Pewfall Colliery roof fall, 1888

A fireman and a dataller retimbering an old crushed road in No. 3 Pit at Pewfall Colliery, Haydock, were buried on 7 July 1888 when the side came over as they took out an old bar.

Cause

The side of a crushed road came over while an old bar was being taken out during retimbering.

What happened

On 7 July 1888 Henry Burrows, a 40-year-old fireman, and James Dearden, a 36-year-old dataller, were retimbering an old road in No. 3 Pit at Pewfall that had been badly crushed. They had set up a new bar and were taking out an old one when the side came over, carrying two or three bars with it and burying both men. At the inquest a young man who had been working with them, Thomas Hughes, said that they had set props and that Dearden then knocked one out, and the roof came down; he had thought it dangerous to take that prop down.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector visited the colliery and attended the inquest, held at the Wagon and Horses. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and suggested that a jack prop be set in future.

Recorded claims

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

• On 7 July 1888 two men were killed in No. 3 Pit at Pewfall Colliery when the side came over while they were retimbering an old crushed road. ^1,2
• The dead were Henry Burrows, aged 40, a fireman, and James Dearden, aged 36, a dataller. ^3,1,2
• At the inquest at the Wagon and Horses the verdict was accidental death, and the jury suggested that a jack prop be set in future. ¹
• The colliery was owned by Richard Evans and Company. ^3,2

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…a dataller retimbering an old crushed road in No. 3 Pit at Pewfall Colliery, Haydock, were buried on 7 July 1888 when the side came over as they…”
• Dataller (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A fireman and a dataller retimbering an old crushed road in No. 3 Pit at Pewfall Colliery,…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A fireman and a dataller retimbering an old crushed road in No. 3 Pit at…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Pewfall Colliery (accidents and incidents) — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Pewfall No. 3 fall of side, 7 July 1888 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Pewfall Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026