Ladysmith Pit shaft collapse, 1901

Four sinkers were killed on the night of 16 April 1901 when about 14 feet of the side of the Ladysmith shaft, being sunk at Croft Pit, Whitehaven, ran in on them where a fault crossed it, as they loosened a temporary ring to carry the brick walling up; three of the seven men on the scaffold escaped in the kibble.

Cause

Broken ground at a fault crossing the shaft ran in from the high side of the dip when the lowest temporary iron ring was loosened to carry the brick walling up.

Contributing factors

The last stretch of the shaft, about 9 fathoms below the last curb ring, lay through crushed, clay-like ground at a fault and was held only by temporary iron rings and deals. The chargeman had a ring knocked loose under weight; one of the survivors said there was too much weight on it.

What happened

A new shaft, called the Ladysmith Pit, was being sunk at the Whitehaven Colliery Company's Croft Pit by the contractor Ralph Risby, whose men worked three shifts. By April 1901 it was down about 145 fathoms, bricked to 125, with walling being built up from a new ring below. The ground between was broken, at a fault crossing the shaft at about 60 degrees, and was held by temporary iron rings with deals behind them.

At about half past nine on the night of 16 April seven men were on the scaffold under the chargeman, John Else. They had taken out the lowest temporary ring when the ground ran in from the high side of the dip, carrying away the scaffold; about 14 feet of the side came away. Four men were thrown to the bottom and buried. The other three got into the kibble and were drawn up: William Rickerby clinging to its ring with an injured leg, Robert Rickerby to the rope, and John Nolan head first into the tub.

Rescue & recovery

Else could still be heard; he said he was buried to the thighs beside a dead man. A rope was got to him, but he told them to stop because they were pulling him apart, and about an hour and a quarter after the first fall another rush covered him. The managers of Croft, William and Wellington pits used some 120 bags of hay and straw and timber to try to hold the ground, and on the advice of the inspector the unlined shaft was cased in before more lives were risked. Two bodies were recovered on 17 April and two on 18 April.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest, before the coroner Gordon Falconer, was opened at the company's office in Croft Pit yard and adjourned to 26 April, with J. L. Hedley, chief inspector for the Newcastle district, and A. D. Nicholson attending; the Home Secretary sent his sympathy by telegram. The coroner thought it a want of judgment in Else, an experienced man who ran the same risk as the rest. The jury found unanimously that it was a pure accident, and returned accidental death.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Bernard Gibbon was 39 in the museum's list and 30 in Winstanley's. (disputed) ^1,3

Recorded claims

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

• Four sinkers were killed when the side of the Ladysmith sinking shaft at Croft Pit fell in on 16 April 1901. ^1,2,3,4
• Ground at a fault ran in when the lowest temporary ring was loosened to carry the walling up. ¹
• Three of the seven men on the scaffold escaped in the kibble. ¹
• The jury found it a pure accident and returned accidental death. ¹
• Bernard Gibbon was 39 in the museum's list and 30 in Winstanley's. (disputed) ^1,3

Related terminology

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

• Fathom (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “The last stretch of the shaft, about 9 fathoms below the last curb ring, lay through crushed, clay-like ground at a…”
• Kibble (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…walling up; three of the seven men on the scaffold escaped in the kibble.”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…of 16 April 1901 when about 14 feet of the side of the Ladysmith shaft, being sunk at Croft Pit, Whitehaven, ran in on them where a fault…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “Four sinkers were killed on the night of 16 April 1901 when about 14 feet of the…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…leg, Robert Rickerby to the rope, and John Nolan head first into the tub.”

Sources

1. (primary) Colliery accident, 16 April 1901: Whitehaven, Croft Pit (Ladysmith sinking pit), with the 1901 Mines Inspector's report and West Cumberland Times inquest reports — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) 1900s C7: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
3. (secondary) 1900s G2: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
4. (secondary) 1900s K2: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero

Record created: 30 September 2026 · Last researched: 6 October 2026