Blaydon Main Colliery explosion, 1872

An explosion of gas killed two hewers at G. H. Ramsay's Blaydon Main Colliery, on the south bank of the Tyne, on 29 April 1872.

Cause

An explosion of gas.

What happened

On 29 April 1872 gas exploded in the workings of Blaydon Main Colliery, G. H. Ramsay's pit at Blaydon, killing the hewers T. Coppery, 33, and J. Murphy, 43.

Recorded claims

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

• On 29 April 1872 an explosion of gas at Blaydon Main Colliery killed two hewers, T. Coppery, 33, and J. Murphy, 43. ^1,2
• The colliery belonged to G. H. Ramsay. ²
• The deaths were caused by an explosion of gas. ^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 of gas killed two hewers at G. H. Ramsay's Blaydon Main Colliery, on the south bank of the Tyne, on 29 April 1872.”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of gas killed two hewers at G. H. Ramsay's Blaydon Main Colliery, on the south bank of the…”

Sources

1. (primary) Blaydon Main Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1870-1879, surnames C, part 3 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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