Swinhill Colliery roof fall, 1909

On the morning of Saturday 13 March 1909 men were repairing a roadway in No. 2 pit at the Darngavil Coal Company's Swinhill Colliery, near Larkhall, when a fall of stones came away from the roof and buried two of them. William M'Lean was dead when they were dug out; William Plenderleith lived about two hours.

Cause

A fall of stones from the roof of the road the men were repairing.

Rescue & recovery

Help was at hand at once, but some time passed before the two men could be freed.

Recorded claims

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

• On 13 March 1909 a fall of stones from the roof buried two men repairing a roadway in Swinhill Colliery, killing both. ^1,2
• William M'Lean was dead when reached; William Plenderleith lived about two hours after being rescued. ¹
• M'Lean, a fireman of 29, was killed in No. 2 pit by a fall of roof while repairing the road. ²
• The colliery belonged to the Darngavil Coal Company. ^1,2

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…1909 men were repairing a roadway in No. 2 pit at the Darngavil Coal Company's Swinhill Colliery, near Larkhall, when a fall of stones…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…a roadway in No. 2 pit at the Darngavil Coal Company's Swinhill Colliery, near Larkhall, when a fall of stones came away from the roof and…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Scottish Mining Website: Lanarkshire accidents (Dalserf, Larkhall) — Scottish Mining Website
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Swinhill, No.2 Pit, 1909 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 15 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026