Heworth Colliery shaft accident, 1834

On 25 February 1834 four men riding the shaft at Heworth Colliery, Gateshead, in a corf were killed when it came off the winding hook and fell down the shaft.

Cause

The corf in which the four were riding came off the winding hook.

What happened

At Heworth Colliery, east of Gateshead, men rode the shaft in the corf, the basket used to wind coal, hung from a hook on the end of the winding rope. On 25 February 1834 the corf carrying four men, John Forster, John Gilchrist, Thomas Lumsden and James Rayne, slipped off the hook and fell down the shaft, killing all four. One account has them coming up the shaft; another has them going down.

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 four were ascending the shaft when the corf slipped off the hook. (disputed) ¹
• The four were travelling down the shaft when the corf became unhooked. (disputed) ²

Recorded claims

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

• On 25 February 1834 four men were killed at Heworth Colliery when the corf in which they were riding the shaft came off the hook and fell down the shaft. ^1,2
• The dead were John Forster, John Gilchrist, Thomas Lumsden and James Rayne. ^1,2
• The four were ascending the shaft when the corf slipped off the hook. (disputed) ¹
• The four were travelling down the shaft when the corf became unhooked. (disputed) ²

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: “…Gateshead, men rode the shaft in the corf, the basket used to wind coal, hung from a hook on the end of the winding rope. On 25 February…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 25 February 1834 four men riding the shaft at Heworth Colliery, Gateshead, in a corf were killed when it came off the winding hook…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 25 February 1834 four men riding the shaft at Heworth Colliery, Gateshead, in a corf were killed when it came…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Heworth Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Heworth Colliery — Gateshead History

Record created: 5 October 2026 · Last researched: 6 October 2026