MineArchiveCalifat Colliery Inundation, 1863
| Date | October 1863 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Califat Coal Mine |
| Region | Leicestershire |
| Type | Flooding / Inundation |
| Fatalities | 3 (Thomas Bird, a pit deputy, Henry Clements and Jeremiah Rose.) |
| Context | During active mining (A colliery nine years old, working close to the abandoned and flooded workings of a neighbouring pit.) |
In October 1863 water from the old workings of the Limby Hall Colliery burst into the Califat mine in Swannington, Leicestershire, and three men were killed: Thomas Bird, a pit deputy, Henry Clements and Jeremiah Rose. A memorial to them stands near the Alabama engine house complex on the mine site.
Cause
Water from the abandoned workings of the neighbouring Limby Hall Colliery broke through into the Califat workings.
What happened
Califat had been sunk in 1854 and was nine years old. In October 1863 the workings were holed into the old workings of the Limby Hall Colliery, which stood abandoned and full of water, and the water burst through. Three men were killed — Thomas Bird, who was a pit deputy, Henry Clements and Jeremiah Rose. This archive has not been able to read a full account of what happened. The Swannington Heritage Trust maintains a page devoted to the flooding fatalities, and its site refused every connection made to it during this pass, so the detail of the inrush, the rescue and the inquest is not recorded here. What is set down is what two independent accounts agree on: the date, the source of the water, the number killed and their names.
Rescue & recovery
Not established. No account of the recovery of the three men has been read for this record.
Investigation & inquiry
Not established. Whether an inquest or an inspector's inquiry followed is not recorded in anything read for this record, though a mid-Victorian colliery inundation killing three would ordinarily have brought both.
Memorials & commemoration
A memorial to the three miners stands near the Alabama engine house complex on the Califat site. Memorial plaques there were unveiled in 2003, and the incident was commemorated at them 150 years afterwards, in 2013.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- In 1863 three men were killed when water from the old workings of the Limby Hall Colliery burst into the Califat Mine; they were Thomas Bird, Henry Clements and Jeremiah Rose, and Thomas Bird was a pit deputy. 1
- A memorial stands near the Alabama engine house complex to the three miners who lost their lives when the mine flooded in October 1863. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “In October 1863 water from the old workings of the Limby Hall Colliery burst into the Califat mine in Swannington, Leicestershire, and…” - Deputy (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Leicestershire, and three men were killed: Thomas Bird, a pit deputy, Henry Clements and Jeremiah Rose. A memorial to them stands near…” - Engine House (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…and Jeremiah Rose. A memorial to them stands near the Alabama engine house complex on the mine site.” - Inrush (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…every connection made to it during this pass, so the detail of the inrush, the rescue and the inquest is not recorded here. What is set down…”
Sources
- (secondary) Mining accidents, as recorded in the book 'Memories of Coleorton' — Coleorton Heritage Group
- (secondary) Califat Coal Mine — Wikipedia
Record created: 5 September 2026 · Last researched: 5 September 2026