Bullock's Hall Colliery

[janwhin]

I've just been catching up on some of the posts about Bullock's Hall and the homes there. I thought I would have a little search about the pit itself, in the course of which I came across two pit deaths there, both buried in Chevington Cemetery.
It seems the colliery opened in 1908 to great fanfare. According to the Newcastle Chronicle of 16 March 1908: "The first sods to a new coal mine at Bullock's Hall, Acklington, were cut on Saturday, by Mr Robert Wood, Morpeth, the owner, and Mr B Helmsley, farmer. The trial borings warranted the sinking of an experimental shaft, which was successfully carried out by Messrs. A and O Wood, Morpeth. A seam varying from 4 1/2 to 5 feet was proved at a depth of 90 feet. To begin with, it is proposed to work the new winning as a landsale colliery by means of a sloping drift, which will reach the coal at 90 yards from the day, and about 100 tons will be drawn daily. The situation is such that when further developed it will be an easy matter to connect the mine with the main line of the North Eastern Railway. Mr George Tate, Brotherwick, is proprietor of the royalty."
Not sure the development happened as it was still landsale in the 1930s, with coal waggons driving it off to Amble for sale.

[janwhin]

Bullock's Hall may have been a relatively short lived pit but it didn't mean there were no deaths. We'll have to create another mining memorial on the sister site!
Shields Gazette, 12 August 1911: "A sad accident occurred at Bullock's Hall Colliery, whereby a man named John Knight, a miner, living at Whitefield, near Broomhill, lost his life.
It is stated that while working in the pit, he, with two other men, were overcome by fumes. They were so long in coming out of the pit that someone went to seek them. Knight was found dead, and the other men were in a terrible state of exhaustion. One man soon recovered, but the other (named Liddle) is still confined to his bed, but his recovery is hoped for.
Mr C Percy held an inquest yesterday at Broomhill on John Knight, but only formal evidence of identification was taken, and the inquiry was adjourned for a week so that Liddle might attend and give evidence."

[janwhin]

Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 6 May 1922:
"Coroner A Appleby conducted an inquest in Newcastle last night upon William James Shepherd, aged 15, of Swarland Terrace, Red Row, Acklington, who died in the Newcastle Infirmary on May 3rd.
James Shepherd identified the body as that of his son, whom he said had a fit about 17 weeks ago. It was the second fit they knew him to have taken. Prior to that he worked down the pit, but on witness's request, he was transferred to a job at bank.
William John Dempster, of Togston Cottage, North Broomhill, a banksman at the Bullock's Hall Colliery, said the pit was entered by a drift, and the tubs were drawn out, usually in sets of seven, by means of a haulage rope, operated from the bank.
Deceased's duty was to "dreg" the outcoming sets by putting sprags in the fifth and sixth tubs of each set. On Wednesday morning, about 8.45, a set came out, and he saw Shepherd, lying between the second and third tubs. He was badly injured and unconscious.
There was nothing to show how he got under the set, and the "dregs" he would have used were lying in their usual place, not having been used. It was possible that in stooping down to pick up a sprag, he overbalanced and fell under the set.
A verdict of "Death from injuries by being run over" was returned, there being no evidence to show whether he fell accidentally, or whether he had taken a fit at that time."

[janwhin]

Morpeth Herald, 2 April 1920:
"A fall of stone took place at Bullock's Hall Colliery, crushing a man named And. McCloud of Edwin Street, Amble. His back was severely injured, and he was conveyed to his home, where he had medical attention. Another man was slightly injured by the same fall."
The name was actually Mark McCloud and he died on 28th October 1922, aged 45.