TALK O’ TH’ HILL. Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, 18th. February, 1873.

The colliery was the property of the North Staffordshire Coal and Iron Company and was the scene of an explosion six years before which claimed over eighty lives. The mine worked four separate seams, the Ten Foot, the Two Row and the Seven and Eight Feet Banbury seams. The Eight-Foot Banbury was the deepest at 350 yards. The seams were reached by internal shafts and the Seven Foot Banbury, in which the explosion took place was reached by the Bucksand shaft.

On the evening of the explosion, six men went home early and another six arrived too late to go down so the number of men working in the seam was eighteen. At 1.45 p.m. there was a loud report and a powerful rush of sir up the downcast shaft followed by a rush of dust and rubbish. Mr. Hunter, the manager was in his office at the time and he and three workmen went down the shaft in baskets to the Banbury seam but were driven back by strong gas.

Many volunteers had gathered at the pit head and about fifty of them went down the pit to clear the rubbish and help with the rescue operations. In a short time, thirty of these had to come to the surface affected by the afterdamp. Three doctors who were interested in mining medicine happened to be in the neighbourhood and Drs, Booth, Greatrex and Stevenson, helped the men when they came to the surface.

Mr. McHutchinson, the chairman of the Company arrived at the colliery just as the first bodies were being brought up. By Wednesday all the dead had been recovered and they were taken to the Swan Tavern where they were washed and laid out for identification.

Those who lost their lives were:

  • John Birchenough aged 36 years, married with three children,
  • James Hackney aged 16 years.
  • John Stamper aged 27 years.
  • Benjamin Booth aged 21 years.
  • Thomas Breeze, married with three children.
  • David Winkle aged 16 years.
  • Thomas Booth aged 41 year, married with four children.
  • John Shannon aged 19 years.
  • Henry Grocott aged 17 years, married.
  • Thomas William Harrison aged 14 years.
  • John Baynham aged 30 years. married with four children.
  • Francis Birch aged 17 years.
  • Samuel Kenny aged 16 years.
  • Thomas Grocott aged 20 years, married with one child.
  • Robert Walker aged 16 years.
  • William Lowndes aged 20 years.
  • William Jones aged 28 years.
  • Richard Sherwin aged 13 years.

The inquest was opened by Mr. Booth, Coroner and the fireman Edwin Durber said that he had found no gas in his inspection before the disaster.

 

REFERENCES
Colliery Guardian, 21st February, p. 220.
Mines Inspector Report, 1873.
Potteries Examiner.

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

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