Also more likely to be reported in a local newspaper than one of the larger ones.  Maybe you could track down which paper this would be.

Christine

[Bilge]

Good thinking C-side.

Geordie mag try here:

http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2041

[hanes teulu]

The Newcastle Courant, June 1, 1877 has a short  item about an explosion in the Fallow Field Mine in which 8 or 9 men were severely burned. Most severely burned was Wm. Little, Lantern House.

If you send me your e.mail address via PM can send you image of the article.

regards

[hanes teulu]

Item forwarded - hope it's more than the newspaper article you're already holding. At least we have a date

regards