Collins Green Colliery roof fall, 1891

Two timbermen raising the bars of a main road at Collins Green Colliery were killed on 29 September 1891 when the last low bars gave way and the roof came down with them.

Cause

Old bars collapsed, bringing the roof down, as loose rubbish was pulled off them during retimbering.

What happened

In September 1891 two timbermen at Collins Green Colliery, near Newton-le-Willows, Richard Booth, 30, and Joseph Rigby, 41, were raising the bars of a main road by about two feet. With all but six or seven yards done, on 29 September they were pulling the loose rubbish off the remaining low bars when the bars fell and the roof came down with them, killing both men.

Recorded claims

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

• On 29 September 1891 two timbermen, Richard Booth, 30, and Joseph Rigby, 41, were killed at Collins Green Colliery. ^1,2,3
• They were retimbering a main road, raising the existing bars by about two feet, and had finished all but six or seven yards. ^1,2,3
• As they pulled the loose rubbish off the low bars, the bars fell and the roof came down with them. ^1,2,3
• The colliery belonged to the Collins Green Colliery Company Ltd. ^1,3

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 timbermen raising the bars of a main road at Collins Green Colliery were killed on 29 September 1891 when the last low bars gave way and…”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1890s R3: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
2. (primary) Collins Green Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames B part 5 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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