Deaf Hill Colliery roof fall, 1934

A large fall of shale roof over a pack at a longwall conveyor face in Deaf Hill Colliery, County Durham, killed two men sitting at the roadhead on 16 May 1934.

Cause

A large fall of blue shale roof from a hitch leader and a concealed slip over the tailgate pack.

What happened

On 16 May 1934 two men at the Trimdon Coal Company's Deaf Hill Colliery were sitting in front of the tailgate pack at a roadhead on a longwall, machine-cut conveyor face in a seam 2 feet 6 inches thick. A large fall of the blue shale roof came away from a hitch leader and a concealed slip over the pack, canting out four planks or straps and several props and headtrees, and killed both: Ambrose Todd, a 25-year-old stoneman, and Edward Gaskell, a 22-year-old cleaner-out. Both were buried at St Paul's churchyard, Trimdon Station.

Investigation & inquiry

The 1934 Mines Inspectors Report described the accident.

Recorded claims

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

• On 16 May 1934 a fall of stone at Deaf Hill Colliery killed two men. ^1,2,3,4
• A large fall of the blue shale roof came away from a hitch leader and a concealed slip over the tailgate pack at a longwall machine-cut conveyor face in a seam 2 ft 6 in thick. ²
• The dead were Ambrose Todd, 25, stoneman, and Edward Gaskell, cleaner-out. ^1,2,3,4
• The colliery was owned by the Trimdon Coal Company Ltd. ^3,4

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “On 16 May 1934 two men at the Trimdon Coal Company's Deaf Hill Colliery were sitting in front of the tailgate…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…of shale roof over a pack at a longwall conveyor face in Deaf Hill Colliery, County Durham, killed two men sitting at the roadhead on 16 May…”
• Gate Road (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…of blue shale roof from a hitch leader and a concealed slip over the tailgate pack.”
• Longwall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A large fall of shale roof over a pack at a longwall conveyor face in Deaf Hill Colliery, County Durham, killed two men…”
• Stoneman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…props and headtrees, and killed both: Ambrose Todd, a 25-year-old stoneman, and Edward Gaskell, a 22-year-old cleaner-out. Both were buried at…”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Deaf Hill Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Deaf Hill, 16 May 1934 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Ambrose Todd, Deaf Hill, 1934 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Edward Gaskell, Deaf Hill, 1934 — Northern Mine Research Society

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