Lanchester Common Colliery fall of stone, 1838

On 24 January 1838 a bad stone fell in the face of a board in the South Pit at Lanchester Common Colliery, County Durham, and killed the two hewers working beneath it, Bowes and Hodgson, who had gone further under it than the overman had allowed.

Cause

A fall of a bad stone in the face of the board where the two men were hewing.

Contributing factors

The hewers had worked further under the bad stone than the overman had ordered them to.

What happened

Bowes and Hodgson were hewing together in a board in the South Pit at Lanchester Common, under a stone the overman knew to be bad and had told them how far to work beneath. They worked further under it than he had ordered, and it fell on them, killing both on the spot. The record survives among the papers of the viewer John Buddle.

Recorded claims

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

• On 24 January 1838 two hewers, Bowes and Hodgson, were killed by a fall of stone in the South Pit at Lanchester Common Colliery. ¹
• The stone fell in the face of the board where they were hewing. ¹
• They had worked further under a bad stone than the overman had ordered them to, and it fell and killed them on the spot. ¹
• Bowes and Hodgson were both hewers, killed on the spot on 24 January 1838. ²

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…fell in the face of a board in the South Pit at Lanchester Common Colliery, County Durham, and killed the two hewers working beneath it, Bowes…”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Pit at Lanchester Common Colliery, County Durham, and killed the two hewers working beneath it, Bowes and Hodgson, who had gone further under it…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…it, Bowes and Hodgson, who had gone further under it than the overman had allowed.”
• Viewer (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…both on the spot. The record survives among the papers of the viewer John Buddle.”

Sources

1. (primary) Disasters - Names: Lanchester Common, 24 January 1838 (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Lanchester Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 24 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026