Duxbury Park Colliery shaft accident, 1919

Two pitmen fell to their deaths down the shaft of Duxbury Park Colliery, near Chorley, on 27 January 1919, when the closed pit was being kept as a pumping pit for Ellerbeck Collieries.

Cause

The two men fell down the shaft.

What happened

Duxbury Park Colliery, north of Wigan near Chorley, stopped work on 29 December 1917 and was taken over by the neighbouring Ellerbeck Collieries as a pumping pit. On Monday 27 January 1919 two pitmen there, Frederick Coyle, 30, and Edward Pennington, 35, fell down the shaft and were killed.

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 accident is also listed under the Duxbury Park Colliery Co. Ltd., the owners until 1917. (disputed) ^4,1

Recorded claims

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

• On 27 January 1919 two pitmen, Frederick Coyle, 30, and Edward Pennington, 35, were killed when they fell down the shaft at Duxbury Park Colliery. ^1,2,3
• The colliery had closed on 29 December 1917 and been taken over by Ellerbeck Collieries as a pumping pit. ⁴
• At the time of the accident the pit belonged to Ellerbeck Collieries Ltd. ^2,3
• The accident is also listed under the Duxbury Park Colliery Co. Ltd., the owners until 1917. (disputed) ^4,1

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “Two pitmen fell to their deaths down the shaft of Duxbury Park Colliery, near Chorley, on 27 January 1919, when the closed pit was being…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Two pitmen fell to their deaths down the shaft of Duxbury Park Colliery, near Chorley, on 27 January 1919, when the…”

Sources

1. (primary) Colliery accident, Duxbury Park, 27 January 1919 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Accident record: Frederick Coyle, Duxbury Park, 1919 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (secondary) Accident record: Edward Pennington, Duxbury Park, 1919 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (secondary) Duxbury Park Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
5. (primary) Duxbury Park Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026