Amble and District
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The Amble and District Mining Memorial

Acklington Broomhill Hauxley Longframlington
Newburgh Newton Radcliffe Shilbottle
Togston Whittle Other Collieries  

DEBDON COLLIERY
WAKENSHAW James (Alexander)  1831
   
ESHOTT COLLIERY
THOMPSON John 1849
   

 

James (Alexander) Wakenshaw (Debdon Colliery)

Died 6 January 1831 

 Aged 56 years, of Debdon.
Buried All Saints, Rothbury, 9 January 1831.
 
  “Alexander Wakenshaw, killed by falling down the coal pit at Debdon.”

    Newcastle Courant, 15 January 1831
   “An inquest was held at Debdon, near Rothbury, on the 7th instant, before T. A. Russell, Esq. coroner for North Northumberland, on the body of James Wakenshaw, pitman, aged 56, who, in descending the coal pit there, about five o’clock on the morning of the preceding day, lost his hold, and was precipitated to the bottom of the shaft, and killed upon the spot. – Verdict – accidental death.”
 

 

John Thompson (Eshott Colliery)

 Died 12 February 1864

 Aged 24 years, of Eshott.

    At the 1861 census, John, born in the East Indies, is a coal miner, one of three children living with their widowed mother, Mary, at Eshott Colliery.  

  Morpeth Herald, 20 February 1864
     “An inquest was held on Monday last, at the house of Thomas Brewis, Esq., at Eshott, in the parish of Felton, before J. J. Hardy, Esq., the coroner for North Northumberland, on the body of John Thomson, aged 24, a coal miner, who met with a fatal accident at Eshott Colliery, on Friday afternoon last. Matthias Dunn Esq., Her Majesty’s Inspector of Mines, was present at the inquest. The jury, after a patient inquiry into the cause of the accident returned the following verdict: - “John Thompson, was accidentally killed by the slipping of a spliced rope in the shaft of Eshott Colliery, on the 12th day of February, 1864.” The jurors gave their fees to deceased’s mother, who is an old woman, a widow, and dependent on his labour.”  

   Newcastle Courant, 19 February, 1864
  “On Monday, an inquest was held at Eshott, in the parish of Felton, before Mr. Hardy, coroner, on the body of John Thompson, aged 24 years. Mr. Matthias Dunn, Government Inspector of Mines, was present to watch the proceedings. Deceased was a pitman, and worked at Eshott Colliery. The shaft is 14 fathoms deep, and the coals are brought to bank by a one-horse gin with two ropes, north and south, the one rope ascending while the other is going down. About two months ago, the south rope, which is a 4 ½ inch one, was broken, but was thought to be sufficiently spliced. On Friday last, deceased got into the loop of this rope for the purpose of coming to bank, but in his ascent, the splice had unfortunately slipped, and he was precipitated to the bottom. He was immediately brought to bank, and a surgeon sent for; but he had received such severe injuries to the brain and other parts of his body, that he remained completely insensible, never spoke, and died the same afternoon from the effects of the fall. The jury returned the verdict that deceased was accidentally killed by the slipping of a spliced rope. The deceased had left a mother, who was solely dependent on his labour for her maintenance, and the jury handed her the fees allowed by the coroner.”  
 

 

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