Lassodie Colliery shaft accident, 1866

Two young colliers at Lassodie Colliery, near Dunfermline, were killed on 29 May 1866 when stones fell from the side of the shaft.

Cause

Stones falling from the side of the shaft.

What happened

On 29 May 1866 two colliers of 20, James Terris and James Houston, were killed in the shaft at the Lassodie Coal Company's colliery near Dunfermline, when stones came away from the shaft side and fell on them.

Recorded claims

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

• On 29 May 1866 the colliers James Terris, 20, and James Houston, 20, were killed at Lassodie Colliery, near Dunfermline, by a fall of stones from the side of the shaft. ^1,2
• The inspector classed the deaths as an accident in shafts. ¹
• The colliery belonged to the Lassodie Coal Co. ^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: “Two young colliers at Lassodie Colliery, near Dunfermline, were killed on 29 May 1866 when stones fell from…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…were killed on 29 May 1866 when stones fell from the side of the shaft.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Fatal accidents in Scottish mines, 1866 — Scottish Mining Website
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1860-1869, surnames H, part 4 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026