Adderley Green Colliery shaft accident, 1860

Early on Tuesday 17 July 1860 five men and boys going down the Meadow Pit at Stirrup and Pye's Adderley Green Colliery, Longton, were thrown to the bottom of the shaft when their cage struck an iron rail that had fallen from a scaffold during the night and lodged across the shaft. The colliery rule that an empty cage must go down first had been ignored.

Cause

An iron rail used on the scaffold over the lower part of the shaft slipped through a gap between the scaffold and the brickwork about midnight and lodged at an angle some 25 to 30 yards above the bottom. The descending cage struck it and the men were thrown out.

Contributing factors

The rule that the empty cage be lowered and drawn up before any workmen went down was disregarded, although the butty, Thomas Edwards, had sent word that no men should come down until a wagon had been sent to test the shaft.

What happened

The Meadow Pit was about 214 yards deep, with the inset of the Hard Mine seam at 130 yards and the Banbury coal at the bottom. When coal was drawn from the Hard Mine a scaffold was placed over the lower part of the shaft. On the Monday night the drawing was from the Hard Mine, and about midnight one of the rails laid on the scaffold to carry the loaded wagons fell through the gap beside the brickwork. At about half past five next morning the scaffold was taken out so that drawing could begin from the lower level, and the five got into the cage. It struck the rail and they fell to the bottom.

Hulme and Salmon were dead when they were drawn up, and Hurst and Woolley died within minutes on the pit bank. The boy Taylor was carried home and died at eight that morning; his father, at work in the Banbury coal, had been the first to reach him at the shaft bottom.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest was held at the Crown and Anchor before Mr Harding, the coroner, with Mr Wynne, the Government Inspector of Mines, present. Joseph Donkin, a collier at the pit bottom, said he had seen an iron bar about nine feet long, once a wagon rail and now used as a guide, on the scaffold, and had heard something fall down the pit. Thomas Edwards said he had sent word that no men should come down until an empty corve had been sent, and minutes later saw a cage load of men pass him going down. The jury found no fault with the management of the colliery and not enough evidence to charge anyone with manslaughter.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The five deaths are also recorded as an explosion. (disputed) ³

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• On 17 July 1860 five men and boys were killed at Adderley Green Colliery when the cage carrying them down the shaft struck a rail lodged across it. ^1,2
• The rail had fallen through a gap between the shaft scaffold and the brickwork around midnight and lodged at an angle near the foot of the shaft. ^1,2
• The colliery rule that an empty cage be lowered and drawn up before men went down was disregarded. ¹
• The inquest jury found no fault with the management of the colliery and not enough evidence to charge anyone with manslaughter. ²
• The five deaths are also recorded as an explosion. (disputed) ³

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Buttyman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “…drawn up before any workmen went down was disregarded, although the butty, Thomas Edwards, had sent word that no men should come down until a…”
• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Colliery, Longton, were thrown to the bottom of the shaft when their cage struck an iron rail that had fallen from a scaffold during the night…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…Anchor before Mr Harding, the coroner, with Mr Wynne, the Government Inspector of Mines, present. Joseph Donkin, a collier at the pit bottom, said he had…”
• Heapstead (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…they were drawn up, and Hurst and Woolley died within minutes on the pit bank. The boy Taylor was carried home and died at eight that morning; his…”
• Inset (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “The Meadow Pit was about 214 yards deep, with the inset of the Hard Mine seam at 130 yards and the Banbury coal at the…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Adderley Green Mine (thepotteries.org, Stoke-on-Trent mines) — thepotteries.org
2. (secondary) Adderley Green Colliery shaft accident, Longton, 1860 (NMRS accidents and disasters) — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) Adderley Green Colliery (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 25 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026