MineArchiveKimblesworth Colliery shaft accident, 1885
Three men repairing a shaft at Kimblesworth Colliery on 16 August 1885 fell about 250 feet to the bottom when the crab rope broke: the engineman Richard Carr, the engineer Thomas Carr and the master shifter John Defty.
| Date | 16 August 1885 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Kimblesworth Colliery |
| Region | County Durham |
| Type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Fatalities | 3 (Three: Richard Carr, 38, engineman; Thomas Carr, 35, engineer; John Defty, 32, master shifter.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The crab rope broke while the men were at work repairing the shaft.
What happened
On 16 August 1885 Richard Carr, 38, engineman, Thomas Carr, 35, engineer, and John Defty, 32, master shifter, were repairing a shaft at Kimblesworth Colliery, then worked by Elliot and Hunter, when the crab rope broke. All three were thrown to the bottom of the pit, about 250 feet below, and killed.
Investigation & inquiry
The deaths were recorded in the Mines Inspector's report for 1885.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Three men were killed at Kimblesworth Colliery on 16 August 1885. 1,2
- A crab rope broke while they were repairing the shaft. 1,2
- They were thrown to the bottom of the pit, about 250 feet. 1,2
- The colliery was worked by Elliot and Hunter. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Capstan (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…on 16 August 1885 fell about 250 feet to the bottom when the crab rope broke: the engineman Richard Carr, the engineer Thomas Carr and…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Three men repairing a shaft at Kimblesworth Colliery on 16 August 1885 fell about 250 feet to the bottom when the crab…” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Three men repairing a shaft at Kimblesworth Colliery on 16 August 1885 fell about 250 feet to…”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
The names, ages and occupations of the three shaftmen killed at Kimblesworth in August 1885.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Colliery Accident 1885 (Kimblesworth) — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) 1880s C: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
- (primary) Kimblesworth Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 6 October 2026