Nelson Pit cage accident, Shakerley, 1883

On the morning of 2 October 1883 the winding rope's connection broke while men were being lowered down the Nelson Pit at Shakerley, Tyldesley. The cage fell 280 yards into the sump, killing the four men in it and two already in the sump. The inquest found the ring had failed from repeated shocks that could not have been detected.

Cause

The ring attaching the rope to the cage broke, weakened by repeated shocks; the cage fell to the sump.

Contributing factors

Unknown.

What happened

The pit belonged to William Ramsden of Shakerley and was 280 yards deep to the Trencherbone seam. Over 100 men had already been lowered when the fireman James Horridge saw the rope break and the hooker-on, James Ashton, heard a scream and the cage rumbling down the shaft. Men waiting at the bottom for their tools heard it strike the scaffolding.

Rescue & recovery

The men below were wound out through No. 2 Wellington pit, 800 to 900 yards away. The manager James Beswick and the deputy underlookers Alexander Almond, John Kay and Joseph Hayes led the recovery; the first bodies were out by 8 p.m. and were laid in the engine house for identification.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest at the George and Dragon, Tyldesley, before J. B. Edge, the consulting engineer C. M. Percy found a crystalline structure at the break of the ring, and the chemist John Collins found the iron sound. The jury returned accidental death, the failure being caused by repeated shocks producing a weakness that could not have been detected.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

Unknown.

Changes to practice & legislation

Unknown.

Memorials & commemoration

Unknown.

People

6 of the 6 who died are named in the archive; the rest are not named in the sources read for this record.

• Thomas Aldred (d. 1883) · victim, 1883 — Of Chowbent, also known as 'Herritt'.
• James Beswick · manager, 1883 — Manager who led the recovery.
• Ashton Hayes (d. 1883) · victim, 1883 — Killed when the cage fell.
• James Horridge · witness, 1883 — Fireman who saw the rope break.
• William Liversage (d. 1883) · victim, 1883 — Married with a child; the last brought out.
• Patrick McGuire (d. 1883) · victim, 1883 — Killed when the cage fell.
• Edwin Wild (d. 1883) · victim, 1883 — Killed when the cage fell.
• Jonathan Williams (d. 1883) · victim, 1883 — Aged about 19.

Recorded claims

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

• Six men died when the cage rope broke at the Nelson Pit on 2 October 1883. ^1,2
• Four men were in the cage and two in the sump; the pit was 280 yards deep to the Trencherbone. ³
• The jury returned accidental death: the failure was caused by repeated shocks producing an undetectable weakness. ³

Related terminology

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

• Cage (direct cause)
  The cage fell 280 yards into the sump.
• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…pit, 800 to 900 yards away. The manager James Beswick and the deputy underlookers Alexander Almond, John Kay and Joseph Hayes led the…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Trencherbone seam. Over 100 men had already been lowered when the fireman James Horridge saw the rope break and the hooker-on, James Ashton,…”
• Onsetter (contextual relationship)
  The hooker-on at the bottom heard the cage fall.
• Sump (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Nelson Pit at Shakerley, Tyldesley. The cage fell 280 yards into the sump, killing the four men in it and two already in the sump. The inquest…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Shakerley Collieries — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) Nelson Pit — Wikipedia
3. (secondary) Shakerley Colliery Nelson Pit Shaft Accident – Tyldesley – 1883 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 21 September 2026