Norcroft Colliery Disaster (1821) courtesy of Dr. J. Gary Hawley, ex underground mechanical engineer, and his Dad, Mr. J. Allan Hawley, ex-miner and colliery overman. The following information is an extract from a book they are writing. Norcroft Colliery Disaster (1821). Norcroft Colliery was a shaft mine, which worked the Silkstone seam at a depth of some 60 meters. We cannot be certain where Norcroft Colliery was exactly but we can infer where it might have been by examining the writings of the Rev CT Pratt and his documented history of Cawthorne (1882) as well as the research undertaken by Mr John Goodchild in this book, "Coals from Barnsley". Examining the first OS maps produced in 1855 provides some clues and reference to a sketch of the Colliery undertaken by Mr John Claude Nattes, at the turn of the 18th century. Norcroft Colliery and other mines worked by Mr Thorpe in that area around Banks Hall were some distance from both the canal terminus at Barnby Basin and the initial section of Silkstone Wagon Way which at that time connected the Barnby Furnace Colliery to the water way. The Silkstone Wagon Way was extended by the Barnsley Canal Company to Silkstone Cross in 1809 and Thorp built a private wagon road from that vicinity of Banks Hall to intersect with the wagon way just above Barnby Furnace. A section of the OS map 1850-55, shows in the vicinity of Lower and Upper Norcroft this private road, an embankment which was cut to facilitate a level transportation route and at that time what were classified as 'old coal pits'. This site, just off Adam Lane is the probable site of Norcroft Colliery, it is situated on a coal extraction route and examination of underground coal plans in that area puts the Silkstone seam at 60 metres, which corresponds to the depth quoted in the newspaper report on the incident. To set the scene, an ascending platform carrying men and coal lost its hoist near the mouth of the pit and eleven men and boys (no women or girls) were hurled to the bottom. Ten died, which included the Eyre brothers, aged 16, 12 and 10 as well as three children each aged 8 years old. This incident took place some seventeen years prior to the Husker disaster in which 26 children were killed (girls and boys) who were between the ages of 7 and 17. Yet the incident at Norcroft has drifted by virtually undocumented. It is surprising, given the magnitude of this incident, that it was not recorded in the writings of Teasdale or Pratt. It is featured in an article in the Barnsley Chronicle dated January 22nd, 1876, some 55 years later and which is reproduced below. Examination of local parish records confirm the deaths and the dates however no mention of the cause of death or this incident was recorded. The following article appeared in the Barnsley Chronicle dated January 22nd, 1876. Annals of Local Mining Disasters. Norcroft, Cawthorne, 1821. Ten Persons Killed. The following account of a serious colliery disaster took place at Norcroft, in the township of Cawthorne, on Wednesday, May 23rd , 1821, is extracted from a letter addressed by Jerimiah Gilbert to his mother on the following day, Thursday, 24th May: "Yesterday morning, about eleven o'clock, the awful news reached my ears than eleven persons, men and lads, were coming out of a coal-pit when the chain broke, and they immediately fell to the bottom of the pit. Seven were killed with the fall; one never spoke after; two others died a few hours after they got home; and another died this morning; so that nine out of the eleven are launched out of time into a boundless eternity since yesterday morning; and the tenth that I saw last night, if he be still living this morning, was to have one thigh set and the other cut off. Indeed neither of the two is expected to survive. [The one with his thigh broken only lingered a fortnight, and the only survivor would be Thomas Fox, who is still living] How awful was the night. As soon as it was found what occurred, there were men and women running, both underground and above, to see who had fallen vistims; mothers and wives on the pit bank shrieking and wringing their hands together, and they who had no relatives in the pit partook of the general trouble. There was one man, a father, who was at the pit bottom who was going to come up with those that were killed, but was providently prevented by a man that began to talk about the prayers of the church. Those who first glided down the rope into the pit tell us that the sight at the bottom of the shaft was most fearful; some had broken arms, some broken legs, one had his head nearly cut off, and the whole present a mass of humanity of a most sickening character-the corf, tools and bodies of the men being one indescribable heap. Two sons were drawn up in the previous corf, and their father, who was at the bottom, stood talking. They called at times, but not coming up with them, he ascended by the fatal corves, and on their arrival at nearly the top the chain broke, and all went to the bottom. On one of these young men sliding the rope, the first he saw on getting to the bottom was his father, just alive, but he could not speak, and as soon as he moved him he died. The sight was very awful: some lying with their skulls open, the blood rolling in torrents, some crying for mercy, and one dear lad singing part of that hymn" The article goes onto report: Three brothers were killed. (One other brother, William Eyre, who was not working, went down into the pit to assist) Nine of the victims were buried in one day, and the event had caused such excitement in the district that a large concourse of persons assembled to follow them to their last resting place. Eleven men were ascending from one of the pits at Norcroft belonging to the (Low Moor, 9) Company on Wednesday, May 23rd , 1821, and after having nearly reached to the top the brig gave way, and the chains breaking, the whole were unfortunately precipitated to the bottom, viz, John Hanford Richard Watson Thomas Townend Charles Eyre (16) Robert Eyre (12) Benjamen Eyre (10) John Hinchliffe (8) Thomas Blackburn Thomas Townend (23) Charles Foulding (8) Forden (8) Thomas Fox Six being killed on the spot, and 3 more since dead. Some survived but a few hours, nine being dead when the coroner held his inquest, one more dying after making 10 killed. Six of these unfortunate men were interred at Cawthorne, one at Rothwell, one at Darton, one at Silkstone. The two surviving were Thomas Fox and Thomas Townend (who died shortly afterward), who were so dreadfully fractured that their lives were despaired of. Melancholy accident which occurred at a colliery at Norcroft, in the parish of Cawthorne, on Wednesday, May 21st , 1821. Thomas Fox late of Windmill Inn, still living, was dreadfully injured, being the only one of the 11 who survived. William Eyre, of Old Town, now living, assisted to get his 3 dead brothers out of the pit - still living. The disaster was briefly reported in the Leeds Intelligencer on May 28th, 1821. The paper states 11 men as involved in the disaster but 12 names are quoted. Examination of the local parish registers reveals the following details: Charles Eyre of Tivey-Dale aged 16 Robert Eyre of Tivey-Dale aged 12 Benjamin Eyre of Tivey-Dale aged 10 Charles Forden of Norcroft aged 8 John Hinchliffe of Norcroft aged 8 Thomas Townend of Cawthorne aged 23 The above were all buried in Cawthorne churchyard on 25th May 1821.