Tranent Colliery shaft accident, 1854

Two men working from a hanging scaffold in a shaft at Tranent Colliery fell to the bottom of the pit on 31 August 1854 when the crane holding the scaffold got out of gear.

Cause

The crane carrying a hanging scaffold in the shaft got out of gear.

What happened

On 31 August 1854 James Dow and Walker Stewart were at work on a hanging scaffold in a shaft at Tranent Colliery, then worked by H. F. Cadell. The crane from which the scaffold hung got out of gear, and both men fell to the bottom of the pit and 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 August 1854 James Dow and Walker Stewart were killed at Tranent Colliery when they fell from a hanging scaffold to the bottom of the pit. ^1,2,3
• The crane from which the scaffold hung had got out of gear. ^1,2,3
• The colliery was worked by H. F. Cadell. ^1,2,3

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 working from a hanging scaffold in a shaft at Tranent Colliery fell to the bottom of the pit on 31 August 1854 when the crane…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Two men working from a hanging scaffold in a shaft at Tranent Colliery fell to the bottom of the pit on 31 August 1854…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining deaths 1850-1859, surnames D (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
2. (secondary) Fatal accidents in Scottish mines, 1854 — Scottish Mining Website
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1850-1859, surnames S (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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