MineArchiveLittleburn Colliery Shaft Accident, 1872
Two sinkers, Thomas Dove and Henry Kenney, were killed at Littleburn Colliery on 5 February 1872 when the winch rope ran amain — took charge and ran away — and knocked them out of the kibble they were riding, dropping them to the bottom of the shaft.
| Date | 5 February 1872 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Littleburn Colliery |
| Region | County Durham |
| Type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Fatalities | 2 (Thomas Dove, 26, and Henry Kenney, 36, both sinkers.) |
| Injuries | None recorded beyond the two deaths. |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The winch rope ran amain — the North East term for a rope or set taking charge and running away out of control — and struck the two men out of the kibble in which they were riding in the shaft.
Contributing factors
Nothing further is recorded. The colliery was being sunk at the time: the Engineer Pit had been started in April 1870 and the Merchant Pit would be begun the following month, so both men were at work on a shaft still going down.
What happened
The two men were riding in a kibble — the iron bucket used to raise men and stone during sinking — in the shaft at Littleburn when the winch rope ran amain. Whatever it struck them with, the blow knocked them out of the kibble and they fell to the bottom of the shaft. Both were killed.
Rescue & recovery
Nothing is recorded of the recovery.
Investigation & inquiry
The Durham Mining Museum records the accident under Littleburn, with the company given as the North Brancepeth Coal Co. Ltd and the cause as 'fell down shaft'; both men's entries carry the same account, and the museum's own accident page confirms two lives lost in the one incident.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
No proceedings are recorded.
Changes to practice & legislation
Nothing recorded.
Memorials & commemoration
No memorial specific to the accident is known.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Thomas Dove, 26, and Henry Kenney, 36, both sinkers, were killed on 5 February 1872. 1,2
- The winch rope ran amain and knocked both men out of the kibble, causing them to fall to the bottom of the shaft. 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 sinkers, Thomas Dove and Henry Kenney, were killed at Littleburn Colliery on 5 February 1872 when the winch rope ran amain — took charge and…” - Kibble (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…ran amain — took charge and ran away — and knocked them out of the kibble they were riding, dropping them to the bottom of the shaft.” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…of the kibble they were riding, dropping them to the bottom of the shaft.” - Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…in a kibble — the iron bucket used to raise men and stone during sinking — in the shaft at Littleburn when the winch rope ran amain. Whatever…”
Sources
- (primary) Littleburn Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Colliery accident, Littleburn, 5 February 1872: two sinkers killed — Durham Mining Museum, from the mines inspectors' records
Record created: 4 September 2026 · Last researched: 4 September 2026