THE dangers of quarrying were starkly revealed at an inquest reported in the Malvern Gazette 100 years ago.

The hearing, at Malvern Hospital, was convened to inquire into the death of George Henry Phillpotts, aged 32, who had been killed the previous Friday.

The quarryman, from Cradley, left a widow and seven young children behind.

John Bruton, of Leigh Sinton, said he had been working with Phillpotts in a quarry just off the North Malvern Road.

The paper reported: "Witness was working lower down the quarry than the deceased, who was employed in raising stone with a bar. About 4.30pm, some stone slipped off the bed behind the deceased and knocked him down. As he was falling, other stones rolled over him.

"Deceased fell 14 or 15 feet. When picked up, he said: 'Oh, I'm done for, I'm killed'."

Quarry foreman A E Lewis told the inquest that Phillpotts had worked for him for six years.

The report continued: "Under witness's direction, there had been blasting operations about an hour before the accident. It was the duty of the deceased and no-one else to inspect the result of the blasting and to report to witness if anything was found unsafe. On this particular afternoon, deceased made no report at all."

Mr Lewis said only that morning, he warned Phillpotts not to go near dangerous areas, as he knew he could be reckless.

He said he was "a very good workman - the best I ever had - but very venturesome. He was too anxious to do his duty".

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.