MineArchiveElgin Colliery Balmule Pit accident, 1859
On 28 December 1859 four colliers were being drawn up the Balmule Pit of the Elgin Colliery near Dunfermline when stones fell on them from the side of the shaft. Two died at once and a third days later. The underground manager and the pit's roadsman were tried for culpable homicide and acquitted.
| Date | 28 December 1859 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Elgin and Wellwood Colliery |
| Region | Fife |
| Type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Fatalities | 3 (Three: James Nisbet, who left a wife and family, and John Lyle (or Lyal), a young unmarried man, killed at once; and George Bewick (also spelt Berwick or Borwick), who died on the night of Sunday 1 January 1860 and left a wife and five children.) |
| Injuries | John Allan, the fourth man, was seriously injured and survived. |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A quantity of stones fell from one side of the shaft onto the men as they ascended; the Inspector's list describes it as a fall of stone from the roof of an upper working.
What happened
About two o'clock on the afternoon of Wednesday 28 December 1859 four of the men working in the Balmule Pit were ascending the shaft when the stones fell, killing Nisbet and Lyle outright and badly injuring Bewick and Allan. Dr Dewar attended at once. Bewick died of his injuries four days later.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
Francis Danks, underground manager of the Elgin coal pits, and William Erskine Ramage, roadsman at the Balmule Pit, were tried before Sheriff Monteith and a jury at the Sheriff Court in Dunfermline in May 1860 for culpable homicide and culpable neglect of duty. After a day's evidence from over a dozen witnesses the jury acquitted them, almost unanimously. The Dunfermline Press asked who, then, was to blame, and noted the Sheriff's severity towards the Crown over the weakness of its case.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 28 December 1859 stones falling in the Balmule Pit of the Elgin Colliery killed James Nisbet and John Lyle, and George Bewick died of his injuries on the following Sunday night. 1
- Nisbett, Lyle and Borwick were killed by a fall of stone from the roof of an upper working while ascending. 2
- Francis Danks, underground manager, and William Erskine Ramage, roadsman, were tried for culpable homicide and culpable neglect of duty and acquitted by the jury. 1
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: “…1859 four colliers were being drawn up the Balmule Pit of the Elgin Colliery near Dunfermline when stones fell on them from the side of the…” - Roadman (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…once and a third days later. The underground manager and the pit's roadsman were tried for culpable homicide and acquitted.” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…near Dunfermline when stones fell on them from the side of the shaft. Two died at once and a third days later. The underground manager…”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
Transcribed Dunfermline newspaper reports of the Balmule Pit accident, Bewick's death and the 1860 culpable homicide trial.
View sourceThe names of those killed at the Elgin and Wellwood collieries, with the 1859 Inspector's report reference.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) Accidents 1855 - 1870 (Scottish Mining Website) — Scottish Mining Website
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Elgin and Wellwood Colliery (UK) — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 30 September 2026 · Last researched: 1 October 2026