Marehay Colliery shaft accident, 1852

On 19 April 1852 John Bacon and a boy, Hamlet Smith, fell to their deaths down the shaft at Messrs Cursham's Marehay Colliery, near Ripley in Derbyshire, because the rope-roll had been wilfully put out of gear.

Cause

The rope-roll of the winding gear had been wilfully put out of gear, and the two fell down the shaft.

Recorded claims

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

• On 19 April 1852 John Bacon and a boy, Hamlet Smith, were killed at Marehay Colliery by falling down the shaft. ^1,2,3
• They fell because the rope-roll had been wilfully put out of gear. ^1,2,3
• The colliery belonged to Messrs Cursham. ^1,3

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 to their deaths down the shaft at Messrs Cursham's Marehay Colliery, near Ripley in Derbyshire, because the rope-roll had been wilfully…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…John Bacon and a boy, Hamlet Smith, fell to their deaths down the shaft at Messrs Cursham's Marehay Colliery, near Ripley in Derbyshire,…”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1850s B: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1850-1859, surnames S (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (primary) Disasters - Names: Marehay, 19 April 1852 (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
4. (primary) Marehay Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

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