Barrow Colliery shaft accident, 1881

Four sinkers died on 29 September 1881 when seven yards of shaft lining collapsed onto the scaffold where they were walling a 245-yard shaft for the Barrow Hematite Steel Company near Tondu.

Cause

About seven yards of shaft lining gave way above the scaffold on which the men were walling.

What happened

In September 1881 a shaft was being sunk near Tondu for the Barrow Hematite Steel Company of Barrow-in-Furness, under contract to R. Whittle, and had reached 245 yards. About 10 p.m. on Thursday 29 September eight men were on a scaffold building the brick walling when about seven yards of the lining above them gave way. The debris struck the men and knocked the platform loose, sending it to the bottom of the shaft into two yards of water. Sinkers sent down brought up four injured men within twenty minutes, and then the body of William Penhole; John Edmunds, John Francis and John Pascoe, who had worked there only a fortnight, were also killed.

Rescue & recovery

Sinkers went down at once; four injured men were brought up within twenty minutes, followed by the dead.

Investigation & inquiry

An inquest was held before the coroner R. L. Grover, with the mines inspector T. E. Wales among the expert witnesses.

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 shaft was at Tynywaun Colliery, Tondu. (uncertain) ²

Recorded claims

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

• On the night of 29 September 1881 about seven yards of shaft lining gave way above eight sinkers walling a shaft being sunk for the Barrow Hematite Steel Company near Bridgend, killing four of them. ^1,2,3
• The shaft, sunk under contract by R. Whittle, had reached 245 yards; the men were on a scaffold building the brick walling. ²
• The debris knocked the platform loose and sent it to the bottom of the shaft, into two yards of water. ²
• The dead were the sinkers William Penhole, John Edmunds, John Francis and John Pascoe; four others were injured. ^1,2,3
• The shaft was at Tynywaun Colliery, Tondu. (uncertain) ²

Related terminology

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

• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “Four sinkers died on 29 September 1881 when seven yards of shaft lining collapsed onto the scaffold where they were walling a…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Four sinkers died on 29 September 1881 when seven yards of shaft lining collapsed…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining victims, 1880s, P (Patrick) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
2. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines fatalities, 1881 — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1880-1889, surnames P, part 2 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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