Hartley Colliery Medal 1862, obverse: an angel looks on, as two miners dig to uncover their comrades from the rubble; reverse inscription in raised letters, ‘Presented to those who risked their own lives in attempting to save the lives of their fellow workmen buried in Hartley Colliery, January 1862’ (Thomas Hetherington), 51mm., silver, fitted with ring suspension, together with separate but original silver straight bar suspension and buckle, in J. S. Wyon, London case of issue, attractive, nearly extremely fine, rare £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Life Saving, Police and Fire Brigade Medals from the James N Spencer Collection.

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On 10 January 1862 disaster struck at the Hartley Colliery in Northumberland, leaving in its wake a death toll of some 202 miners. A cage carrying eight people proved too much weight for the massive pumping engine beam which, although weighing over 40 tons, gave way and tumbled down the shaft, carrying with it a mass of machinery and debris. Much of it came to rest a little over 400 feet from the surface on the immense oak beams which held the centre set of pumps in the shaft.

The unwalled sides of the shaft collapsed, piling tons of rock and rubble on top of the initial fall, sealing the shaft. It took six days of dangerous and strenuous work by the rescuers to reach the men trapped by the fall, but all were found to be dead. One of the dead, by the name of James Armour, kept notes of the ordeal in a book whilst trapped underground. These notes were referred to in the official enquiry into the case ‘It appears to be certain from the date of the entry in the book found on the person of the overman, Armour, that all had died not later than the afternoon of the day following the accident, having fallen victims of the noxious gasses generated in the pit.’

Subsequent to the disaster there were many expressions of opinion in favour of some reward being made to the sinkers and others, who had so nobly risked their lives in their ill-fated attempts to rescue the entombed miners. In accordance with this widely expressed desire a special fund was instituted under the direction of a Committee with Mr T.G. Hurst as its secretary. At the outset it was determined that the testimonial should assume the form of a medal, and ultimately, Mr Wyon, of the Mint, whose designs had been approved by the committee, was engaged to execute the dies and strike the medals. A total of 1 gold and 37 silver medals were awarded.