MineArchiveNewbottle Colliery Margaret Pit inrush, 1885
On 3 June 1885 men holing in the Maudlin Seam of the Margaret Pit at Newbottle broke into the abandoned workings of the old Elizabeth Pit, releasing an inrush of water and noxious gas. The water flooded the workings, but it was the gas that killed: at least twelve men died before they could reach the shaft.
| Date | 3 June 1885 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Newbottle Colliery |
| Region | Tyne and Wear |
| Primary type | Flooding / Inundation |
| Associated types | Gas / Asphyxiation |
| Fatalities | 12 (Accounts differ: the Northern Mine Research Society names twelve dead, while the Durham Mining Museum and a county index give fourteen. Among the dead were the back overman John House and the hewers John Bailes, John Calligan and Joseph Carr.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Holing through the last coal into the disused Elizabeth Pit workings, abandoned since 1830, released an outburst of water and stagnant gas into the Maudlin Seam.
What happened
The colliery, the property of the Earl of Durham, worked the Maudlin Seam towards the old Elizabeth Pit, and the officials had plans made from the old Elizabeth workings. At the end of the sixth gateway the men holed into those workings; water flooded in and the pit was drowned, but the men were overcome by the gas as they made for the shaft. Exploring parties recovered the bodies over the following hours, several found together in the crossways between the sixth and seventh gateways and others near the shaft landing.
Rescue & recovery
Exploration parties under the overman Smailes and others named Stokoe and Gilchrist worked through the night to recover the dead; pipes were sent down to drain the water so the last bodies could be reached.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- The Northern Mine Research Society names twelve dead; the Durham Mining Museum records fourteen. (disputed) 1,2
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- The Northern Mine Research Society names twelve dead; the Durham Mining Museum records fourteen. (disputed) 1,2
Sources
- (secondary) Durham Mining Museum - Newbottle Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Margaret Colliery Inrush, Newbottle, 1885 — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 21 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026