Black Vein Colliery explosion, December 1842

Less than four weeks after the explosion of 5 November 1842, gas fired again in the Black Vein pit at Risca on 1 December while the watchmen were clearing it. The watchman William Walker, trusted by the men above all others, and two colliers, Jennings Phillips and Rees Jones, died of their burns.

Cause

Firedamp left from the November explosion, which the watchmen were clearing from the headings with pipes, fired near an old stall known to be dangerous.

Contributing factors

Since the November explosion no night work had been done and the two watchmen both worked by day, clearing foul air with little light but a Davy lamp held at a distance. Walker had screwed on the glass lower part of his lamp, thought less safe than a copper one.

What happened

Since the explosion of 5 November the watchmen, Thomas Crooke and William Walker, had been working by day to clear the foul air from the pit. On Thursday 1 December they and David and John Jones were laying pipes to draw off the bad air in a heading, working almost in the dark. At about six o'clock, on their way out, Crooke asked Walker whether he had warned Rees Jones and Titus Morris, at work in a wind-road, about an old stall they were coming to. Walker had not, and went straight back; within ten minutes the gas exploded. Of the fifteen people in the pit, which was about 148 yards deep, seven or eight were drawn up on the carriage at once and more on its next trip; Walker, Morris and Jones were brought up badly burnt but alive. Walker died about three hours later, Jennings Phillips at midday on the Friday and Rees Jones that evening. The men were said to have trusted Walker with their lives.

Rescue & recovery

The carriage drew the men up in turns; a party went down for the three left behind and brought them up alive.

Investigation & inquiry

An inquest on Walker was held on the Saturday before William Brewer, coroner. Crooke and the agent, Joseph Green, described the watch and the gas-clearing work; the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Recorded claims

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

• On Thursday 1 December 1842 an explosion at the Black Vein pit, Risca, killed the watchman William Walker and two colliers, Jennings Phillips and Rees Jones, who died of their burns the next day. ^1,2
• The watchmen were clearing gas from the workings with pipes after the explosion of 5 November, and Walker had gone back to warn two men working near a dangerous old stall when it fired. ^1,2
• There were fifteen people in the pit, which was about 148 yards deep, and they were drawn up on the carriage in turns. ²
• The inquest before William Brewer, coroner, returned a verdict of accidental death. ²

Related terminology

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

• Bad Air (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…work had been done and the two watchmen both worked by day, clearing foul air with little light but a Davy lamp held at a distance. Walker had…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp left from the November explosion, which the watchmen were clearing…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “…both worked by day, clearing foul air with little light but a Davy lamp held at a distance. Walker had screwed on the glass lower part of…”
• Stall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…were clearing from the headings with pipes, fired near an old stall known to be dangerous.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities 1842 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Explosion of fire-damp at the Risca Colliery, Monmouthshire Merlin, 10 December 1842 — Welsh Newspapers Online (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 23 October 2026 · Last researched: 23 October 2026