The Hartley Colliery Disaster 1862: Norman Jackson

Описание: This video is a recording of a live virtual lecture given by Norman Jackson on January 16th 2021 to the North of England Institute for Mining and Mechanical Engineers (NEIMME).

Lecture overview:
00:00:00 Introduction slides
00:00:17 Lecture introduction
00:02:24 Main lecture
00:57:21 Question and answer
01:12:03 Vote of thanks to the speaker

Lecture Synopsis:
This is a special #NEIMME Lecture on the 1862 Hartley Pit disaster to mark the anniversary of the disaster. The lecture will take place on the 16th of January 159 years to the day of the disaster. 204 men died but mining legislation was permanently changed to ensure two shafts to escape from a mine were available.

Norman Jackson has delivered this lecture at our Institute in January 2012 as a memorial to the events of over 150 years ago, and has also given this lecture several times on the anniversary of the accident including in Johannesburg at The International Mining History Congress in 2012.

Sadly the traditional Church Service and Memorial Concert along with other events are not possible in January 2021. To partially fill this void The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers asked Norman to deliver this paper and we acknowledge the Hartley Disaster Memorial Committee for the huge amount of work they have undertaken over many years keeping this awful accident as a reminder to all of the injustices of that time. The January 2021 commemoration is particularly relevant owing to the sad passing of John Seymour on 7th November 2020 who was a huge contributor to the Memorial Garden and a man deeply respected in New Hartley.

Norman has many connections with Hartley. He did his first Pit Shift at the adjacent Seaton Delaval Colliery in 1958 over 50 years ago. Seaton Sluice where he lives exported much of the coal produced at Hartley and his home overlies the workings of the mine.

From the Speaker:
"In doing my background research I have become even more aware of the tremendous data base of original material that we are attempting to preserve in our Institute at Newcastle and I commend anyone interested to search out some of this material in particular the account of one of our early members Mr. George Baker Forster and also the inquiry report prepared by J K Blackwell Inspector of Mines Midlands. I have researched all the other documents of the time and believe these accounts the only ones to present the facts accurately. I find many of the press reports to contain many and varied versions of events.

I have based my presentation on the records of papers that were presented to the Institute in 1862 and the records of the Inquiry and Inquest that followed.

Some of the opinions and descriptions are my own based on my experience that I have been privileged to have observed during my career.

There are many brave stories that have been told in the various publications that have been produced over the years and time will only permit me to give a brief insight into many of the brave people involved including those who sadly lost their lives."

Speaker Biography:
Norman Jackson is an acknowledged authority on mining engineering and industry restructuring including the environmental impacts, and played a leading role in the closing down of the North East coalfield in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner. Since leaving BCC he has embarked on a successful career as an independent international management and mining consultant and has worked in association with
many clients over a number of years on projects in the coal industries and as an expert witness to the Courts.

Norman has delivered this lecture several times on the anniversary of the Hartley accident, and has many connections with Hartley, doing his first pit shift at the adjacent Seaton Delaval Colliery in 1958. The research for this talk was carried out in the archives of the Institute in particular the account of one of our early members Mr George Baker Forster and the inquiry report prepared by J K Blackwell Inspector of Mines Midlands.

About the Institute:
The Mining Institute is the Royal Chartered membership organisation for science and technology in the North. Founded in 1852 by some of the most important contemporary Northern scientists and engineers, our members still actively contribute to academia, industry and public life across the region.
To find out more about us visit: https://mininginstitute.org.uk
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