Addison Colliery explosion, 1946

An explosion at Addison Colliery, Ryton, on 29 July 1946 killed a stoneman and a sixteen-year-old driver, months before the pit passed to the National Coal Board.

What happened

On Monday 29 July 1946 an explosion at Addison Colliery, the Stella Coal Company's pit near Ryton, killed two men: Norman Priestley, a stoneman of 34, and Bernard Ambrose Sweeney, a driver of 16. Sweeney was buried in Blaydon Cemetery three days later.

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion at Addison Colliery, Ryton, on 29 July 1946 killed two men. ^1,2,3
• The dead were the stoneman Norman Priestley, 34, and the driver Bernard Ambrose Sweeney, 16. ^4,1
• Sweeney was buried in Blaydon Cemetery on 1 August 1946. ^4,1
• The colliery belonged to the Stella Coal Co. Ltd. ^1,2

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: “An explosion at Addison Colliery, Ryton, on 29 July 1946 killed a stoneman and a sixteen-year-old…”
• National Coal Board (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…and a sixteen-year-old driver, months before the pit passed to the National Coal Board.”
• Stoneman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion at Addison Colliery, Ryton, on 29 July 1946 killed a stoneman and a sixteen-year-old driver, months before the pit passed to the…”

Sources

1. (primary) Colliery accident, Addison, 29 July 1946 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Accident record: B. Sweeney, Addison, 1946 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (secondary) Accident record: N. Priestley, Addison, 1946 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Addison Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026