Newton Cap Colliery roof fall, 1897

On 1 March 1897 a baulk broke while men were timbering a new pony-pump house underground at Newton Cap Colliery and some twenty tons of stone fell, killing the under-manager, George Brown, and a stoneman, John George Nichol.

Cause

A timber baulk broke under the weight of the roof, bringing down about twenty tons of stone.

What happened

Newton Cap Colliery belonged to Henry Stobart and Co. In March 1897 a stoneman and three or four other men, directed by the under-manager, were timbering a circular place underground for a small pump, to be worked by a pony, which would drain some nearby workings so that five or six pillars of coal could be taken out.

On 1 March they had set the running baulks and six more on top, and the stoneman, John George Nichol, was chipping the stone to make room for a centre-bearing baulk when one of the others broke under the weight above it. As much as twenty tons of stone came down, swamping the timber and killing Nichol, aged 44, and the under-manager, George Brown, aged 50. The roof there was usually good, but the goaf was not far off and had probably been working. The inspector, R. D. Bain, wrote that both men were careful and of good judgment.

Recorded claims

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

• On 1 March 1897 an under-manager, George Brown, and a stoneman, John George Nichol, were killed by a fall of stone at Henry Stobart and Co.'s Newton Cap Colliery. ^1,2,3
• They were timbering a place for a pony-worked pump to drain workings so that five or six pillars could be taken out, when a baulk broke and about twenty tons of stone fell. ²
• The goaf was close by, and the inspector thought it had probably been working and loosened the stone. ²
• John George Nichol was buried in St Cuthbert's churchyard, Etherley. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…would drain some nearby workings so that five or six pillars of coal could be taken out. On 1 March they had set the running baulks and…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…men were timbering a new pony-pump house underground at Newton Cap Colliery and some twenty tons of stone fell, killing the under-manager,…”
• Goaf (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…George Brown, aged 50. The roof there was usually good, but the goaf was not far off and had probably been working. The inspector, R. D.…”
• Stoneman (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…tons of stone fell, killing the under-manager, George Brown, and a stoneman, John George Nichol.”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (primary) Newton Cap Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Colliery Accident: Newton Cap, 1 March 1897 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) 1890s N: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)

Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026