Tinsley Park Colliery roof fall, 1880

Two young fillers, William Handley and Thomas Saxon, were killed by a fall of roof at Tinsley Park Colliery, east of Sheffield, on 20 February 1880.

Cause

A fall of roof.

What happened

On 20 February 1880 the roof fell at Tinsley Park Colliery, east of Sheffield, killing two fillers, William Handley, aged 19, and Thomas Saxon, aged 21.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The owner is given as B. Huntsman. (uncertain) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• On 20 February 1880 a fall of roof at Tinsley Park Colliery killed two fillers, William Handley, 19, and Thomas Saxon, 21. ^1,2
• The deaths were caused by a fall of roof. ^1,2
• The owner is given as B. Huntsman. (uncertain) 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: “…and Thomas Saxon, were killed by a fall of roof at Tinsley Park Colliery, east of Sheffield, on 20 February 1880.”
• Filler (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two young fillers, William Handley and Thomas Saxon, were killed by a fall of roof at…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two young fillers, William Handley and Thomas Saxon, were killed by a fall of roof at Tinsley Park Colliery, east of Sheffield, on 20 February 1880.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining deaths 1880-1889, surnames S, part 1 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
2. (primary) Tinsley Park Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

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