MineArchiveCramlington Colliery fall of stone, 1886
On 28 September 1886 a fall of stone at Cramlington Colliery, north of Newcastle, killed two stowers working together, Ronald Porteus, 64, and George Stephenson, 32.
| Date | 28 September 1886 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Cramlington Colliery |
| Region | Northumberland |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (Ronald Porteus (64) and George Stephenson (32), stowers.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A fall of stone.
What happened
Cramlington Colliery lay north of Newcastle in south-east Northumberland. On 28 September 1886 two stowers, Ronald Porteus, aged 64, and George Stephenson, aged 32, were killed together by a fall of stone.
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 worked by the Cramlington Coal Company. (disputed) 2,3
- The colliery belonged to Joseph Lamb and Partners in the 1880s. (disputed) 4
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 28 September 1886 a fall of stone at Cramlington Colliery killed two stowers, Ronald Porteus (64) and George Stephenson (32). 1,2,3
- The colliery was worked by the Cramlington Coal Company. (disputed) 2,3
- The colliery belonged to Joseph Lamb and Partners in the 1880s. (disputed) 4
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: “On 28 September 1886 a fall of stone at Cramlington Colliery, north of Newcastle, killed two stowers working together, Ronald…”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
The two stowers killed by the fall.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Colliery Accident 1886: Cramlington, 28 September 1886 — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Mining victims, 1880s, P (Porteus) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
- (secondary) Mining victims, 1880s, S (Stephenson) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Cramlington Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 5 October 2026