Wallyford Colliery inrush, 1908

An irruption of water killed two miners, John Dickson and George Scott, at the Edinburgh Collieries Company's Wallyford Colliery, near Musselburgh, on 27 May 1908.

Cause

An irruption of water.

What happened

On 27 May 1908 water broke into the workings of Wallyford Colliery, near Musselburgh, worked by the Edinburgh Collieries Company, and two miners, John Dickson, 39, and George Scott, 26, were killed.

Recorded claims

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

• On 27 May 1908 an irruption of water killed two miners at Wallyford Colliery. ^1,2,3
• The dead were John Dickson, 39, and George Scott, 26, miners. ^1,2,3
• The colliery was owned by the Edinburgh Collieries Co. Ltd. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…killed two miners, John Dickson and George Scott, at the Edinburgh Collieries Company's Wallyford Colliery, near Musselburgh, on 27 May 1908.”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Wallyford, 27 May 1908 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: John Dickson, Wallyford, 1908 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: George Scott, Wallyford, 1908 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) Wallyford Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 18 October 2026 · Last researched: 18 October 2026