Orrell Colliery roof fall, 1870

On 30 May 1870 a fall of roof at Orrell Colliery, near Wigan, then worked by William Hill Brancker, killed a collier, Robert Janhurst, 41, and two drawers, Richard Janhurst, 16, and Thomas Newton, 15.

Cause

A fall of roof.

What happened

Orrell Colliery, at Walthew House west of Wigan, was in the hands of William Hill Brancker in 1870. On 30 May the roof fell on a collier and two drawers, the boys who pushed the tubs of coal, and all three were killed.

The dead were Robert Janhurst, 41, collier, Richard Janhurst, 16, and Thomas Newton, 15, drawers. The inspector's return records the cause only as a fall of roof.

Recorded claims

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

• On 30 May 1870 a fall of roof at William Hill Brancker's Orrell Colliery killed three: Robert Janhurst, collier, and two drawers, Richard Janhurst and Thomas Newton. ^1,2,3,4
• Robert Janhurst was 41, Richard Janhurst 16 and Thomas Newton 15. ^2,3,4
• The colliery was then worked by William Hill Brancker. ^2,3

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: “…fell on a collier and two drawers, the boys who pushed the tubs of coal, and all three were killed. The dead were Robert Janhurst, 41,…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 30 May 1870 a fall of roof at Orrell Colliery, near Wigan, then worked by William Hill Brancker, killed a collier,…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Hill Brancker, killed a collier, Robert Janhurst, 41, and two drawers, Richard Janhurst, 16, and Thomas Newton, 15.”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 30 May 1870 a fall of roof at Orrell Colliery, near Wigan, then worked by William Hill…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the roof fell on a collier and two drawers, the boys who pushed the tubs of coal, and all three were killed. The dead were Robert Janhurst,…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Orrell Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Colliery Accident: Orrell, 30 May 1870 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) 1870s J: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
4. (secondary) 1870s N: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)

Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026