Bent Grange Colliery explosion, 1850

In October 1850 a fall of roof broke the gauze of a Davy lamp in the Riley Mine at Mr Butterworth's Bent Grange Colliery, Oldham, and the gas exploded, killing sixteen of about twenty-five colliers at work. The colliery had a single bratticed shaft.

Cause

A fall of roof broke the wire gauze of a Davy lamp, which fired the gas.

Contributing factors

A single bratticed shaft serving for the ventilation.

What happened

About twenty-five men were at work when the roof fell and broke the wire gauze of a lamp. Accounts give sixteen or seventeen dead and ten injured. Among those killed were Bartholomew Bambling, a twelve-year-old drawer; the brothers Benjamin and Jonas Fox; Edmund Butterworth, who left a wife and five children; and John and George Newton, both nineteen.

After the explosion an air shaft was sunk and the colliery was ventilated by a fan; a second shaft, used as the downcast, was finished in February 1851. Bent Grange exploded again in July 1853, killing twenty.

Changes to practice & legislation

An air shaft was sunk and the colliery ventilated by a fan.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Seventeen lost their lives. (disputed) ¹
• The explosion was on 9 October 1850. (disputed) ¹
• The explosion was on 10 October 1850. (disputed) ²

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion killed sixteen. ^1,2
• Seventeen lost their lives. (disputed) ¹
• A fall of roof broke the wire gauze of a Davy lamp and caused the explosion. ¹
• The explosion was on 9 October 1850. (disputed) ¹
• The explosion was on 10 October 1850. (disputed) ²
• After the accident an air shaft was sunk and the colliery ventilated by a fan. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…of a Davy lamp in the Riley Mine at Mr Butterworth's Bent Grange Colliery, Oldham, and the gas exploded, killing sixteen of about twenty-five…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Among those killed were Bartholomew Bambling, a twelve-year-old drawer; the brothers Benjamin and Jonas Fox; Edmund Butterworth, who left a…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “In October 1850 a fall of roof broke the gauze of a Davy lamp in the Riley Mine at Mr Butterworth's…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “In October 1850 a fall of roof broke the gauze of a Davy lamp in the Riley Mine at Mr Butterworth's Bent Grange Colliery, Oldham,…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…twenty-five colliers at work. The colliery had a single bratticed shaft.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Bent Grange Colliery Explosion - Oldham - 1850 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Bent Grange, 10 October 1850 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 3 October 2026 · Last researched: 3 October 2026