Holbrook Colliery shaft accident, 1878

On 11 March 1878, while Holbrook Colliery near Killamarsh was being sunk, air pipes being removed from the shaft broke loose and fell on two sinkers, Jacob Crooks and James Gilbert. One was killed outright and the other died a few days later.

Cause

Air pipes being removed from the shaft broke loose and fell on the men.

What happened

J. and G. Wells were sinking Holbrook Colliery, near Killamarsh, Derbyshire, between 1875 and 1878. On 11 March 1878 two sinkers, Jacob Crooks, aged 34, and James Gilbert, aged 32, were taking air pipes out of the shaft when the pipes suddenly came away from their fastenings and fell on them. One was killed on the spot; the other died of his injuries a few days afterwards.

Recorded claims

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

• On 11 March 1878 two sinkers, Jacob Crooks and James Gilbert, were killed while removing air pipes from a shaft at J. and G. Wells's Holbrook Colliery. ^1,2,3
• The pipes broke loose from their fastenings and fell on the men, killing one on the spot; the other died a few days later. ^2,3
• Jacob Crooks was 34 and James Gilbert 32. ^1,2

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: “On 11 March 1878, while Holbrook Colliery near Killamarsh was being sunk, air pipes being removed from the…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…near Killamarsh was being sunk, air pipes being removed from the shaft broke loose and fell on two sinkers, Jacob Crooks and James Gilbert.…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…air pipes being removed from the shaft broke loose and fell on two sinkers, Jacob Crooks and James Gilbert. One was killed outright and the…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Holbrook Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) 1870s G: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
3. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Holbrook, 11 March 1878 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026