Adelaide Colliery roof fall, 1869

Two brothers, hewers at Adelaide Colliery, were killed together by a sudden fall of stone on 11 January 1869 as one handed his working place over to the other.

Cause

A sudden fall of stone from the roof.

What happened

On 11 January 1869 George Pratt, 27, and his brother Thomas, 35, both hewers at Adelaide Colliery, were changing over in the same working place: one was about to start as the other finished. They were some distance back from the face, one dressing and the other undressing, when a sudden fall of stone came down on them and killed both. The inspector called the fall quite unforeseen.

Recorded claims

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

• On 11 January 1869 the brothers George Pratt, 27, and Thomas Pratt, 35, hewers, were killed by a fall of stone at Adelaide Colliery. ^1,2
• One was about to start work in the place the other was leaving, and they were changing their clothes some distance back from the face when the stone fell. ¹
• The inspector of mines described the fall as quite unforeseen. ¹
• The colliery belonged to Joseph Pease and Partners. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two brothers, hewers at Adelaide Colliery, were killed together by a sudden fall of stone on 11 January 1869…”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two brothers, hewers at Adelaide Colliery, were killed together by a sudden fall of stone…”

Sources

1. (primary) Colliery accident, Adelaide, 11 January 1869 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1860-1869, surnames P, part 3 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (primary) Adelaide Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026