New Copley Colliery shaft accident, 1872

Early on 11 December 1872 four men got into the cage at the top of New Copley Colliery's 70-fathom shaft near Cockfield. The winding engine's gearing had been left out of order, so nothing held the rope, and the cage dropped freely to the bottom; three of the men died of their injuries.

Cause

The engine gearing had been put out of order to fill the boiler and not restored, leaving no hold on the rope; the cage had not been set on the keps, and when it was lifted to set the men away it ran freely down the shaft.

Contributing factors

The enginemen were allowed to leave the gearing out of order when the boiler needed filling, because the cage was not always free. The engineman on the night shift, Benjamin Taylor, left it so when he was relieved at six by Francis Wright, who was not told and did not examine the engine; the bankman, Benjamin Cotterell, had forgotten that the cage was not resting on the keps.

What happened

New Copley had only recently been worked, and its main shaft was seventy fathoms deep. At half past one that morning Cotterell, the bankman, came up the shaft and sent Taylor, the engineman, to work the pumping engine faster; to fill the boiler Taylor put the winding engine's gearing out of order, and the cage was left off the keps. At six o'clock George Linsley, George Emmerson, Thomas Mason and Cuthbert Dawson got in, the signal was given, and the cage, weighing eleven hundredweight, ran down the shaft at extraordinary speed and rebounded from the bottom. Linsley was thrown out with both legs broken and died the following morning; Emmerson also died. Mason and Dawson were found in the cage in a precarious state, and Mason died on 24 January 1873.

Investigation & inquiry

The adjourned inquest was opened by Thomas Dean, deputy coroner, at the house of C. Million in Cockfield. Mr Willis, the government inspector, called the practice of leaving the gearing out of order an unfortunate one. The coroner said that Cotterell was most to blame for not seeing the cage on the keps, Taylor for not putting the gearing in order before he left and Wright for not examining the engine when he came on duty, but that there was no sufficient evidence to make it a case of manslaughter. The jury returned accidental death, and the three men were severely censured for their carelessness.

Changes to practice & legislation

The practice of putting the winding engine's gearing out of order to fill the boiler was stopped at the colliery after the accident.

Recorded claims

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

• Early on 11 December 1872 a cage carrying four men fell freely down the 70-fathom shaft of Fryer and Company's New Copley Colliery, Cockfield; three of the men died. ¹
• The winding engine's gearing had been left out of order after the boiler was filled, so there was no hold on the rope, and the bankman had forgotten the cage was not resting on the keps when he had the men set away. ¹
• The inquest returned accidental death; the coroner found no sufficient evidence of manslaughter but the bankman and two enginemen were severely censured. ¹
• The practice of leaving the engine gearing out of order while the boiler was filled was stopped after the accident. ¹
• George Emmerson, 36, and George Linsley, 49, died in December 1872 and Thomas Mason on 24 January 1873. ²

Related terminology

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

• Banksman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…Francis Wright, who was not told and did not examine the engine; the bankman, Benjamin Cotterell, had forgotten that the cage was not resting on…”
• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 8 times in this record, first in the summary: “Early on 11 December 1872 four men got into the cage at the top of New Copley Colliery's 70-fathom shaft near Cockfield.…”
• Keps (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the cause: “…leaving no hold on the rope; the cage had not been set on the keps, and when it was lifted to set the men away it ran freely down the…”
• Pumping Engine (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…came up the shaft and sent Taylor, the engineman, to work the pumping engine faster; to fill the boiler Taylor put the winding engine's gearing…”
• Winding Engine (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…the top of New Copley Colliery's 70-fathom shaft near Cockfield. The winding engine's gearing had been left out of order, so nothing held the rope, and…”

Sources

1. (primary) Disasters - Names: New Copley, 11 December 1872 (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) New Copley Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 22 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026