Clifton Hall Colliery runaway tubs, 1929

Runaway tubs killed two colliers at Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester, on 13 September 1929, eight weeks before the pit closed.

Cause

Runaway tubs.

What happened

On 13 September 1929 two colliers at Clifton Hall Colliery, John William Ashton, aged 47, and John Edwards, aged 52, were killed by runaway tubs. The colliery, worked by Andrew Knowles and Sons and in that year taken into Manchester Collieries, stopped work on 9 November 1929.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The colliery was owned by Andrew Knowles and Sons Ltd. (disputed) ²
• The colliery was owned by Manchester Collieries Ltd. (disputed) ^3,4

Recorded claims

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

• On 13 September 1929 runaway tubs killed two colliers at Clifton Hall Colliery. ^1,2,3,4
• The dead were John William Ashton, 47, and John Edwards, 52, both colliers. ^1,2,3,4
• The colliery was owned by Andrew Knowles and Sons Ltd. (disputed) ²
• The colliery was owned by Manchester Collieries Ltd. (disputed) ^3,4

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: “Runaway tubs killed two colliers at Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester, on 13 September 1929, eight weeks before the pit…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Runaway tubs killed two colliers at Clifton Hall Colliery, near Manchester, on 13…”

Sources

1. (primary) Clifton Hall Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Clifton Hall, 13 September 1929 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: John William Ashton, Clifton Hall, 1929 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: John Edwards, Clifton Hall, 1929 — Northern Mine Research Society

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