Malago Vale Colliery shaft accident, 1851

On 9 August 1851 the winding rope broke at Malago Vale Colliery, Bedminster, then worked by S. Reynolds and Co., and five men and boys were killed in the fall down the shaft.

Cause

The winding rope broke.

What happened

Malago Vale, one of the Bedminster pits on the south side of Bristol, was being worked by S. Reynolds and Co. On 9 August 1851 the rope broke and five were killed: Robert Moffatt, Thomas Pike and Philip Pring, colliers, William Smith, and William Webster, a boy of fourteen. It was the worst accident at the colliery until the explosion of 1891.

Recorded claims

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

• On 9 August 1851 five men were killed at Malago Vale Colliery, Bristol, when the winding rope broke. ^1,2
• The colliery was then worked by S. Reynolds and Co. ¹
• One of the dead, William Webster, was fourteen. 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: “On 9 August 1851 the winding rope broke at Malago Vale Colliery, Bedminster, then worked by S. Reynolds and Co., and five men and…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…and Co., and five men and boys were killed in the fall down the shaft.”
• Winding Rope (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 9 August 1851 the winding rope broke at Malago Vale Colliery, Bedminster, then worked by S.…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Healey Hero: mining victims 1850-1859, P (John Parry, Ynyshir, 18 March 1857) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining victims lists)
2. (primary) Malago Vale Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 23 October 2026 · Last researched: 23 October 2026