Blaydon Main Colliery boiler explosion, 1860

In March 1860 a boiler at the Shildon Pit of Blaydon Main Colliery burst at the change of shift, moments after the brakesman had found its valves in order, killing him, a fireman and two men buried under the rubble.

Cause

A boiler at the Shildon Pit exploded, though its safety valves and floats had just been tried and found in order.

What happened

Blaydon Main Colliery, at Shibdon on the south bank of the Tyne, belonged in 1860 to G. H. Ramsay of Derwent Villa. Towards six o'clock one morning in March, as the night shift was coming off, Joseph Gray, in charge of the pumping engine, went out to look at his boilers before going home and met the brakesman of the winding engine, William Holmes, out on the same errand. Holmes tried the safety valves and floats, said they were all right, and was turning away when the boiler exploded. Holmes was hurled about a hundred yards and killed outright; the fireman, Daniel Johnson, was blown about the same distance and also killed. William Huddard and John Laverick were crushed to death under the falling rubble. Gray was carried off his feet a long way but escaped with scalds and bruises.

What's uncertain

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

• The explosion took place on 21 March 1860. (disputed) ¹
• The explosion took place on 27 March 1860. (disputed) ^3,2

Recorded claims

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

• A boiler explosion at the Shildon Pit of Blaydon Main Colliery, belonging to G. H. Ramsay of Derwent Villa, killed four men. ^1,2
• The explosion took place on 21 March 1860. (disputed) ¹
• The explosion took place on 27 March 1860. (disputed) ^3,2
• Towards six in the morning, at the change of shift, the brakesman William Holmes tried the safety valves and floats, pronounced them all right, and was turning away when the boiler burst; Holmes and the fireman Daniel Johnson were thrown about a hundred yards and killed. ^1,2
• William Huddard and John Laverick were crushed to death under the falling rubble, and Joseph Gray, in charge of the pumping engine, was carried a considerable distance but escaped with scalds and bruises. ^1,2
• John Laverick is listed among the victims at Blaydon Main, Shildon Pit, Ramsay and Co. ³

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: “In March 1860 a boiler at the Shildon Pit of Blaydon Main Colliery burst at the change of shift, moments after the brakesman had found…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…after the brakesman had found its valves in order, killing him, a fireman and two men buried under the rubble.”
• Pumping Engine (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…as the night shift was coming off, Joseph Gray, in charge of the pumping engine, went out to look at his boilers before going home and met the…”
• Winding Engine (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…look at his boilers before going home and met the brakesman of the winding engine, William Holmes, out on the same errand. Holmes tried the safety…”

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 Accident 1860: Blaydon Main, Shildon Pit, 27 March 1860 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) 1860s L: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)

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