Bedlinog Colliery roof fall, 1898

Two repairers were killed on 19 September 1898 when 25 feet of rock roof came down on a Nottinghamshire face at Bedlinog No. 2 Colliery.

Cause

A length of unsupported rock roof collapsed on a Nottinghamshire face while the road was being cut forward.

Contributing factors

The roof was unsupported between the last line of road props and the coal face, and an area of 286 square feet had only one prop.

What happened

On 19 September 1898 a gang of repairers at Bedlinog No. 2 Colliery was cutting the bottom in a Nottinghamshire face in the Four Feet seam so that the road could be moved forward. Twenty-five feet of the rock roof collapsed, about five tons of rock and earth, burying John Harris, 39, and David Williams, 45. William Davies, in charge of the gang, heard the roof cracking and shouted a warning, but the two could not get clear. Davies told the inquest the roof had seemed quite safe; the inspector's account records that it was unsupported between the last line of road props and the face, with a single prop under 286 square feet.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest the coroner, R. J. Rhys, recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

Recorded claims

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

• On 19 September 1898 a fall of roof at Bedlinog No. 2 Colliery killed two repairers, John Harris, 39, and David Williams, 45. ^1,2,3
• The bottom was being cut for a road to be moved forward in a Nottinghamshire face when 25 feet of rock roof collapsed; it was unsupported between the last line of road props and the face, and 286 square feet had a single prop under it. ^1,3
• William Davies, in charge of the gang of repairers, heard the roof cracking and shouted a warning, but the two men could not get clear of about five tons of rock and earth. ²
• The coroner, R. J. Rhys, recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. ²
• The colliery belonged to the Dowlais Iron Company. ^1,3

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “The roof was unsupported between the last line of road props and the coal face, and an area of 286 square feet had only one prop.”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…of rock roof came down on a Nottinghamshire face at Bedlinog No. 2 Colliery.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Alphabetical list of mining victims 1890-1899: H (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero
2. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1898 — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames W part 4 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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