Cribbwr Fawr roof fall, 1925

Two assistant repairers at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, near Pyle, were buried by a fall of roof on 13 November 1925 while repairing a double parting.

Cause

A fall of roof at a double parting under repair.

What happened

On 13 November 1925 Henry Lewis and Ernest C. Watkins, both 41-year-old assistant repairers, were repairing a double parting at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery when the roof fell and completely buried them. Both were killed.

Recorded claims

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

• On 13 November 1925 a fall of roof at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery killed Henry Lewis and Ernest C. Watkins, assistant repairers. ^1,2,3
• They were repairing a double parting when the fall completely buried them. ^1,2,3
• The colliery was owned by Cribbwr Fawr Collieries Limited. ^1,2,3

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 assistant repairers at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, near Pyle, were buried by a fall of roof on 13 November 1925 while…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…repairers at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, near Pyle, were buried by a fall of roof on 13 November 1925 while repairing a double parting.”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Cribbwr Fawr, 13 November 1925 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Ernest C. Watkins, Cribbwr Fawr, 1925 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Henry Lewis, Cribbwr Fawr, 1925 — Northern Mine Research Society

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