MineArchiveSwanwick Colliery cage accident, 1904
On 29 March 1904 a cage carrying six men down the shaft at Swanwick Colliery, Derbyshire, stuck fast in its wooden conductors. Three of the men were thrown out and fell more than seventy yards to the shaft bottom; the other three held on and were rescued about an hour later.
| Date | 1904 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Swanwick Colliery |
| Region | Derbyshire |
| Primary type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Associated types | Rescue |
| Fatalities | 3 (Three, all married: John Arthur Cope (46), roadman, who had no children; Samuel Haycock (48), stallman, who left eight; and William Topham (46), stallman, who left thirteen.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The descending cage stuck fast in the wooden conductors that guided it in the shaft and was jerked to a stop.
What happened
Six men were riding down the shaft in the morning when the cage suddenly stopped, held fast in its wooden conductors. The jolt threw three of them out, and they fell over seventy yards to the bottom of the shaft and were killed. The three who kept their hold stayed in the stranded cage.
Rescue & recovery
The three men left in the cage were rescued about an hour after it stuck.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 29 March 1904 three men, John Arthur Cope, Samuel Haycock and William Topham, were killed at Swanwick Colliery. 1,2
- Six men were descending the shaft when the cage got fast in the wooden conductors; three fell out and were killed by falling to the bottom of the shaft. 1
- The men were jerked out and fell over seventy yards; the others held on and were rescued an hour later. 2
- All three were married; Cope had no children, Haycock left eight and Topham thirteen. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Cage (contextual relationship)
Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 29 March 1904 a cage carrying six men down the shaft at Swanwick Colliery, Derbyshire,…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “On 29 March 1904 a cage carrying six men down the shaft at Swanwick Colliery, Derbyshire, stuck fast in its wooden conductors. Three of the men…” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 29 March 1904 a cage carrying six men down the shaft at Swanwick Colliery, Derbyshire, stuck fast in its wooden…”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
A collection of transcribed Derbyshire newspaper reports, including the March 1904 report of the three deaths at Swanwick Colliery.
View sourceThe colliery's owners, employment and the names of those killed there, with the circumstances of each death.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Swanwick Colliery (UK) — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Derbyshire - Death on my Doorstep — Death on my Doorstep
Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 1 October 2026