James Fairley

First name:

James

Second name:

Fairley

Date of birth:

07/12/1890

Date of death:

06/01/1947

Place(s) of work:

Hopetoun No.4 mine
Hopetoun No.35 pit
Newliston No.29 mine
Hopetoun Oil Works

Home address(es):

East Burnside, Broxburn

Occupation type(s):

Shale Miner

See full record, LVSAV2010.139.106

Newspaper References

UNDER THE FATAL ACCIDENTS INQUIRY (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1895, and THE FATAL ACCIDENTS AND SUDDEN DEATHS INQUIRY (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1906, and THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE (EMERGERNCY PROVISIONS) (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1939.

The SHERIFF of THE LOTHIANS AND PEEBLES will hold a PUBLIC INQUIRY within the SHERIFF COURT HOUSE, LINLITHGOW, on TUESDAY the Eighteenth day of February, 1947, at eleven o'clock forenoon, in regard to the Death of (1) JAMES FIARLEY, Shale miner, East Burnside, Broxburn...

Linlithgowshire Gazette, 14 February 1947

FELL DOWN PIT SHIFT

Inquiry Into Broxburn Miner's Death

An inquiry was held by Sheriff Macgregor, K.C., in Linlithgow Sheriff court on Tuesday, into the death of James Fairley, miner, East Burnside, Broxburn, who fell out of the pit cage when descending the shaft out of Hopetoun No. 35 Mine, Trinlaymire, Threemiletown, on 6th January, and was killed.

Alex. M'Queen, 33 Preston Road, Linlithgow, wo was with two other men in the cage with Fairley at the time, said that everything was in order and the decent was quite normal until they were about midway down. Fairley and he were standing back to back, and at this point he felt something touch the back of his leg, and on turning round he saw Fairley fall between the cage and the side of the shaft. There was no means of stopping the cage, but they kept shouting to the bottomer. When the cage reached the bottom, he felt it rest on the body of Fairley, and on the cage being raised, Fairley was found lying dead...

Sheriff Macgregor returned a formal verdict in accordance with the evidence.

Linlithgowshire Gazette, 21 February 1947