New Boston Colliery roof fall, 1905

On Sunday 16 July 1905 the under-manager Samuel Cook took fifteen men down New Boston Colliery to secure the main brow in the Ravenhead Higher Delf, which had been falling for a week where water from old workings had weakened the roof. As they put up a great baulk to finish the timbering a second fall knocked out six bars and buried the party: Cook, his brother James, and the datallers Daniel Baines, Thomas Woolam and Thomas Waterworth were killed, and two more were dug out alive after twelve hours. The inquest at the Waggon and Horses found accidental death.

Cause

A fall of roof on a brow fifteen feet wide that had been falling and under repair for a week, brought on while a large baulk of timber was being set across the road; the inspector recorded that it knocked out six bars.

Contributing factors

Water finding its way from old workings had weakened the roof about 300 yards from the pit eye; an unfilled void at the end of the jig brow where coal had been taken; a level that had begun to sink the Monday before.

What happened

Fireman Thomas Stocks had charge of the job from 5 a.m. until Samuel Cook, under-manager for eight years and never employed anywhere else, came on at eleven. Fourteen men and his brothers James and Harry worked in two parties replacing old props with new timber in the Wigan Five Foot, or Ravenhead, mine. Between one and two in the afternoon Cook decided to put up a baulk to strengthen the place, found it would not go and called for more dirt; then he saw the bars moving, shouted for a jack and, by Harry's account, had just got the words out when a bar struck him behind the ear and the shoulder. Baines was pinned by the neck at Harry's feet and killed. Stocks, at the landing, heard someone say the timber was giving way and Sam Cook shout 'Tom'. The dead were Samuel Cook, 34, under-manager, single; James Cook, 36, married; Thomas Woolam, 47, a dataller with six children; Thomas Waterworth, also known as Leyland, 42, with twelve children; and Daniel Baines, 42, with seven. Their father, a retired colliery manager of Church Road, identified his two sons.

Rescue & recovery

Twenty volunteers were quickly at the fall with Mr Robinson the manager and other officials, and three doctors attended. Working in great danger from further falls they freed Pimblett about six in the evening and got through to Harry Cook nearly two hours later, both to the Cottage Hospital. The bodies of Baines and Woolam were recovered through the night and Monday, Samuel Cook, Waterworth and James Cook about midnight. Messrs Lionel and Charles Pilkington and Mr Hall the inspector were at the pit on the Monday.

Investigation & inquiry

Mr Brighouse, the county coroner, held the inquest at the Waggon and Horses; the inspector made an inspection and attended. Harry Cook gave evidence from his hospital bed by his father's wish. The coroner said the work was in the hands of an experienced man, the employers had provided sufficient materials, and everyone knew it was dangerous work.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

A verdict of accidental death, with the jury's sympathy for the relatives; no prosecution is recorded.

Changes to practice & legislation

None recorded.

Memorials & commemoration

The two Cooks were buried at Newton, Baines at Haydock churchyard, where he had belonged to the Bible class, and Woolam and Waterworth at Ashton.

Recorded claims

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

• Samuel Cook, 34, under-manager; James Cook, 36; Thomas Woolam, 47; Thomas Waterworth alias Leyland, 42; and Daniel Baines, 42, were killed by a fall on the main brow of the Ravenhead Higher Delf on Sunday 16 July 1905. ^1,2
• The brow had been falling and under repair for a week after water from old workings weakened the roof; a further fall while a baulk was being set knocked out six bars. ^1,2
• Wright Pimblett was freed about 6 p.m. and Harry Cook after nearly twelve hours; the inquest at the Waggon and Horses before the county coroner Brighouse returned accidental death. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Dataller (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…out six bars and buried the party: Cook, his brother James, and the datallers Daniel Baines, Thomas Woolam and Thomas Waterworth were killed, and…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “Fireman Thomas Stocks had charge of the job from 5 a.m. until Samuel Cook,…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “…void at the end of the jig brow where coal had been taken; a level that had begun to sink the Monday before.”
• Longwall (contextual relationship)
  Chocks and jig brows of longwall working at the pit.
• Roof Fall (direct cause)
  A second fall on a brow already falling for a week.

Sources

1. (secondary) New Boston Colliery Roof-fall, Haydock, 1905 — Northern Mine Research Society (Wayback capture) — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) New Boston Colliery disaster, 16 July 1905 — Durham Mining Museum (1905 Inspectors' Report extract) — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) New Boston Colliery — Durham Mining Museum — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 12 September 2026 · Last researched: 12 September 2026