1888 - A Disastrous Year By 1888 William Houston had become oversman at Hurlford No. 18 Pit. The Hurlford No 18 Colliery was a coal mine located in Hurlford, East Ayrshire, Scotland, which operated between 1854 and 1900. Nearby mines included the Old Bridge Pit and Portland Colliery. They were all part of the extensive coal mining industry in Ayrshire during the Victorian era. Mining records from the Scottish Mining Website list fatal accidents at Hurlford No 18 in 1881 and 1888. On 2 May 1881 Jos. McKillop, a collier aged 29, died as a result of the fall of coal from the roof and sides of the seam. William Houston stated his occupation as colliery oversman in the 1881 Census which was taken on Sunday 3 April so he may have had responsibility for the shift when the accident happened. Seven years later William Houston’s son Oliver McLeod Houston suffered the same fate while working in a nearby pit.
A colliery oversman (or overman) was a senior underground official in a coal mine responsible for the daily supervision of mining operations, acting as a foreman or manager. They were typically experienced miners who oversaw safety, managed the work of colliers (miners) and deputies, and reported directly to an undermanager. Key Responsibilities: • Supervision: They supervised an entire shift's work, often with one oversman per shift. • Safety Inspection: Responsible for conducting safety inspections and ensuring ventilation was maintained. • Production Management: Managed the daily production and coal output, setting up work for miners each morning. • Hierarchy: Located in the chain of command, they were superior to deputies and firemen, but subordinate to the manager (or viewer). Death : Oliver McLeod Houston : 16 Jun 1888
Report from The Ayr Observer and Galloway Chronicle, 22 Jun 1888
When and Where Died : On the 16th June 1888 In No 15 Pit Skerrington Colliery Hurlford Cause of Death : Killed by a quantity of Stones falling upon him from the roof of his working place in said pit on 16th June.