Lothians Accidents 1855-1870

This section contains newspaper reports on accidents in the Lothians between 1855 and 1870 inclusive. Please check the indexes in the Accidents Section for reports by the Inspector of Mines and accidents in other areas.

20 October 1856

Fatal Coal-Pit Accident. - On Saturday evening while several men who had been employed at the bottom of the engine pit at Arniston were coming up in the cage, one of the number, a pit-bottomer, named Archibald Taylor, attempted, while the cage was in rapid motion upwards, to leap out upon a standage situated about the middle of the shaft, when his head came into violent contact with the roof of the erection referred to, and he fell to the bottom. The depth of the pit from this point is about 30 fathoms, and he was killed on the spot. He had been warned before taking this rash step and while in the act of falling one of his companions in the cage laid hold of his jacket but the part tore off as deceased was precipitated to the bottom. It cannot be ascertained what motive Taylor had for trying to get upon the standage, or whether he perished by rashness or his own design. He has left a wife and family. [Glasgow Herald 22 October 1856]

12 January 1857

Fatal Accident - On Monday last, a man named Kerr was accidentally killed in a coal-pit at Loanhead. Three men were engaged at the bottom of the shaft, and one of them having been seized with illness, his two companions were in the act of accompanying him up in the cage. In the course of the passage the man who had taken ill fainted and fell forward. Kerr, on seeing this, made a movement to prevent him falling out, when one of the cross-beams struck him violently on the shoulders. The engineman saw the effects of the concussion on the rope, and, first stopping the engine , slid down to render assistance to the men in the cage. When brought to the surface Kerr was found terribly bruised, and he died at eight o'clock at night. [Scotsman 17 January 1857]

7 October 1857

Coal Mine Accident – A miner named David Neilson, residing in the parish of Liberton, was killed on Wednesday in a coal-pit at Edmonstone, by a piece of coal falling on his head while he was on his way to the bottom of the shaft. [Scotsman 10 October 1857]

2 February 1859

Bathgate – Man Killed – On Wednesday last, while a man named Thomas Clark, bottomer, Bathgate, was engaged at his employment in No 7 Pit Boghead, a large mass of rock fell on his body, and caused instantaneous death. [Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser February 5 1859]

28 March 1859

Fatal Colliery Accident – on Monday last a labourer named James Nicol, 23 years of age, who resided in Gorebridge, parish of Temple, was killed at Arniston Colliery. It seems that he was employed as a banksman at the pithead, and while in the act of pushing a truck on to the cage for the purpose of letting it down the pit, it overbalanced and fell to the bottom of the shaft – a depth of 160 yards – dragging the unfortunate man with it. His body was frightfully mutilated. [Scotsman 30 March 1859]

18 October 1859

Fatal Mine Accident - Yesterday morning, shortly after four o'clock, Alexander Flockhart and James Wilson, miners, residing in Adam's Row, parish of Newton, were at work In the shaft of a coal pit at Edmonston colliery, when the rope by which they were suspended suddenly snapped and precipitated them to the bottom of the pit, a depth of fifteen fathoms. Flockhart was so dreadfully injured, that he died three hours afterwards; Wilson escaped most miraculously with life, though his injuries are of a serious nature. [Scotsman 19 October 1859]

15 December 1859

Fatal Accident To A Miner – Charles Fyfe, a miner employed at the Valleyfield Colliery, in the parish of Inveresk, was killed on Thursday by a fall of coal whilst working in the pit. [Scotsman 17 December 1859]

21 December 1859

Fatal Pit Accident - On Wednesday afternoon a "sinksman," named Henry Potter, residing at Pathhead , met with his death in a new coal-pit in course of sinking, at the Newbattle colliery. It seems that he was ascending the shaft, when a heavy stone became detached from the pit side and fell upon him, fracturing his skull and causing immediate death. The unfortunate man has left a wife and family to lament his sudden loss. [Scotsman 23 December 1859]

NB Name given in Inspectors report is Daniel but no death certificate for either name have been found.

17 January 1861

Bathgate – Fatal Accident - On Thursday evening last, a fatal accident occurred at pit No. 5, Polkemmet. The workmen had ascended the shaft , when the underground manager discovered that one man who had descended in the morning was missing. On descending to learn the cause of his detention, he found him at his working place quite dead. A large stone had fallen from the roof and jammed his head and neck, so that death must have instantaneously followed its fall. The deceased was twenty-two years of age, and leaves a widow and three children. [Scotsman 19 January 1861]

NB Deceased was James Swan

1 March 1861

Bathgate – Fatal Pit Accident - About nine o'clock on Thursday night, a pit-headman named Thomas Chalmers who resided at Whitburn, was killed instantaneously at pit No. 9 Torbanehill. His duty was to draw, as they-were brought to the surface, the hutches from the cage, and after they were emptied to return them thereto. It seems that after having emptied a hutch he brought it back (shoving it, as is usual, with head down and arms extended before him), and not knowing that the cage had been lifted further up on the pit-frame by the engine, precipitated himself with the hutch to the bottom of the shaft which is 354 feet in depth. He gave but one wild cry, and must have been killed instantaneously. The hutch which fell into the pit before him, was found above him in the pit-bottom. Dr Kirk was in immediate attendance. The deceased was a man advanced in life, and had not long been employed about the pits , having been twenty-five years in country service as a ploughman . He leaves a family. The whole of the winding apparatus, cages, &c., at this pit are most complete, of the most approved description, and were in most perfect order. The miners who work on the night-shift are not employed in working the coal, but in removing the superfluous strata, the coal being wrought on the long-wall system. Nothing but debris is sent up the shaft during the night. [Scotsman 2 March 1861]

19 September 1861

Accident At Smeaton Coal Pit – Between 10 and 11 o'clock on Thursday morning, while William Tennant, a labourer residing in High Street, Dalkeith, was engaged in coupling waggons in Smeaton Colliery, Dalkeith, and was attempting to cross the line of rails, he was caught between the couplings of two of the waggons, and sustained severe injuries to the abdomen. The unfortunate man was immediately taken home where he was attended to by Dr Thomson, Dalkeith. He is still lying in a dangerous state. [Scotsman 21 September 1861]

4 April 1863

Armadale – Fatal Accident - On Saturday forenoon, Hugh Allan, aged thirty-one , a miner, was killed in No. 5 Pit, Polkemmet, belonging to the Shotts Iron Company. He was at his usual employment in his own working, when he observed a large quantity of stone in the roof giving way, and shouted to a fellow-workman to look out. While running clear of the stone he was struck by it, and almost immediately deprived of life. The stone was about four tons weight . Deceased has left a widow. [Scotsman 7 April 1863]

3 February 1864

Fatal Pit Accident At Armadale - On Wednesday morning , James Finlay , a miner, aged twenty one years , residing in Armadale, was instantaneously killed while at work in No. 5 Pit , Couston, belonging to the Shotts Iron Company. About 7.30am the hoursman of the pit inspected the compartment where deceased and a younger brother of his own were working, and directed the former to prop up a large stone in the roof , as he deemed it unsafe for them to work there. Deceased, however, delayed doing so in the belief that it was quite secure, and in about two hours afterwards the stone, weighing about half-a-ton , fell upon his shoulders and head, killing him instantaneously. [Scotsman 6 February 1864]

29 April 1864

Jury Trials - Baillie or Young and Others v The Shotts Iron Company - In this case, which came before the Lord President and a jury yesterday, the pursuers were Mrs Jane Baillie or Young , widow of the deceased James Young, miner, Bonnyrigg, and Thomas, Carmichael, James, and Margaret Young, all children of the deceased James Young; and the defenders were the Shotts Iron Company, and Sir James Adam, S.S.C., Edinburgh, Mr Alexander Jamieson, C.A ., Edinburgh, directors , and Mr William Waddell. W.S., Edinburgh, all individual partners of the said company. The issue which was sent to the jury was as follows :- Whether , on or about the 29th day of April 1864, the said James Young, while engaged in the service of the defenders, was killed in a pit at or near Loanhead known as the Wood Pit, by foul air, through the fault of the defenders, to the; loss, injury, and damage of the pursuers? Damages to the pursuer Mrs Young laid at £400. Damages to each of the other pursuers laid at £l50. When the case was called , and the jury empanelled. there was no appearance for the pursuers , and a verdict was accordingly given for the defenders. -Counsel for the Defenders—Sir Fraser and Mr Scott. Agent - Mr Archibald Melville. W .S. [Scotsman 4 April 1865]

30 May 1864

Bathgate – Serious Pit Accident – On Monday week a miner named Wm Friel was severely injured while working in No 12 Pit Boghead, belonging to Mr James Russell. It appears that, while engaged removing some superincumbent strata, a mass of coal and stones fell upon him, crushing him in a frightful manner. Assistance was immediately at hand, but several hours elapsed before he could be extricated from his painful position. Besides being severely bruised, both his legs were found to be broken; and so severely was his right foot smashed, that amputation was rendered necessary. He lies in a very precarious state. A boy employed with Friel was slightly injured while endeavouring to rescue him from his perilous position. [Hamilton Advertiser 4 June 1864]

30 December 1865

Whitburn – Fatal Accident – On Saturday morning Roger Aytoun Blair, age 56, a pitheadman residing in Whitburn, and employed at No 5 pit Benhar, on the lands of Fauldhouse, met his death suddenly under the following circumstances – It appears that Blair, while engaged on the pithead, had occasion to remove a hutch from the hill and in doing so, the heel of his boot caught the plates whereon the hutches are turned, and the consequence was that he, along with the hutch, was precipitated to the bottom of the pit, a distance of 20 fathoms. [Hamilton Advertiser 6 January 1866]

22 January 1866

Broxburn – Miner Killed in A Shale Pit – An accident occurred at Broxburn Shale Works, of which Mr Robert Bell is lessee, about midday on Monday, by which a miner named John Shields, about 40 years of age, was instantaneously killed, It appears that Shields was at his usual employment in No 2 shale pit, and while engaged holing in a face of shale, a large mass became detached, and crushed him so severely that he almost immediately expired. [Hamilton Advertiser 27 January 1866]

28 February 1866

West Calder – Fatal Pit Accident – On Wednesday about midday while a miner named William Wardrop was engaged at this usual employment in the Shale Pit No 5, situated at Addiewell, on the property of Mr Young of Limefield, a large quantity of shale and loose earth fell from the roof of the pit, and killed him on the spot. The poor fellow was completely buried among the debris which is supposed to have been about 8 tons in weight. The other miners on hearing of the accident quickly mustered and dug the body out. Dr Home , of West Calder, examined the body, and found that one of the legs was broken, the head, shoulder, and other parts of the body being severely bruised. Deceased, who was 43 years of age, leaves a widow and 9 children. [Hamilton Advertiser 3 March 1866]

13 May 1867

Fatal Pit Accident At West Calder – About 4 o'clock on Monday afternoon, a man named William Mathers, while at work in No 2 shale pit at Addiewell, West Calder, was killed by a piece of shale, about a ton in weight, falling upon him from the roof of the pit. [Edinburgh Evening Courant 15 May 1867]

24 June 1867

Dalkeith – Fatal Pit Accident – About 6 o'clock on Monday evening, while a young man named William Brown was working in Cowden Coal Pit, about a mile from Dalkeith, a large mass of stone forming the roof, and weighing above a ton, gave way, and falling on his back, crushed him so severely that death must have been instantaneous. Deceased was about 26 years of age and unmarried. He resided with his sister at Cowden Foot, near the pit, in which he had been employed for a period of year, and where he was highly respected as an honest and steady workman. [Edinburgh Evening Courant 26 June 1867]

10 October 1868

Fatal Pit Accident At West Calder – A fatal accident occurred on Saturday at the No 2 pit of Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company, Addiewell. A man named William Robertson in company with two boys was being raised from the pit when owing to the indicator having ceased to operate, the cage was lifted beyond the stage on which the miners land. The unfortunate man fearing to be drawn over the pulleys jumped down, slipped on the iron plate at the pit mouth and fell backwards to the bottom. The loud cry raised caused the arrest of the cage in time to save the lives of the boys. [Edinburgh Evening Courant 14 October 1868]

18 March 1869

Fatal Coal Pit Accident At Niddrie – Shortly after 5 o'clock yesterday morning a fatal accident occurred in the No 1 coal pit at Niddrie, belonging to Mr Grieve. Two brothers named King were working together in one of the cuttings when a quantity of coal became detached from the roof and fell upon the younger of the two, a youth aged about 15, killing him on the spot. The elder brother escaped without injury. [Edinburgh Evening Courant 19 March 1869]

14 January 1870

West Calder Pit Accident – A somewhat serious accident occurred in a shale pit at West Calder on Monday morning. A man named James M'Taig had gone into a cutting to examine it prior to beginning to work in it, when the roof suddenly gave way, and he was buried beneath a mass of eleven or twelve tons of shale. On being extricated, it was found that he was much cut about the head and face, and that he had also sustained severe internal injuries. He was conveyed to his house in West Calder, where he still lies. [Scotsman 29 December 1869]

NB the accident occurred on 27 December 1869 and James M'Taig died on 14 January 1870

12 July 1870

Yesterday, while a miner named John Beveridge was working in the shale pit at Uphall, belonging to the Uphall mineral Oil Company, he observed a deficiency in the brushing in his working, and when in the act of putting up some support, when the roof gave way, and about two tons of material fell down and buried him, with the exception of his head. His cries for help were heard by a fellow workman, who brought more assistance, and after considerable exertion, the poor fellow was extricated. It was then found that his back and legs were fearfully crushed, and he was at once removed to the Edinburgh infirmary. [Scotsman 13 July 1870]