Bettisfield Colliery haulage accident, 1909

A full journey of tubs broke loose from a self-acting jig at Bettisfield Colliery, Bagillt, on 11 December 1909 and struck the endless rope in the main haulage level, killing two men working there.

Cause

The jig rope chain came unhooked from the empty tubs at the foot of a self-acting jig, so the full journey ran away into the main haulage level and jerked the endless rope.

What happened

On 11 December 1909, at the Bagillt Coal Company's Bettisfield Colliery in Flintshire, the jig rope chain somehow came unhooked from the empty tubs at the bottom of a self-acting jig as jigging began. The full journey of tubs ran into the main haulage level and struck the endless rope running across it at right angles, and the jerk of the rope fatally injured two men in the level: Samuel Howells, a 25-year-old labourer, and William T. Roberts, a 28-year-old bricklayer.

Recorded claims

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

• On 11 December 1909 a haulage accident at Bettisfield Colliery killed two men. ^1,2,3,4
• The jig rope chain came unhooked from the empty tubs at the bottom of a self-acting jig, and the full journey ran into the main haulage level and struck the endless rope, whose jerking fatally injured both men. ^2,3,4
• The dead were Samuel Howells, 25, labourer, and William T. Roberts, 28, bricklayer. ^1,3,4
• The colliery was owned by the Bagillt Coal Company. ^2,3,4

Related terminology

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

• Endless Rope Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…at Bettisfield Colliery, Bagillt, on 11 December 1909 and struck the endless rope in the main haulage level, killing two men working there.”
• Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Bagillt, on 11 December 1909 and struck the endless rope in the main haulage level, killing two men working there.”
• Journey (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “A full journey of tubs broke loose from a self-acting jig at Bettisfield Colliery,…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…on 11 December 1909 and struck the endless rope in the main haulage level, killing two men working there.”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “A full journey of tubs broke loose from a self-acting jig at Bettisfield Colliery, Bagillt,…”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Bettisfield Colliery — Durham Mining Museum, from the Lists of Mines
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Bettisfield, 11 December 1909 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Samuel Howells, Bettisfield, 1909 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: William T. Roberts, Bettisfield, 1909 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 17 October 2026 · Last researched: 17 October 2026