Bold Colliery roof fall, 1899

Three drawers eating their breakfast at Bold Colliery, St Helens, were killed on 20 February 1899 when runaway boxes knocked out a roof bar above them.

Cause

Runaway boxes struck a tub and knocked out a roof bar, releasing a fall of roof.

Contributing factors

The road was rough in places and ought to have been more substantially timbered.

What happened

On 20 February 1899 three drawers at Bold Colliery, St Helens, were having their breakfast near the level shunt. Up the brow, the chain attaching two full boxes to the endless rope slipped, and the boxes ran back down, struck an empty tub at the shunt and knocked out a bar. The roof it held fell on the three men, killing William Donnellan, Philip Foggerty and James Thompson, who was sixteen.

Recorded claims

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

• On 20 February 1899 three drawers at Bold Colliery, William Donnellan, 27, Philip Foggerty, 23, and James Thompson, 16, were killed by a fall of roof while having their breakfast. ^1,2,3,4
• The chain attaching two full boxes to the endless rope slipped; the boxes ran back down the brow, struck an empty tub at the level shunt and knocked out a bar, releasing the roof onto the men. ^1,2,3,4
• An inspection was made and the inquest attended; the road was rough in places and ought to have been more substantially timbered. ^1,2,4
• The colliery belonged to the Collins Green Colliery Company. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Endless Rope Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…level shunt. Up the brow, the chain attaching two full boxes to the endless rope slipped, and the boxes ran back down, struck an empty tub at the…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…at Bold Colliery, St Helens, were having their breakfast near the level shunt. Up the brow, the chain attaching two full boxes to the…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Three drawers eating their breakfast at Bold Colliery, St Helens, were killed on…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Runaway boxes struck a tub and knocked out a roof bar, releasing a fall of roof.”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “Runaway boxes struck a tub and knocked out a roof bar, releasing a fall of roof.”

Sources

1. (primary) Bold Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames D part 4 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames F part 2 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
4. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames T part 3 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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