Miners' Roll of Honour

The following list is dedicated to the men and boys who lost their lives in the local coal mines and other industries. They were all buried in St Andrew's Churchyard, Thringstone with the exception of four. Those being: John Hutchinson, Joseph Wilson, Andrew Law Ford and Ronald Fortnam.

John Hutchinson. A young man. Died 29.5.1863. Accident at the Califat Pit of the Coleorton Colliery. He fell down the shaft of the no. 2 pit which was 130 yards in depth. The Saturday, June 6th, 1863 edition of the "Ashby News" reported that "nearly every bone in his body was broken". The inquest into the accident was held at the Fox Inn, Thringstone indicating that Mr Hutchinson was from the village of Thringstone. He had been married for 15 months and had buried his only child a few weeks previously.

Herbert King (18). Thringstone Parish. Died 13.9.1869. Buried 16.9.1869. A loader. On July 21st 1869 there was an accident at the no. 1 pit of the Coleorton Colliery. Herbert had just sat down to eat his breakfast when a stone weighing more than a hundredweight fell from the roof onto his neck, forcing his head between his legs, causing a fracture of the lower part of the spine resulting in paralysis below the injury.

Although there was no hope of him surviving, every attention was paid to him though gradually he began to sink and eventually he died on September 13th 1869 from exhaustion and bedsores arising from the injury. The inquest was held at Thringstone on Wednesday September 15th 1869.

John Sharp (33). Buried 2.10.1881. Accident at Whitwick Colliery. He left a widow and 5 young children. He was a Thringstone man.

Joseph Henson (15). Thringstone Parish. Died 31.10.1884. Buried 3.11.1884. A horse driver. Accident at Whitwick Colliery. His head was crushed between a coal tub and a piece of stone projecting from the roof. The inquest was held at the Hare and Hounds Inn, Whitwick.

William Varnham (34). Died 25.8.1896. Buried 28.8.1896. Accident at the Swannington Colliery. He was taking away the props that hold up the coal when suddenly a large quantity of coal and stone fell upon him. He had only been married the previous Easter.

John Richards (30). The Farm, Main Street, Thringstone. A stallman. Died 19.4.1898. Buried 11.1.1899. Killed in the Whitwick Colliery Disaster. Fire and smoke. He left a wife and 2 children.

John Albert Gee (13). A Thringstone boy. Deputy's boy and pony driver. Died 19.4.1989. Buried 13.1.1899. Killed in the Whitwick Colliery Disaster. Fire and Smoke.

According to family tradition, John Albert's headstone was removed when the church porch was added in 1911. (1)

However, according to Lesley Hale's book, "Banded Together", the stone is known to have been in existence for some years after this date. It was apparently fashioned in the shape of a small cross and is remembered by Mr John Colledge of Whitwick, who suggests that the stone may have been smashed at the time repairs were carried out to the church roof, circa 1956. (2)

Stone of Samuel Stacey, September 1995

(Photograph by R Wheatley)

Samuel Stacey (26). The Dumps, Whitwick. A stallman. Died 19.4.1898. Buried 22.2.1899. Killed in the Whitwick Colliery Disaster. Fire and smoke. He left a wife and 2 children.

Joseph Wilson (45). A Thringstone man. A stallman. Died 19.4.1898. Killed in the Whitwick Colliery Disaster. Fire and smoke. His body was never found. He was landlord of the George and Dragon at Thringstone for 2 years (1890-1892). He left a wife and 6 children.

Herbert Gill (14). The Sandholes, Whitwick. A tonger. Died 29.1.1900. Buried 1.2.1900. Accident at Whitwick Colliery. Haulage rope thrown off the guiding wheels. Gill was killed instantly, both his legs and skull being fractured. The inquest into the accident was held at the Talbot Arms, Whitwick.

James Twigger (17). Thringstone. Died 14.6.1901. Buried 18.6.1901. Accident at no. 5 pit, Whitwick Colliery. He was crushed between loaded tubs. He was removed from the colliery to Leicester Infirmary where he died. The inquest was held at the infirmary.

Joseph White (18). The Talbot Arms Inn, Whitwick. An off-setter. Died 9.11.1903. Buried 12.11.1903. Accident at the bottom of no. 2 shaft, Whitwick Colliery. Coal fell from tubs being drawn up the shaft and struck him on the head, inflicting terrible injuries. The inquest was held at the Talbot Arms Inn, where the deceased's father, James White, was the landlord.

Joseph Fewkes (18). Talbot Street, Whitwick. Employed as a loader. Died 2.9.1904. Buried 6.9.1904. Accident at no. 45 stall, Whitwick Colliery. He was burnt about the face and body down to the waist by a sheet used for ventilating purposes. The inquest was held at the Prince of Wales Inn, Whitwick.

William Rossell (19). The Sandholes. A Loader. Died 5.6.1910. Buried 9.6.1910. On May 2nd William came home from work after a shift at the Coleorton Colliery and said that he had caught his arm between a coal tub and the coal face causing a scratch about three quarters of an inch long. He reported the accident and was advised to see a doctor. On May 20th, the deceased's left leg began to swell and he was unable to walk. He gradually got worse and was removed to the Leicester Infirmary where he died after having had an operation. An inquest was held at the Leicester Infirmary and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death caused by blood poisoning following infectious wounds to the right arm.

Fred Adams (42). Golden Row, Talbot Street, Whitwick. Died 3.2.1913. Buried 6.2.1913. Brickyard labourer. Accident at Whitwick Colliery brickyard. Fall of 2 tons of clay due to the wet weather. He was buried up to his neck between the clay and the tub he was filling. His neck was broken. He usually worked on the surface but on Monday morning he was working in the clay hole in the place of a man who was absent. He left a wife and child. The inquest was held at the Whitwick Colliery offices.

James Bailey (50). John Street, Thringstone. Collier. Died 15.11.1917. Buried 18.11.1917. Accident at the Coleorton Colliery. Fall of roof. He had a compound fracture of the skull, 2 ribs were broken, and a compound fracture of the left thigh. He left a wife, Ellen, and 7 children. The inquest was held at the home of Police Constable Jones in Thringstone.

Charles Bradley (47). Main Street, Thringstone. Chargeman. Died 15.8.1930. Buried 18.8.1930. Accident at the Whitwick Colliery. Fall of a stone from the roof. The stone, which was produced at the inquest, weighed 24 lbs. His neck was broken. He left a wife, Elizabeth, 1 son and 4 daughters. The inquest was held at The Institute, Thringstone.

George Henry Jessop (44). Brooks Lane, Whitwick. A chargeman. Died 3.6.1932. Buried 7.6.1932. Accident at the no. 3 pit of the Whitwick Colliery. Fall of large stone. He left a wife and 4 children. The inquest was at the Coalville Police Station.

Joseph Robinson (52). Bauble Yard, Thringstone. Buried 29.5.1936. A Miner. Accident at the New Lount Colliery, on December 2nd 1935. Robinson reported to his deputy an injury on his right hand, which had been cut by a stone. He worked a few shifts afterwards, but when he visited his doctor he was ordered to Loughborough Hospital as septic trouble had developed. He eventually died of blood poisoning originating from a septic hand. An inquest was held at Loughborough.

Wilfred Findell (32). City of Dan, Whitwick. A Faceman. Died 14.1.1940. Buried 18.1.1940. The accident occurred on a Sunday morning in the no. 3 face of the Ellistown Colliery. He and another miner (Reginald Perry of Ellistown) were ramming a shot into a hole when there was a sudden fall of nearly a ton of coal which fell straight on top of Mr Findell. There was bruising on the back of the head, the right knee and the back. Death was due to shock.

A verdict of "accidental death" was recorded at the inquest which took place at the Ellistown Colliery offices on Tuesday afternoon. He left a wife, Norah, and family.

(Our thanks to Peter Findell of Horncastle, Lincs, who told us of his father through e-mail correspondence, 07.03.02.)

Edward Marshall (41). Council Houses, Loughborough Road, Thringstone. Buried 13.11.1941. Accident at the New Lount Colliery. He had just got a catch prop into position when a large stone weighing about a ton came from the roof and struck him on the head. He left a wife.

Reginald Hibbert (34). Castle Street, Whitwick. Died 9.11.1941. Buried 13.11.1941. Fell 15 feet through a roof and sustained injuries to his head whilst "fire-watching" at Coalville. A fire-watcher was a person who kept watch for outbreaks of fire, especially those caused by aerial bombardment. In this sad case, it was during the Second World War. He left a wife and 5 children.

James Henry Cowell Liquorish (36). Gracedieu Road, Whitwick. Died 13.11.1941. Buried 16.11.1941. Accident at the New Lount Colliery. Responding to his country's call for more men to increase the coal output, he was killed by a fall of large stone only 3 weeks after he had returned to work in the pits. He left a wife and family.

Roland Whyman (39). Charnwood Cottages, Loughborough Road, Thringstone. Died 5.3.1942. Buried 8.3.1942. A packer. Accident at the Ellistown Colliery. Buried by a fall of roof. He sustained only slight injuries but died of suffocation. He left a wife.

Andrew Law Ford (41). St Andrew's Close, Thringstone. An undermanager. Died October 1953. Accident at the New Lount Colliery. Fall of stone. Mr and Mrs Ford had come from Scotland and were settling down when this calamity happened. He was cremated at Leicester. The inquest also took place at Leicester.

Ronald Fortnam (26). 45, Rosslyn Road, Whitwick. Died 24.01.1963. Buried 29.01.1963 at Whitwick Cemetery. Accident at the Whitwick Colliery. During the Night Shift on Wednesday, Ron was working in the surface cutter repair shop when he fell from an aluminium ladder onto a concrete floor. He was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary with a fractured skull and brain injuries, where he died at 1.30 am on Thursday.
Mr Kenneth Betts of Hough Hill told the Inquest he witnessed the accident at 3 am.
Dr Ernest Milford Ward Senior Pathologist to the Leicester Hospitals said that death was due to a fractured skull and haemorrhage. The jury at the Leicester inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.
Ron leaves a wife, Margaret and a daughter Jayne. He was a Thringstone man, being born at 13, John Street.

Daniel White. (45). St Bernard's Road, Whitwick. A shotfirer. Died 15.7.1963. Buried 20.7.1963. Accident at Snibston Colliery. The tragedy occurred in the middle of the afternoon shift at a lip in the stable hole of the no. 14 trepanner face. Eight men were working there when a girder crashed from a roof, bringing down a pile of rubble. The collapse of the roof came so suddenly that the men working underneath were unable to foresee the danger. Another miner, Mr Maurice Slattery (38), was also killed. Mr White was born in Thringstone and leaves a widow, 2 daughters and 1 son.

Wilfred Sykes.(46). Died 6.4.1966. Buried 9.4.1966. Accident at East Midlands Electricity Board site. Digging a service cable trench leading to a small housing estate, the trench had been dug to a depth of six inches when a 30 ft section of an 8 ft high wall collapsed onto a party of 5 men.

Michael Bancroft.(37). Died 21.10.1980. Buried 28.10.1980. Accident at South Leicester Colliery, Ellistown. Mick was struck by a heavy haulage chain used to move the coal cutting machine in the five foot seam.

(Please note that we are striving to make this Register of Remembrance as complete as possible, and any omission is entirely unintentional)

Many thanks to Mr Ron Goacher for producing this register, which is the result of many hours of dedicated research.

Workmens' Roll of Honour