Stargate Colliery roof fall, 1926

Two stonemen were killed by a fall of stone in the Tilley seam at Stargate Colliery, Ryton, on 21 December 1926.

Cause

A fall of stone in the Tilley seam.

What happened

On 21 December 1926 two stonemen at Stargate Colliery, Ryton, John O'Rourke, 54, and John Hogg Spark, 52, were killed by a fall of stone in the Tilley seam. The inquest opened the next day and was concluded on 6 January 1927.

Investigation & inquiry

Inquest opened on 22 December 1926 and resumed on 6 January 1927.

Recorded claims

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

• On 21 December 1926 two stonemen, John O'Rourke, 54, and John Hogg Spark, 52, were killed by a fall of stone at Stargate Colliery, Ryton. ^1,2,3
• The fall was in the Tilley seam. ²
• The colliery belonged to the Stella Coal Co. Ltd. ^2,3
• The inquest sat on 22 December 1926 and again on 6 January 1927. 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: “…were killed by a fall of stone in the Tilley seam at Stargate Colliery, Ryton, on 21 December 1926.”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Stargate Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Accident record: John Hogg Spark, Stargate, 1926 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (secondary) Accident record: John O'Rourke, Stargate, 1926 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 29 September 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026