Dumbreck Colliery road-enlarging fall, 1903

On the afternoon of 12 February 1903 two brushers enlarging a new road in the Cloven coal of Dumbreck No. 1 Pit, Kilsyth, were killed outright when several hundredweights of stone came down on them. Archibald Goodwin and Robert Weir left widows and nine children between them.

Cause

A fall of stone while the road was being enlarged.

What happened

Goodwin and Weir, both Kilsyth men and both brushers, were enlarging a new road in the Cloven coal of the No. 1 Pit, belonging to Messrs Baird, when the ground gave way; the newspaper said several hundredweights fell from the roof above them, the inspector's list a fall from the side of the road. Both were killed outright.

Goodwin was 29 and Weir 40. Both were married, and Goodwin left four children and Weir five.

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 newspaper reported several hundredweights falling from the roof above them; the inspector's list records a fall from the side of the road. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• On the afternoon of 12 February 1903 Archibald Goodwin and Robert Weir were killed together in Dumbreck No. 1 Pit, Kilsyth, belonging to Messrs Baird. ^1,2
• The two men, brushers, were enlarging a new road in the Cloven coal. ^1,2
• The newspaper reported several hundredweights falling from the roof above them; the inspector's list records a fall from the side of the road. (disputed) ^1,2
• Both were married; Goodwin left four children and Weir five. ²

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…of 12 February 1903 two brushers enlarging a new road in the Cloven coal of Dumbreck No. 1 Pit, Kilsyth, were killed outright when several…”
• Ripping (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On the afternoon of 12 February 1903 two brushers enlarging a new road in the Cloven coal of Dumbreck No. 1 Pit,…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Dumbreck Colliery (UK) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Accidents 1901-1914 (newspaper reports) — Scottish Mining Website

Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026