Glade Hill Colliery

The colliery was situated at the bottom of Islands Brow. A colliery at Glade Hill was mentioned in the 1790’s and was worked by James Orrell of Blackbrook up to the 1820s. It next appeared in the ‘Inspector’s Reports’ for 1850 and 1855, but not later than the 1870s. At that time it was owned by John and Thomas Johnson, who later became soap manufacturers.

18-03-1859
LLOYD George 59 furnaceman – Found dead in the return way.

06-03-1858
HAUGHTON John 55 Fireman – Fall of stone from the roof of the mine.

12-02-1857
ASHCROFT Thomas – In the jig-brow by a waggon running against him.

19-04-1856
SWIFT Richard – Fall of the roof.

25-03-1854
GILROY B a boy Crushed by trams in the level.

07-07-1854
NAYLOR G – Crushed by a tram box on the jig brow.

15-08-1853
MOLYNEAUX a boy – Breakage of the down brow rope in the Rushy Park pit.

22-09-1853
TAYLOR Alice 21 – Breakage of a wire rope working a small coal apparatus on the surface.

18-11-1853
MANCHESTER J 41 – Fall of coal.

25-03-1854
GILROY B. a boy – Crushed by trams in the level.

07-07-1854
NAYLOR G. – crushed by a box tram on the jig brow.

19-04-1856
SWIFT Richard – Fall of the roof.

19-04-1856.
A collier neglected to get down the stratum which lies between the Higher Delf mine and the roof according to instructions which had been specially given him by the underlooker was on the day killed in consequence to get down the parting statum which must be removed immediately after the coal. In order to remedy this evil, the description of the labour should be paid for separate from working the coal, as colliers are in the habit of allowing it to stand sometimes on props but frequently without any support till the daywagemen in order to make the largest amount of wages. the labour had, however, to be performed during the following fortnight but this they do not consider. (Mines Inspectors Report)

12-02-1857
ASHCROFT Thomas – In the jig brow by a waggon running against him.

12-02-1857.
The accident was caused by a waggon of coal being run off a table on the top of the jigbrow without a chain being attached. He was employed to remove waggons from the bottom of the first jigbrow and lower then to the second. Where coal has to be lowered from the rise workings to the pit eye by jigbrows or inclined planes one should not be in line with or immediately above or below the other. (Mines Inspectors Report)

21-02-1857
John Ashcroft was moving waggons at the colliery when the brake would not work and he was dashed against the wall and killed. (St. Helens Intelligencer)

06-03-1858
HAUGHTON John 55 fireman – Fall of stone from the roof of the mine. (St. Helens Intelligencer)

06-03-1858.
John Houlton 55 furnaceman. (Colliery Guardian)

31-03-1858.
John Houlton 55 furnaceman at the colliery was found dead in the workings at 4 pm on Saturday. A large piece of stone had fallen on him and he must have been killed going to work for the furnace was out. The inquest was at the Black Horse Verdict Accidental Death.

18-03-1859
LLOYD George 59 furnace tenter – Found dead in the return way. (St. Helens Intelligencer)

26-03-1859.
At the inquest into the death of George Lloyd 59 furnaceman who was found dead the previous night he had suffocated from firedamp while near the furnace.

19-02-1870.
Margaret Ryan a middle-aged Irish woman was charged with stealing 24 lbs of coal from groves colliery at Sutton, Joseph Heyes the overlooker at the pit said that at 8.15 he saw her on a coal waggon taking coal. She ran away but he caught her. She told him it was a very small piece of coal. She said to the Bench that her husband had been out of work since Christmas and she took the coal to make the children warm. There was nothing against the woman’s character and the bench sent her to goal for 7 days. (St. Helens Standard)

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