Clay Cross Colliery roof fall, 1866

Two colliers, Augustus Cupid and George Holmes, were killed by a fall of roof in No. 4 pit at Clay Cross Colliery, Derbyshire, on 11 June 1866.

Cause

A fall of roof.

What happened

On 11 June 1866 the roof fell in No. 4 pit at Clay Cross Colliery, near Chesterfield, killing the colliers Augustus Cupid and George Holmes.

Recorded claims

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

• On 11 June 1866 two colliers, Augustus Cupid and George Holmes, were killed by a fall of roof in No. 4 pit at Clay Cross Colliery. ^1,2,3
• The owner is given as William Jackson MP. ^2,3
• The colliery's owners are recorded as the Clay Cross Iron and Coal Co. ¹

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: “…Holmes, were killed by a fall of roof in No. 4 pit at Clay Cross Colliery, Derbyshire, on 11 June 1866.”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two colliers, Augustus Cupid and George Holmes, were killed by a fall of roof in No. 4 pit at Clay Cross Colliery, Derbyshire, on 11 June 1866.”

Sources

1. (primary) Clay Cross Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1860-1869, surnames H, part 4 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1860-1869, surnames C, part 6 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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