Parkfield Colliery fall of clod, 1893

Two colliers at Parkfield Colliery, near Bristol, were killed on 12 January 1893 when a clod with an unseen slip at its back fell over and knocked out their sprags.

Cause

A clod fell over from an unseen slip at its back, discharging the sprags set beneath it.

What happened

On 12 January 1893 two colliers at Parkfield Colliery, Pucklechurch, William Bryant, 60, and Thomas Thompson, 56, had set two sprags under the coal before beginning to hole it. An unseen slip at the back of the clod let it fall over; it knocked out both sprags and fell on the two men, killing them.

Recorded claims

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

• On 12 January 1893 two colliers, William Bryant, 60, and Thomas Thompson, 56, were killed by a fall of clod at Parkfield Colliery. ^1,2,3
• The clod fell over on them because of an unseen slip at its back, and knocked out the two sprags they had set before they began holing the coal. ^1,2,3
• The colliery belonged to the Kingswood and Parkfield Collieries Company Ltd. ^1,2

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: “…Bryant, 60, and Thomas Thompson, 56, had set two sprags under the coal before beginning to hole it. An unseen slip at the back of the clod…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two colliers at Parkfield Colliery, near Bristol, were killed on 12 January 1893 when a clod with an…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames T part 3 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames B part 7 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (primary) Parkfield Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026