1856 - 1892 (36 years)
-
Name |
Ralph Smith |
Birth |
1856 |
Washington, Durham, England |
Gender |
Male |
Residence |
1881 |
Hedley Hill Terrace, Waterhouses, Brandon, Durham, England |
Residence |
1891 |
23, Hepworth Street, Sleetburn, Durham, England |
Occupation |
Coal Miner |
Death |
27 Mar 1892 |
Hedley Hill, Durham, England [1] |
Cause: Mining Accident |
Notes |
- 1881 British Census
40 Hedley Hill Ter Brandon & Byshottles, Durham, England
Ralph SMITH M 25 M Washington, Durham, England
Rel: Head
Occ: Coal Miner
Mary Ann SMITH M 24 F Blaydon, Durham, England
Rel: Wife
John Robert SMITH U 4 M Waterhouses, Durham, England
Rel: Son
Ralph SMITH U 2 M Sunnyside, Durham, England
Rel: Son
James SMITH U 3 w M Waterhouses, Durham, England
Rel: Son
John SMITH U 68 M Appleby, Westmorland, England
Rel: Lodger
Occ: Lab
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1891 Census Brandon
23 Hepworth Street, Sleetburn
4 rooms
Ralph Smith Head 34 Coal Miner b. Washington
Mary Ann Smith Wife 33 b. Blaydon
John R Smith son 13 Driver in Coal Mine b. Hedley Hill
Ralph Smith Son 13 b. Sunniside
James Smith Son 10 b. Hedley Hill
Jane A Smith 7 b. Hedley Hill
Margaret Smith 5 b. Hedley Hill
William Smith Son 3 b. Hedley Hill
Mary Smith Dau 1 b. Hedley Hill
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1892 Inspector of mines report
=========================
No. 11 on the list occurred at New Brancepeth Colliery, belonging to Messrs. Cochrane & Co., Limited on the 10th of March, about 5 o'clock p.m., causing the death of Ralph Smith, a coal hewer, which took place on the 27th of the same month.
Deceased had remained after his shift had completed, to assist the deputy to draw the timber from a broken jud he had been working in. After that had been done, they came to the shaft and got into the cage, and, there being no onsetter, the deputy rapped it away ; all went well until they got to the horse hole at the surface, where a banksman was in attendance. The deputy got out, and was in the act of straightening himself ? the cage being a low one ? when he heard a shout, and on looking around, neither the cage or deceased were in sight, but his cap and stick were on the flat sheets. The cage was stopped and brought back, but deceased was not in it. Assistance was got at once, and on going down the pit, deceased was found lying insensible at the bottom, having fallen a distance of 300 feet. He was taken home and all was done that possible could be, but he gradually sank and died 17 days after the accident occurred.
It appears deceased had been in the act of getting out of the cage when it suddenly descended taking him with it, and he, falling into the shaft, seems to have caught hold of one of the wire rope guides and held on to it until he reached the bottom of the shaft, which would, no doubt, break the force of the fall.
The banksman declared that he never gave any signal to the engineman to remove the cage, but the engineman maintained that he received a signal to start. It was a very stormy night, and snow was falling, and it was been suggested that some may have caught the bell wire, which is not in any way protected, and caused the signal bell to sound. There was also evidence of the banksman having, instead of using the signals, on some occasions shouted to the engineman.
At the inquest held before Mr. Coroner Proud, on March 30th, all the evidence available was taken, and after a very careful inquiry, the jury returned a verdict of "accidental death," with the following recommendations :?
1) That the cage, when men are ascending the shaft, be brought to the heapstead level and rested on the keps.
2) That the signal wire be properly protected.
3) That shouting be done away with and proper signals used in future.
These requirements, I believe, have been carried out in their entirety, and I am hopeful that they will prevent a reoccurrence of an accident of this nature.
Source: 1892 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6986), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
********************************************************************** **************************************************
|
Person ID |
I5866 |
bolstridge | churchdown connection |
Last Modified |
19 Mar 2023 |
Father |
John Smith, b. 1814, Appleby, Westmorland, England d. Aft 1881 (Age > 68 years) |
Relationship |
natural |
Mother |
Elizabeth Tarn, b. 1817, Middleton In Teesdale, Durham, England d. 1858, Chester le Street, : Registration District, England (Age 41 years) |
Relationship |
natural |
Marriage |
1840 |
Teesdale, : Registration District, England [2] |
GRO Index |
Jun 1840 |
Teesdale 24 - 300 |
Family ID |
F1899 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Family |
Mary Ann Salmon, b. 1858, Blaydon, Durham, England |
Marriage |
1876 |
Lanchester, : Registration District, England [2] |
GRO Index |
Sep 1876 |
Lanchester 10a - 395 |
Children |
| 1. John Robert Smith, b. 1877, Hedley Hill, Durham, England [natural] |
+ | 2. Ralph Smith, b. 1879, Sunniside, Durham, England d. 1923, Sedgefield, : Registration District, England (Age 44 years) [natural] |
| 3. James Smith, b. 1881, Hedley Hill, Durham, England [natural] |
| 4. Jane Ann Smith, b. 1883, Hedley Hill, Durham, England [natural] |
| 5. Margaret Smith, b. 1885, Hedley Hill, Durham, England [natural] |
| 6. William Smith, b. 1886, Hedley Hill, Durham, England [natural] |
| 7. Mary Smith, b. 1890, Hedley Hill, Durham, England [natural] |
| 8. Winifred Smith, b. 1892, Sleetburn, Durham, England [natural] |
|
Family ID |
F1750 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Last Modified |
19 Mar 2023 |
-
Event Map |
|
| Birth - 1856 - Washington, Durham, England |
|
| Marriage - 1876 - Lanchester, : Registration District, England |
|
| Child - John Robert Smith - 1877 - Hedley Hill, Durham, England |
|
| Child - Ralph Smith - 1879 - Sunniside, Durham, England |
|
| Residence - 1881 - Hedley Hill Terrace, Waterhouses, Brandon, Durham, England |
|
| Child - James Smith - 1881 - Hedley Hill, Durham, England |
|
| Child - Jane Ann Smith - 1883 - Hedley Hill, Durham, England |
|
| Child - Margaret Smith - 1885 - Hedley Hill, Durham, England |
|
| Child - William Smith - 1886 - Hedley Hill, Durham, England |
|
| Child - Mary Smith - 1890 - Hedley Hill, Durham, England |
|
| Residence - 1891 - 23, Hepworth Street, Sleetburn, Durham, England |
|
| Child - Winifred Smith - 1892 - Sleetburn, Durham, England |
|
| Death - Cause: Mining Accident - 27 Mar 1892 - Hedley Hill, Durham, England |
|
|
Pin Legend |
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set |
-
Sources |
- [S342] Ian Winstanley, Mining History Resource Centre, (Name: Brought to you by Raleys Solicitors;), Mining Accidents.
Name: SMITH Ralph
Age: 34
Date: 10/03/1892
Year: 1892
Occupation: Hewer
Colliery: New Brancepeth
Owner: Cochrane and Co ltd
Town: Durham
County: Durham
Notes: Foot injured and severe shock by falling down the pit from the surface a distance of 300 feet. On leaving the cage it was started by mistake without a signal and pulled him into the shaft. Died on the 27th March.
- [S52] General Records Office, An Unrequested GRO Index, (Name: On Line at : www.findmypast.com;).
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