Bradford Colliery roof fall, 1863

Two miners were killed at Bradford Colliery in Manchester on 23 April 1863 when the roof came in as they cut through into old workings.

Cause

A fall of roof on cutting into old workings.

What happened

On 23 April 1863 the miners James Bates, 32, and Henry Hyatt, 47, were cutting into old workings at Bradford Colliery, the Bradford Colliery Company's pit in east Manchester, when the roof fell on them and killed them both.

Recorded claims

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

• On 23 April 1863 two miners, James Bates, 32, and Henry Hyatt, 47, were killed at Bradford Colliery, Manchester, when the roof fell as they cut into old workings. ^1,2
• The colliery belonged to the Bradford Colliery Company. ^1,2
• The roof fell on cutting into old workings. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two miners were killed at Bradford Colliery in Manchester on 23 April 1863 when the roof came in as they cut…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “A fall of roof on cutting into old workings.”

Sources

1. (primary) Bradford Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1860-1869, surnames H, part 5 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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