MineArchiveWalker Colliery fall of stones, 1823
In June 1823 six men clearing rubbish from the bottom of an old shaft at Walker Colliery, on the Tyne below Newcastle, were killed when stones and rubbish fell on them.
| Date | 19 June 1823 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Walker Colliery |
| Region | Tyne and Wear |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 6 (Six; four are named in the burial registers.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A fall of stones and rubbish down an old shaft onto men cleaning out its bottom.
Contributing factors
Unknown.
What happened
The men were cleaning rubbish from the bottom of an old shaft when stones and rubbish fell on them. Four of the dead are known from the burial registers: William Southran, 28, William Bambridge, 31, and Thomas Copeland, 26, all of Bigges Main, and Forest Mitcheson, 35, of Walker; three were buried on 22 June and one on the 23rd. George Johnson, viewer at Heaton Colliery, recalled the accident to the 1835 Select Committee.
Rescue & recovery
Unknown.
Investigation & inquiry
Unknown.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
Unknown.
Changes to practice & legislation
Unknown.
Memorials & commemoration
Unknown.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Six lives were lost when men cleaning rubbish from the bottom of an old shaft were struck by a fall of stones and rubbish (1835 Select Committee evidence). 1
- A fall of stones on 19 June 1823 killed 6 people. 2
- Southran, Bambridge, Copeland and Mitcheson are named as killed in the 1823 disaster on 19 June. 3,1
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: “…six men clearing rubbish from the bottom of an old shaft at Walker Colliery, on the Tyne below Newcastle, were killed when stones and rubbish…” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “In June 1823 six men clearing rubbish from the bottom of an old shaft at Walker Colliery, on the Tyne below Newcastle, were killed when…” - Viewer (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…three were buried on 22 June and one on the 23rd. George Johnson, viewer at Heaton Colliery, recalled the accident to the 1835 Select…”
Sources
- (secondary) Walker Colliery Shaft Accident - Walker - 1823 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) Walker Colliery B Pit (HER 4206) — Tyne and Wear HER (Sitelines)
- (secondary) Walker Colliery (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 21 September 2026