MineArchiveShortwood Colliery inrush, 1852
Water from old workings broke into the shaft at Shortwood Colliery, near Pucklechurch, on 6 December 1852 and drowned two colliers; there were no plans of the old workings and no precautions.
| Date | 6 December 1852 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Shortwood Colliery |
| Region | South Gloucestershire |
| Type | Flooding / Inundation |
| Fatalities | 2 (Two drowned: William Davis and Eli Rogers.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
An inrush of water from old workings.
Contributing factors
No plans of the old workings and no precautions against them.
What happened
On 6 December 1852 water from old workings broke into Shortwood Colliery, near Pucklechurch in the Bristol coalfield, and two colliers, William Davis, 19, and Eli Rogers, 33, were drowned in the shaft. Rogers left a wife and two children. The inspector's note was blunt: there had been no plans of the old workings and no precautions against them.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 6 December 1852 two colliers, William Davis, 19, and Eli Rogers, 33, were drowned in the shaft at Shortwood Colliery by water breaking in from old workings. 1,2,3
- The inspector noted that there had been no plans of the old workings and no precautions against them. 1,3
- The colliery belonged to Wethered, Cossham and Bendall. 3
- The owners are also recorded as Wethered, Cossham and Co. 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: “Water from old workings broke into the shaft at Shortwood Colliery, near Pucklechurch, on 6 December 1852 and drowned two colliers;…” - Inrush (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “An inrush of water from old workings.” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Water from old workings broke into the shaft at Shortwood Colliery, near Pucklechurch, on 6 December 1852 and…”
Sources
- (primary) Shortwood Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Mining deaths 1850-1859, surnames D (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
- (primary) Colliery accident, Shortwood, 6 December 1852 — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026