Radford Pit in the 1890's

[buttons]

Can any one tell me if there was a mine disaster at Radford pit in the 1890's. I know this is remote but I am working on my family tree and I have come across a widow at the age of 24 and I wondered if it was a mining related accident.
Thank you in advance.
A

[John]

It's funny, but since I have got into this sort of thing, I have found very little info on Nottingham Collieries on the internet.
I'm the only source of info on my old pit Clifton where a few blokes came from Wollaton when it closed. A couple actually hailed from Radford.
I'm ashamed to admit I never took any interest in mining history them days and I had it "all at hand" working in the industry!
I have searched and searched for all the Nottingham pits, and the only source of info is Terry Blythes site, linked in my links section.
To be honest, I don't think any of the pits around Nottingham ever had a disaster, most were fairly free of gas and most of the owners had invested loads of cash into them. They were the most modern in any coalfield, so safety was pretty good. Plus Nottingham had a good choice of industries, making labour pretty short and keeping miners pay and conditions pretty good.
I'm not sure, but I think Radford and Wollaton were owned by the same family who had their residence at Wollaton Hall, now the natural history museum, donated to Nottingham by the old National Coal Board.

[buttons]

Thank you for your interest, I know only of the amount of water that was in Radford pit. My grandfather worked most of the shifts he did up to his knees in it.

In my research of the family tree I will keep you informed of any problems I come across, my father was in Babbington pit as were most of my family.

I used to go to Babbington pit after he died, this was 1961.

Once again thank you for your help.

A

[dazb]

Hya Buttons, there is a website where a list of UK mining disasters can be viewed, this is a small part of a magnificent site compiled by Mr Ian Winstanley, and can be viewed at;
www.cmhrc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
The site also offers a search of a database of idividual deaths and injuries related to mining in Great Britain but this is not directly accessable and a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the search is suggested (Ian is very considerate and fair type of guy and I have gained a lot of imformation from his exstensive research efforts in the past for a minimum monetry gesture).
I have looked at the disaster listings and cannot see anything recorded for Radford during the 1800's, but I think I am correct in stating that "disasters" are only classified as such when there have been at least 5 deaths as a result of any one particular incident, so it may well be that your relative could have been killed as a result of a lesser mining accident which therefore might warrant a search of Ian's list of mining deaths;
www.cmhrc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/deaths.htm

[buttons]

Thank you for that information and I will certainly look into it. I have found an interest in the mines since starting this family history thing. Take my advice, never start it unless you have 28 hours in a day to follow it through.

Many thanks again.

A

[plantfit]

Ayup mi ducks
There is a book available from the bookshop under the council house building in the market square Nottingham called Radford colliery The bread and herring pit, it's written by an ex collier who spent his working life down that pit and did some pretty extensive research into its history I think its only 2or3 quid but well worth it.
Cheers

Roger

[John]

plantfit said:

Ayup mi ducks
There is a book available from the bookshop under the council house building in the market square Nottingham called Radford colliery The bread and herring pit, it's written by an ex collier who spent his working life down that pit and did some pretty extensive research into its history I think its only 2or3 quid but well worth it.
Cheers

Roger

Roger, it pees me off no end that I was so bloody lazy and didn't take the time to research all that stuff when I had all the history so close to me.
I remember when Radford closed and then Wollaton, I worked with blokes who had worked at both pits, alas, they will be long gone now!
Both Ernie Gerrard and Dave Watson, two electricians I worked with, had worked at both pits and would have had a wealth of knowlege about them.
I also had all the records at hand in the offices of Clifton, where I worked and never bothered!

[plantfit]

Ayup John,
reminds me of the old saying "You never know what you've got till it's gone."
Reading some of the posts on this site it looks like you're surrounded with a wealth of info, it just needs tapping into. From what I know of pit men, there wasn't one born who couldn't talk about the pit all day and never repeat himself.

Rog

[John]

True Rog, just shows how much history I could have preserved if I'd gone out of my way back in the 1960's! There wasn't even an official NCB historian back then.
All those blokes I knew from Radford and Wollaton will all be dead now.
The problem back then Roger, was we never thought the industry would die!
Had I an idea of that back then, I would have collected oil lamps, tallies old NCB books etc, I'd now be sitting on a fortune!
Imagine what an oil lamp from Clifton Colliery, would be worth now?

[maureen]

Don't know if I have the right page. Both my grandfather William Wright Smith and his father William Smith probably worked at Radford pit about 1881. They lived in Trusswells Yard at the time. In 1891 they were both living in Stapleford and probably at Wollerton or Trowell Moor Pit. My grandfather was killed at Trowell Moor on the 14th June 1917. I think my great grandfather died in the 1890's. I live in Tasmania Australia and it is a bit difficult to source some material. I would be interested in any relevant history and old photos. Is the book still available

[John]

Sept 25, 2008 2:25:00 GMT -5 maureen said:

Don't know if I have the right page. Both my grandfather William Wright Smith and his father William Smith probably worked at Radford pit about 1881. They lived in Trusswells Yard at the time. In 1891 they were both living in Stapleford and probably at Wollerton or Trowell Moor Pit. My grandfather was killed at Trowell Moor on the 14th June 1917. I think my great grandfather died in the 1890's. I live in Tasmania Australia and it is a bit difficult to source some material. I would be interested in any relevant history and old photos. Is the book still available

Not sure what book your on about Maureen.
I believe both Radford and Wollaton were both owned by the same company and were merged at one point, all coal coming out of Wollaton's shafts.
Radford was pretty close to where the old Raleigh Cycle works used to be, and Wollaton was just north of Wollaton Park at side of the canal. Coal was transported via the canal in the old days and later by rail until closure in the mid 1960's. Radford closed in early 1960's.
As for your Grand and greatgrandfather I can't help.

I've never tracked down any photos of Radford colliery Maureen, but there are some of Wollaton on a Midlands Photographic site, mostly old ones going back to the late 1800's and one at closure.

[dazbt]

Maureen is probably referring to the book that Plantfit mentioned on this thread, "Radford Colliery, Bread and Herring Pit". I had a search around the net and can't find it listed with online book sellers, Plantfit mentioned that he had seen it in a Nottingham bookshop, maybe it was just a local publication.
I have also looked through Ian Winstanley's record of mine deaths and injuries and can't see any reference to William Smith at Trowel Moor colliery, there are a few names listed but no Smiths for that pit. Ian's list shows dozens of William Smiths killed in various mines of Britain but none that record Maureen's grandfather.

[John]

I'll leave a pm for Plantfit on the Nottstalgia website about that book Daz.

[John]

Maureen, Plantfit got back to me, he bought his copy from a place under the Nottingham Council House, probably a Nottingham City bookshop.
Try going to the Nottingham City website and email a couple of departments on it's availabilty. .

The City of Nottingham Archive department also has an extensive library of photographs so I'm led to believe, with many older pit photos.

[maureen]

Hi again
Thanks everyone for taking the trouble to write. Re. my grandfather William W. Smith, I have a report as follows:
William Wright Smith age 52 14/16 June 1917 Nottingham General Hospital Run over by tubs Trowel Moor pit.
Bye for now from Tassie

[bibobs]

of the 31, known fatals at Radford all were individual accidents
production started 1898 with one fatal in 1899 and he was aged 53
Cheers Bibobs