Middle Duffryn Colliery shaft accident, 1858

Seven men descending Middle Duffryn's shaft in the bucket in July 1858 fell to the bottom when the bucket caught the guide chain and the hauling chain broke; three were killed and four badly hurt.

Cause

The descending bucket caught in the guide chain and the hauling chain broke under the jerk.

What happened

Part of the shift had already gone down to the working level on 10 July 1858 when seven more men got into the bucket and were started down the shaft. Some way down, the bucket caught in the guide chain, and the sudden jerk broke the hauling chain; the bucket and its seven men fell to the bottom of the shaft. William Williams, a collier, James Jones, a haulier, and John Jones, a collier, were killed almost instantly, and the other four were badly injured. Winstanley's list of mining deaths gives the date as 7 July 1858, names the dead as John Jones (30), Matthew Jones (36) and William Williams (40), all colliers, and attributes the accident to the winding chain breaking after the banksman misunderstood a signal.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Winstanley dates the accident 7 July 1858, with three killed. (disputed) ^2,3
• The winding chain broke after the banksman misunderstood a signal. (uncertain) ³

Recorded claims

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

• On 10 July 1858 the bucket carrying seven men down the shaft fell to the bottom, killing three. ¹
• Winstanley dates the accident 7 July 1858, with three killed. (disputed) ^2,3
• The bucket caught the guide chain and the jerk broke the hauling chain. ¹
• The winding chain broke after the banksman misunderstood a signal. (uncertain) ³
• The four other men in the bucket were badly injured. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Banksman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…and attributes the accident to the winding chain breaking after the banksman misunderstood a signal.”
• Haulier (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the bottom of the shaft. William Williams, a collier, James Jones, a haulier, and John Jones, a collier, were killed almost instantly, and the…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “Part of the shift had already gone down to the working level on 10 July 1858 when seven more men got into the bucket and were…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Seven men descending Middle Duffryn's shaft in the bucket in July 1858 fell to the bottom when the bucket caught…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Middle Duffryn Colliery, Aberdare — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) 1850s W: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
3. (secondary) Ian Winstanley, Alphabetical List of Mining Victims in Great Britain 1850-1859, J — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's lists)

Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026