Washington Colliery overwinding accident, 1867

On the evening of 31 May 1867 the cage at Washington Colliery was wound up into the headgear, the rope broke, and eight men and two boys fell 250 yards to the bottom of the shaft.

Cause

Overwinding: the brakesman did not stop the engine as the cage reached the surface, and the cage was drawn into the chocks by the pulleys, breaking the rope.

What happened

Washington Colliery, about eight miles south of Newcastle, wound its men in cages on wire ropes in a shaft 250 yards deep. On the evening of 31 May 1867 a cage of men and boys was being drawn to bank when the brakesman in charge of the engine failed to stop it as the cage reached the mouth of the pit. The cage was pulled on up against the chocks near the pulleys with such force that the wire rope broke, and the cage and everyone in it fell back down the shaft. All ten were killed: eight hewers, Patrick Brannon, William Briggs, John Coyles, H. Curran, Patrick Kearney, Hiram Milner, John Smith and Jonas Todd, aged from 24 to 51, and two putters, Philip Atkinson, 13, and Michael Mulaney, 15. The eight men left widows and thirty-eight children between them; John Coyles alone left nine.

Recorded claims

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

• On the evening of 31 May 1867 eight men and two boys were killed at Washington Colliery when the brakesman did not stop the engine as the cage reached the top of the shaft. ^1,2
• The cage was drawn up against the chocks near the pulleys with such violence that the wire rope broke, and the cage and the men fell down the shaft, 250 yards deep. ^1,2
• The ten were killed by overwinding. ^3,4,5
• The dead were Philip Atkinson, 13, putter; Patrick Brannon, 40; William Briggs, 24; John Coyles, 39; H. Curran, 38; Patrick Kearney, 40; Hiram Milner, 51; Michael Mulaney, 15, putter; John Smith, 33; and Jonas Todd, 30, the eight men hewers. ^3,2
• The eight men left widows and, between them, thirty-eight children. ²
• The victims' deaths are dated 1 June 1867. ^3,4,5

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 8 times in this record, first in the summary: “On the evening of 31 May 1867 the cage at Washington Colliery was wound up into the headgear, the rope…”
• Headgear (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…of 31 May 1867 the cage at Washington Colliery was wound up into the headgear, the rope broke, and eight men and two boys fell 250 yards to the…”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…everyone in it fell back down the shaft. All ten were killed: eight hewers, Patrick Brannon, William Briggs, John Coyles, H. Curran, Patrick…”
• Pithead (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the evening of 31 May 1867 a cage of men and boys was being drawn to bank when the brakesman in charge of the engine failed to stop it as the…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Hiram Milner, John Smith and Jonas Todd, aged from 24 to 51, and two putters, Philip Atkinson, 13, and Michael Mulaney, 15. The eight men left…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (primary) Local Records; or, Historical Register of Remarkable Events, vol. 3 (T. Fordyce, 1867) — Internet Archive
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster 1867: Washington, 31 May 1867 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Washington Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
4. (secondary) 1860s A: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
5. (secondary) Mining victims, 1860s, C (Cottam) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)

Record created: 5 October 2026 · Last researched: 5 October 2026