Rosehall Colliery roof fall, 1874

On 19 January 1874 a large mass of freestone fell without warning from the roof of a longwall face in Rosehall No. 10 pit, Coatbridge, and crushed three colliers working within nine feet of each other: Alexander Mace, his eighteen-year-old son Robert, and Peter Duffy. The Inspector singled it out for its severity, but found no sign that anyone could have foreseen it.

Cause

A sudden fall of a large mass of freestone from the roof at the face, 15 feet long and extending back into the waste.

Contributing factors

None identified: the roof had shown no decided symptom of weakness, the oversman had passed under the place five minutes earlier, and there were none of the usual backs or rents that so often explain such falls.

What happened

Rosehall No. 10 was one of Robert Addie and Sons' pits at Coatbridge, worked longwall. On 19 January 1874 three colliers, Alexander Mace, 48, his son Robert, 18, and Peter Duffy, 40, were at their usual working place on the face, not more than nine feet from one another, when a large mass of freestone came down from the roof without warning and crushed all three. The Inspector for the district drew attention to the accident in his report principally on account of its unusual severity. He found that the roof had shown no decided symptom of weakness and was not otherwise known to be defective, that the oversman had passed under the spot about five minutes before it fell, and that there were none of the usual backs or rents that so often turn out to be the direct cause of such falls. The break ran fifteen feet along the face and backwards into the waste, a complete fracture. 'I doubt if, practically speaking, anyone could have foreseen danger,' he wrote.

Investigation & inquiry

The Inspector of Mines described the accident in the body of his report for its unusual severity and concluded that practically no one could have foreseen the danger.

Recorded claims

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

• A fall of roof at the face in Rosehall No. 10 pit on 19 January 1874 killed three colliers, Alexander Mace, 48, his son Robert Mace, 18, and Peter Duffy, 40. ^1,2
• The Inspector reported the three were working longwall not more than nine feet apart when a large mass of freestone fell on them; the roof had shown no sign of weakness, the oversman had passed under the spot five minutes before, and the break extended 15 feet along the face with none of the usual backs or rents; he doubted anyone could have foreseen the danger. ¹

Related terminology

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

• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The Inspector of Mines described the accident in the body of his report for its unusual…”
• Longwall (contextual relationship)
  The men worked a longwall face.
• Old Workings (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…from the roof at the face, 15 feet long and extending back into the waste.”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “…identified: the roof had shown no decided symptom of weakness, the oversman had passed under the place five minutes earlier, and there were none…”
• Roof Fall (direct cause)
  A mass of freestone fell from the roof.

Sources

1. (secondary) Fatal accidents in mines in Scotland, 1874 — Scottish Mining Website
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Colliery Disaster 1874 (Rosehall No. 10) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 12 September 2026 · Last researched: 16 September 2026