Sacriston Colliery roof fall, 1940

A fall of stone at Sacriston Colliery on 4 December 1940 killed five officials and workmen who were clearing the debris of an earlier fall.

Cause

A fall of stone from the roof while debris from an earlier fall was being cleared.

What happened

On 4 December 1940 a party of officials and workmen at Sacriston Colliery, County Durham, was removing the debris of a previous fall when more stone came down from the roof. Five were killed: Joseph Welsh, 45, deputy overman; George W. Scott, 37, fore-overman; William Richardson, 54, pumpman; and two stonemen, William Smith, 35, and John William Britton. A sixth man was injured. The inquest on Britton, held on 7 December, recorded fracture and dislocation of the neck when he was crushed by a fall of stone from the roof.

Investigation & inquiry

An inquest on John William Britton was held on 7 December 1940.

Recorded claims

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

• On 4 December 1940 a fall of stone killed five men at Sacriston Colliery and injured a sixth. ^1,2,3
• The dead were Joseph Welsh, George W. Scott, William Richardson, William Smith and John William Britton. ^1,2,3,4
• The party was removing debris from a previous fall when the stone came down. ¹
• The colliery was owned by the Charlaw and Sacriston Collieries Co. Ltd. ^2,3

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 fall of stone at Sacriston Colliery on 4 December 1940 killed five officials and workmen who were…”
• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…stone came down from the roof. Five were killed: Joseph Welsh, 45, deputy overman; George W. Scott, 37, fore-overman; William Richardson, 54,…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…came down from the roof. Five were killed: Joseph Welsh, 45, deputy overman; George W. Scott, 37, fore-overman; William Richardson, 54, pumpman;…”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Colliery Disaster, 4 December 1940 (Sacriston) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Joseph Welsh, Sacriston, 1940 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: John William Britton, Sacriston, 1940 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: George W. Scott, Sacriston, 1940 — Northern Mine Research Society
5. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Sacriston Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 17 October 2026 · Last researched: 17 October 2026