MineArchiveAlvecote Colliery Cage Accident
| Date | 1919 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Alvecote Colliery |
| Region | Warwickshire |
| Type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Fatalities | 1 (One man killed outright; a further eighteen seriously injured. Neither source read names the dead man or gives an exact date within 1919.) |
| Context | During active mining |
A cage ran out of control during its descent at Alvecote Colliery in 1919, killing one man and seriously injuring eighteen others; the Inspector of Mines put the cause down to management's neglect of machinery maintenance, and new screens and a new cage system followed.
Cause
Managerial neglect of machinery maintenance, per H.M. Inspector of Mines' finding.
What happened
During the First World War the Ministry of Fuel and Power had taken temporary control of Alvecote Colliery and invested in bringing it up to contemporary standard. In 1919, with that investment recent, a cage ran out of control during its descent, killing one man and seriously injuring eighteen others. H.M. Inspector of Mines investigated and concluded the accident stemmed from managerial neglect in maintaining the winding machinery.
Investigation & inquiry
H.M. Inspector of Mines found the accident was due to managerial neglect of machinery maintenance.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
The Ministry of Fuel and Power made further investments after the accident, installing new screens and a new cage system; a further new winding engine followed in 1928.
Memorials & commemoration
No memorial has been found for this accident.
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Cage (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “A cage ran out of control during its descent at Alvecote Colliery in 1919,…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A cage ran out of control during its descent at Alvecote Colliery in 1919, killing one man and seriously injuring eighteen others; the…” - HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…in 1919, killing one man and seriously injuring eighteen others; the Inspector of Mines put the cause down to management's neglect of machinery maintenance,…” - Screens (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…cause down to management's neglect of machinery maintenance, and new screens and a new cage system followed.” - Winding Engine (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s aftermath: “…installing new screens and a new cage system; a further new winding engine followed in 1928.”
Sources
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Alvecote Colliery Co., Ltd. — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Alvecote Colliery — Our Warwickshire (Warwickshire County Council), by Laura Orriss
Record created: 9 September 2026 · Last researched: 14 September 2026