Monday 14 June 1784, Northampton Mercury
Last week, one Harris, belonging to the Coal Works at Clutton, cut his belly open in so shocking a manner, that he lingered in the greatest agonies till the next day, when he expired.
Thursday 6 December 1821, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
Monday se’nnight [a period of seven nights], as a youth named John Chivers was descending a coal pit at Clutton, the rope accidentally gave way, and he was precipitated to the bottom, and horribly mutilated by the fall. Medical assistance was promptly rendered him, but he expired on Friday evening.
Thursday 29 January 1824, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
At Clutton, on George Bishop, killed by falling down a coal pit.
Thursday 27 October 1853, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT – A few days since a little boy, six years old, named Enoch James, ran into the yard belonging to the Grayfield Coal Works, near Clutton. A miner drove him away, when the child in his fright ran backwards, and, falling down the pit's mouth, was killed. When taken up at the bottom of the pit he was found to be terribly mutilated. The deceased had no mother, the father was at work in some colliery, and the child had escaped from his grandmother, in whose care he was left.
Thursday 10 December 1835, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
A Case of Great Affliction
Enos Brooks, of the parish of High Littleton, near this city, aged 33, a man of industrious, sober, and domestic habits, having proceeded on 21st August last, to his usual work at Greyfield Colliery, in the parish of Clutton, was soon afterwards borne to his cottage, by his fellow workmen, mangled and senseless. Whilst using powder in blasting, an accidental explosion totally destroyed both his eyes, blew off his left hand and part of his arm, and two fingers of his right hand.
To the astonishment of all, he has not only survived, but, except that he is blind and mutilated, he has recovered, and meekly resigned to his affliction; but he is surrounded by a sorrowing Wife and Six Children, who, hitherto dependent on his arms for sustenance, are now helpless and destitute.
With a view to furnish him with some comforts beyond the allowance of a parish, a subscription is opened, and it is hoped that many, out of their abundance, will assist a fellow creature, under such extraordinary suffering and deprivation.
Donations are received at the Bank of Messrs. Hobhouse and Co., and of Messrs. Tugwell and Co.; and at Godwin’s and Duffield’s Libraries; and a fuller testimony of the case may be had of either of the parties whose names are attached to the first four subscriptions.
[Below this article subscriptions were raise from 19 subscribers totalling £22 19s; all subscribers were named]
Thursday 30 October 1845, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
October 22nd, at Clutton, on the body of Jonas Challenger, who was found dead In Fryswood coalpit, in the parish of Clutton. He was subject to fits, but was in perfect health when he went to work the same morning. Verdict “Died by the Visitation of God."
Thursday 8 February 1855, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
A BRAVE MAN. —A body of water lately broke through the works at Ham Colliery, Clutton, and rapidly filled all the open places in which the men were employed. The poor fellows rushed to the bottom of the shaft, and many of them escaped unhurt. An old man, named Harris, missing a young man named Purnell, nobly sought him, and found him under some large stones which had been dislodged by the force of the current. He was quickly extricated, and, by medical assistance, so far recovered as to be taken home.
Saturday 2 June 1855, Wells Journal
At Fry’s Bottom, Clutton, on the body of Abraham Beacham, coal miner, aged 42, who was killed by the falling of a stone, of a conical form, in the above colliery, which it is well known to coal miners, cannot possible be avoided. Verdict “Accidental Death.”
Thursday 8 February 1855, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
A Brave man – A body of water lately broke through the works at Ham Colliery, Clutton, and rapidly filled all the open places in which the men were employed. The poor fellows rushed to the bottom of the shaft, and many of them escaped unhurt. An old man, named Harris, missing a young man named Purnell, nobly sought him and found him under some large stones which had been dislodged by the force of the current. He was quickly extracted, and, by medical assistance, so far recovered as to be taken home.
Friday 17 January 1862, Shepton Mallet Journal
Clutton
An inquest was held by B. Fry Esq., coroner, at the Warwick Arms, on Tuesday, on the body of George Lippiatt, coal miner, who lost his life in the Greyfield coal pit on the evening of the 10th inst. From the evidence of the manager, bailiff, and two of the pitmen it appeared that about half past 8 p.m., the deceased was down the pit, and wished to go in a disused cutting for a put [or putt waggon] to draw coals in,. His candle went out, and he desired a man named Baker to stay where he was and keep his light in while he fetched the putt. Baker did as he was told. Deceased went into the cutting but never returned, and he was shortly after brought out dead. The presence of foul air was never suspected in any part of the pit, and the bailiff had been in that particular working two days previous to the accident, and had been there since. Deceased was a trespasser, and had no business in the working after the putt, as a new one was provided for him and left at the mouth of the pit, but which he refused to take down with him. He was also a very intemperate man. The government Inspector, who could not attend, had inspected the mine, and wrote a letter to the coroner, intimating that there was no blame attached to any of the Proprietors or their servants, and the jury returned a verdict of “Died of diseased lungs, accelerated by the difficulty of ascending the incline, and the foul air.”
Thursday 31 August 1865, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette
Fatal Colliery Accident at Clutton
An accident attended with fatal results occurred at Clutton on Saturday morning at Fry’s Bottom coal pit, to a boy named Enoch Dagger, aged 12 years. It appears the boy was at work in the pit loading a coal put, which stood on a very steep incline and the put moved on without the boy being aware of it, and knocked him down, when he was precipitated to the bottom of the pit, where he received such injuries that he died in a few minutes afterwards. No blame is attributable to any person, as it was purely accidental.
5 October 1866, Western Gazette
HIGH LITTLETON – FATAL COLLIERY ACCIDENT
On Monday, an inquest was held at High Little on the body of Mark Cleaves, who was killed in the Grayfield Pit, on the 26th of September. It appeared in evidence that on the morning of that day, the deceased and seven others were descending the shaft, when he suddenly slipped from the cage and fell to the bottom. In the course of the inquiry, a question arose as to whether or not Cleaves was in such a state of health as to render it safe for him to follow the dangerous occupation of a coal miner, but nothing definite proved in that respect. Amongst other witnesses examined was her Majesty's Inspector of the district, Mr. L. Brough, of Clifton, who deposed that he had carefully examined the pit in question from top to bottom, and that he found it to be 150 fathoms deep ; in other words 900 feet. Mark Cleaves fell about 110 fathoms as near as he could make out that is to say his real flight downwards exceeded 200 feet. He found the cage certainly too small for eight sons; six men and boys were quite enough. It not a very good pit, but the cage, the guides, and the machinery were all in working condition. He did not think Cleaves was jolted out of the cage by its catching against any joints in the timbers which constituted the guides. He might have been forced out by overcrowding, but he thought it far more likely that he was overpowered by the ascending exhaust steam and the pernicious products of the combustion of coal in the boiler fires. The pit is so small that it is only here and there in going down or coming up that room is met with sufficient for a man to slip through. On a previous occasion when down that pit he had pointed out to Mr. I. Jones, the then manager, the urgent necessity of an entire new shaft as the only real cure for the danger of men travelling through a hot and unhealthy upcast. He concluded his evidence by stating, that he considered deceased met with his death in consequence of the vitiated state of the atmosphere then ascending the pit. Mr. Brough then explained the properties of gases and products that the men had to pass through in getting to and from their work. He stated that all the exhaust steam of the underground engine passes up the pit; there were also mixed with it carbonic acid gas and carbonic oxide, derivable from the combustion of the coal under the boilers, together with certain of the sulphides, all of a nature contrary to health and if in increased quantities and proportions absolutely fatal to human life. It therefore became evident that persons with tender lungs, heart disease, or even deranged power of digestion might become seriously and dangerously affected by passing through and inhaling an atmosphere thus vitiated. Finally a verdict tantamount to accidental death was returned, coupled with a recommendation that additional safety bars be applied to the cages, and that the engine fires be damped down a couple of hours or so before the men commenced descending in the morning.
Friday 19 July 1867, Western Gazette
Clutton Fatal Colliery Accident
An accident unfortunately attended with fatal results occurred last week, at Fry’s bottom coal pit, in this village, when a large body of water, supposed to have come from an old pit adjoining, that has not been worked for several years, burst into that now in use, and soon deluged it, so that it will be some impossible for it to be worked again for some time to come. Unfortunately, a man and a boy, who were in the pit at the time of the accident, were unable to make their escape, and their bodies have not been recovered, although every exertion is being made to get the water out as soon as possible, in order to do so. We are informed that the Government Inspector of Mines for this district has visited the scene of the disaster, and no doubt he will make a searching investigation into the cause of the accident. On Wednesday, an inquest was held, at the Warwick Arms Inn, before Mr Craddock, coroner, on the bodies of the deceased which were recovered on Saturday last. In the course of examinations it was elicited that suspicions of water being near the spot has existed, and borings had been made. Mr L. Brough, inspector of mines, gave it as his opinion that the disturbance occasioned by the borings had brought down the water. A verdict of “Accidentally suffocated” was returned.
Friday 19 July 1867, Shepton Mallet Journal
Fatal Colliery Accident at Clutton
An accident, unfortunately attended with fatal results occurred during Monday night at Fry’s bottom coal pit, at Clutton, when a large body of water, supposed to have come from an old pit adjoining, that has not been worked for several years, burst into that now in use, and soon deluged it, so that it will be impossible for it to be worked for some time to come. Unfortunately a man and boy, who were in the pit at the time of the accident, were unable to make their escape, and their bodies have not been recovered, although every exertion is being made to get the water out as soon as possible, in order to do so. We are informed that the Government Inspector of Mines for this district visited the scene of the disaster on Thursday.
On Wednesday afternoon, an inquest was held at the Warwick Arms Inn, before Mr S. Craddock, Deputy Coroner, touching the deaths of Jabez Cook and George Collier, persons employed in the Fry’s Bottom Colliery, in the parish of Clutton. Cook was aged 51, and Collier 14 years; the former has left a wife and family. The event created a good deal of painful interest in the neighbourhood, and this was intensified by the fact that the bodies were not recovered until Sunday night last, when they were found by James Lewis, a coal miner, who had been looking for them ever since the accident happened. Mr L. Brough the Government Inspector of Collieries for the district was present, and said, he had spent a considerable portion of time exploring the workings. He found that the inundation of water had brought down such debris, and in fact had obstructed the ventilation so that the supply of pure air was rendered extremely difficult. Although the managers and workmen did all that men could possibly effect, it became a work of time and great fatigue, and also of considerable danger, in which he (witness) shared, as far as time went, when he was actually in the pit. He was not able to accuse the manager of any neglect of duty. On the contrary, he had to repeat that all hands exerted themselves with great zeal and courage in recovering the bodies. The workings of late years were all well known, and the people were familiar with them, but he had again to observe that the workings were desirons of approaching were without maps, and the only chance of safeguard was by the free use of the bore rods; but in the present case even that did not suffice. Witness exculpated the manager entirely in this matter, for he obeyed the law as far a boring was concerned. He was of the opinion that the disturbance of earth by boring brought down the water earlier than it otherwise would have come. He was also of opinion, that if the colliery was continued, boring must be continued, but he hoped that this would be the means of closing the colliery altogether. The Coroner summed up briefly, saying that there was not the slightest blame attachable to the manager, who had carried out all that was required of him by the Act of Parliament. There was no doubt that if there had been a map of the old workings the accident would never have occurred. It was the inspector’s belief, and his, that the accident was perfectly unavoidable, and this no doubt would be the verdict they would return. The jury, without any deliberation, returned the verdict of “Accidentally suffocated,” and the inquiry terminated.