Some Tragedies of the Lead Mines
an extract from Bradwell Past & Present by Seth Evans: 1912
`To compile anything like a complete list of tragedies of the lead mines in this part of the Peak District is an impossible task. Thousands of men & boys must have lost their lives in pursuit of this dangerous occupation. Formerly the Coroner had no jurisdiction over the fatalities in lead mines, the Barmaster being the coroner for such inquiries down to about sixty years ago. Every effort has been made to trace the old books of the Barmaster for this district without success. The appended list had been compiled from various sources, but it represents only a comparative few that must have occurred during the period covered. It will be seen that the cases are taken from mines not only in Bradwell, but in Castleton, Eyam, Hucklow, and other places in the locality.`
1637-April 27th |
William GROOVES, Eyam |
killed in a mine at Eyam |
1658-January 24th |
John SYDDALL, Eyam |
killed in a mine at Eyam |
1690-May 11th |
John DANIEL & Robert BERRY |
killed in a mine at Eyam |
1697-January 6th |
Francis GREGORY |
killed in Eyam mine |
1699-June 30th |
Edward TORRE, Eyam |
killed in mine |
1708-November 27th |
Arthur SKIDMORE |
killed in mine at Eyam |
1721-May 12th |
George KNOWLES, Eyam |
killed in Haycliffe mine |
1732-June 23rd |
Richard TURNER, Foolow |
killed at Stoke Sough |
1734-April 20th |
Robert ANDREW |
killed at Middleton Pasture Mine |
1734-November 18th |
Joseph MARSDEN & John TAYLOR |
killed at Stoke Sough |
1734-September 20th |
Richard HOLMES, the Bridge |
killed at Stoke Sough |
1734-February 28th |
Benjamin PIDCOCK |
killed in a mine at Eyam |
1736-- |
Ottiwell BRAMALL, Castleton |
killed in the mine |
1736-- |
John BARBER, jun. Castleton |
killed in the mine |
1741-February 13th |
John BARBER, Richard WINTERBOTHAM and Henry MERRILL |
killed in Haycliff Mine, Eyam |
1742-- |
John BENNETT, Castleton |
killed in the mine |
1744-- |
John DAKIN |
killed in a mine at Castleton |
1744-March 4th |
Edward COOPER, Foolow |
killed in a mine |
1746-November 5th |
Wm. TOWNSEND, Bretton |
killed in Haycliff mine |
1746-- |
Robert ALLEN, Castleton |
killed in a mine |
1747-- |
Godfrey MORTON |
killed in the mine |
1751-June 16th |
Francis MOWER |
killed in Haycliff Mine, Eyam |
1763-October 15th |
William FOX |
killed in Show (Shaw?) Engine, Eyam |
1766-- |
Philip HINCH |
killed in Shaw Engine Mine |
1773-December 19th |
James DRABBLE |
killed at Watergrove |
1777-February 14th |
Wm. HANCOCK |
killed in Watergrove Mine |
1778-December 21st |
William SYDDALL, Eyam |
drowned in Stoke Sough Mine |
1782-- |
William BRADSHAW, Castleton |
drowned in a mine |
1782-- |
Joseph FROST, Castleton |
killed in the mine |
1784-- |
John NALL, Castleton |
died in the mine |
1786-- |
William CHEETHAM, Bradwell |
killed in a Moss Rake mine |
1790-- |
James HOW, Castleton |
killed in the mine |
1791-May 10th |
Edward DOOLEY |
killed in Haycliff Mine, Eyam |
1795- January 19th |
Robert UNWIN, Eyam |
killed in Haycliff Mine |
1800 (about)
|
Michael WALKER, -- BRAMWELL and -- SIMPSON of Hucklow |
killed in Twelve Meers Mine
|
1800 (about) |
J. BENNETT |
killed in New Engine |
1800 (about) |
-- FEAREST |
killed at Stoke Sough |
1800 (about) |
-- STALEY |
killed in Twelve Meers |
1804-- |
Samuel HEYWARD |
killed at Water Grove, Eyam |
1805-- |
George BENSON, Eyam |
killed in Pasture Grove, Eyam |
1805-- |
Thomas MIDDLETON |
killed in Morewood Engine, Eyam |
1805-- |
Robert MIDDLETON |
killed in Slater`s Engine, Eyam |
1808-- |
George BROADBENT, Castleton |
killed in Odin Mine |
1810-- |
James CLAYTON |
killed in a mine at Oxlow |
1811-- |
Isaac ROYSE, Castleton |
killed by lightning in a coe at the top of Linacre Mine |
1812-February 3rd |
Humphrey ROWLAND, Eyam |
killed in Black Hole Mine |
1827-- |
George MALTBY (64) |
killed in Nall Hole Mine, Bradwell |
1830-- |
Francis TAYLOR, Tom J WATER, - LONGSTONE & Isaac BAGSHAW, Sheldon |
suffocated with sulphur in Maypits, Mine, Sheldon |
1830 (about) |
Robert ELLIOTT |
killed in Southfield Mine, Bradwell |
1833-April 27th |
Thomas WILDGOOSE (11) |
killed at a mine in Bradwell |
1833-July 11th |
Joseph MIDDLETON (28) |
killed in a mine at Bradwell |
1836 (about) |
Benjamin BENNETT |
killed at Bennett`s Mine, Bradwell |
1838-- |
John EVANS, Bradwell |
killed in Hazard Mine |
1840 (about) |
Benjamin BARBER, Bradwell |
killed in Town End Mine, Great Hucklow |
1840 (about) |
Robert MALTBY |
killed at Syke`s Mine, Bradwell |
1840 (about) |
John CHEETHAM |
killed at Red Rake Mine, Bradwell |
1841-- |
Edwin BARBER (23) |
killed in Bank Top Mine, Bradwell |
1841-September 2nd |
George MALTBY (45) |
killed in Nall Mine, Hartle Dale, Bradwell |
1842-- |
Jacob FURNESS (10) |
killed by falling down a mine shaft in Wortley, Bradwell whilst birdnesting |
1844-- |
Samuel WRIGHT (29) |
killed by a stone at Outland Head Mine, Bradwell |
1845-- |
Henry JACKSON (18) |
killed in Nether Liberty Mine, Great Hucklow |
1845 (about) |
Thomas MIDDLETON |
killed in Raddlepits Mine, Bradwell |
1845 (about) |
Samuel BRADWELL of Bradwell |
killed by falling down shaft at Water Grove |
1854-February 16th |
Isaac MORTON (21) |
killed by falling down shaft of Ripper Mine, Bradwell |
1854-April 19th |
William MITCHELL, Joseph HALLAM, John Edwy DARNLEY (30) & Jonathan ELLIOTT (27) |
*suffocated - see account at the end of the page
|
1855-- |
William BAGSHAW, Hucklow |
killed by falling down a mine |
1855-- |
Benjamin BARBER (39), Bradwell |
killed in a mine |
1857-November 20th |
Abraham MIDDLETON (36) |
killed in Serin Rake Mine, Bradwell |
1857 (about) |
John EVANS (8) |
when at play fell down shaft at Shuttle Rake Mine, Bradwell |
1857 (about) |
Richard ANDREW |
killed at Bird Mine, Bradwell |
1858-May 3rd |
Abram MARSHALL (16) |
crushed to death by a grinder at a mine at Hazelbadge |
1858-March 2nd |
James GILBERT, Tideswell |
killed at Dusty Pit Mine, Eyam |
1858-- |
John ALSOP, Wardlow |
killed in Cross-low Head Mine |
1859-April 18th |
John BARKER, Foolow |
killed in Back Dale Mine |
1859-- |
Wm BRADSHAW |
killed in Pippin Mine, Eyam |
1861-September 8th |
Aaron HALLAM (26) of Bradwell & Martin CHAPMAN sen., of Little Hucklow |
fell to the bottom of shaft whilst being lowered down at Mill Dam Mine, Great Hucklow |
1862- |
George MITCHELL |
killed at Calver Sough Mine |
1863-May 29th |
Samuel ANDREW (19) |
killed at Hill Top Mine |
1864-September 6th |
Benjamin BARBER (19) |
killed by a fall of gravel at Gateside Mine, Great Hucklow |
1864-- |
John DALE, Tideswell |
killed in Dusty Pits Mine |
1864-September 10th |
William WRAGG (15) |
killed at Outland Head Mine, Bradwell. He was drawn up the engine shaft by the thumb. When near the top his thumb came off, and he fell to the bottom. |
1866-October 3rd |
Isaac ANDREW, Bradwell |
killed by a stone at Dirtlow Mine |
1867-- |
Benjamin BAGSHAW, Bradwell (35) |
killed in Seedlow Mine |
1867-- |
William OLDFIELD, Hucklow |
killed in Mill Dam Mine |
1868-June 9th |
Matthew HODGKINSON |
shot in a mine at Magelough, Eyam |
1869-Jan 26th |
Francis HODGKINSON (43) |
killed by a fall at Cliff-stile Mine |
1870-- |
Thomas ELLIOTT, Bradwell |
killed in Seedlow Mine, Wardlow |
1870-March 24th |
Isaac MIDDLETON (49), Smalldale |
killed in Co-op Mine, Moss Rake, Bradwell |
1871-February 24th |
Isaac MIDDLETON (43), Smalldale |
killed in Shuttle Rake Mine, Bradwell |
1872-April 5th |
Robert ELLIOTT & George WATSON |
killed by a shot in Glebe Mine, Eyam |
1874-August 21st |
William UNWIN |
killed in a mine at Eyam |
1877-October 8th |
George ASHMORE (48) |
killed in Wortley mine shaft, Bradwell, by bar of iron falling down shaft |
1882-September 11th |
Aaron MALTBY (22), Bradwell |
killed by fall of roof in Silence Mine, Hucklow |
1889-July 20th |
Joseph MIDDLETON (51) |
hung himself in Outland Head Mine, Bradwell |
*1854- April 19th William MITCHELL, Joseph HALLAM, John Edwy DARNLEY (30) and Jonathan ELLIOTT (27) suffocated by sulphurous fumes at Slag Works, Dale End, Bradwell. This catastrophe caused great consternation in the place more than half a century ago. The pump engine not acting properly, William MITCHELL, the manager, had occasion to let out air by opening a valve fixed on a stage that covered a well six feet six inches deep and five feet diameter. He went down by means of a ladder, but as he did not return Joseph HALLAM went to his assistance, and he, too, remained in the pit. Men ran for assistance, and the first to arrive at the spot were John Edwy DARNLEY, a schoolmaster, who lived with his widowed mother at Dale End, and John ELLIOTT (also the son of a widow), who had only just returned from Australia. These two young men, whose names have been handed down as heroes, were returning from a prayer meeting at the Primitive Methodist Chapel. Elliott went down the pit regardless of danger, but on getting one of the men part way up the ladder he, too, was overpowered by the fumes, and let him go, while DARNLEY, who tried to save his friend, shared a similar fate, and all four men were suffocated in the pit. Mitchell left a widow and two children, Hallam a widow and four children, and the other two were unmarried.