Stoneclough Colliery rope accident, 1862

Two men died at Stoneclough Colliery on the last day of 1862 when the wire shaft rope broke at the Little Hey Yard Mine pit.

Cause

Breakage of the wire shaft rope.

What happened

On 31 December 1862 the wire shaft rope at Knowles and Stott's Little Hey Yard Mine pit, part of Stoneclough Colliery at Kearsley, broke. Thomas Morris, a 21-year-old engineman, and William Raynor were killed.

Recorded claims

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

• On 31 December 1862 two men, the engineman Thomas Morris, 21, and William Raynor, were killed at Stoneclough Colliery by the breakage of the shaft rope. ^1,2
• The rope broke at the Little Hey Yard Mine pit. ^1,2
• The colliery belonged to Knowles and Stott. ¹

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: “Two men died at Stoneclough Colliery on the last day of 1862 when the wire shaft rope broke at the Little…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…died at Stoneclough Colliery on the last day of 1862 when the wire shaft rope broke at the Little Hey Yard Mine pit.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining deaths 1860-1869, surnames Q and R (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
2. (primary) Stoneclough Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

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