MineArchiveSeaham Colliery boiler accident, 1901
A new Lancashire boiler slipped off its chocks while being set at Seaham Colliery on 18 March 1901, crushing a fitter and a driller to death.
| Date | 18 March 1901 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Seaham Colliery |
| Region | County Durham |
| Type | Machinery |
| Fatalities | 2 (Two killed: the fitter Mark Forster and the driller John William Milbourne Nixon.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The chocks under a new Lancashire boiler gave way while it was being set.
What happened
On 18 March 1901 men at Londonderry Collieries' Seaham Colliery were setting a new Lancashire boiler. The chocks on which it rested gave way, and the boiler fell, catching and crushing two of them: the fitter Mark Forster, 24, and the driller John William Milbourne Nixon, 21.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 18 March 1901 the fitter Mark Forster, 24, and the driller John William Milbourne Nixon, 21, were crushed to death at Seaham Colliery when a new Lancashire boiler they were helping to set fell off its chocks. 1,2
- The chocks on which the boiler rested gave way, and the boiler caught and crushed the two men as it fell. 1,2
- The colliery belonged to Londonderry Collieries Ltd. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Lancashire boiler slipped off its chocks while being set at Seaham Colliery on 18 March 1901, crushing a fitter and a driller to death.”
Sources
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Seaham Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) 1900s F2: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero
Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026