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Airhead-
Good question. It might not be but it's hard to tell as the floor above it is covered in boxes and other crap that we've pulled out of the cellar while we finish insulating the floor from under and repaint the cellar.
There are two 'split' joists down there, they're thicker than the others (7x4 rather than 7x3) and have a similar sized cross running between them (mortise and tenon joints) where the hearth is. The joists in between are fixed to this cross piece.
Figure for the cost of a couple of graded 7x2s, a couple of tubes of adhesive, a bag of big nails and half a day of my time it should reduce the risk of it getting any worse...
atk
More fun under the floor. Thankfully hasn't gone through the entire joist but does run the length of it. Hopefully sistering the whole thing sides will hold for another 130 years, rather than smashing the hearth out and lifting the floor.