Brandon Colliery explosion, 1899

A powder shot fired by the deputy in broken pillar workings of the Brockwell seam at Brandon Colliery, County Durham, on 15 August 1899 ignited firedamp lying in an old headway. Two men were killed outright and four more, including the deputy, died of their burns over the next three days; four others were injured.

Cause

A powder shot blew through a parting in the stone and ignited firedamp in an old headway beyond it.

Contributing factors

Gas lying in the old headway from the goaf or a fault leader, not found at the deputy's 2.45 a.m. examination; the hole stemmed with small coal instead of the clay provided.

What happened

Brandon Colliery, belonging to Strakers and Love, worked with locked safety lamps and had given off little gas; ventilation in the Brockwell seam measured almost 65,000 cubic feet a minute a week before. The explosion began in broken pillar workings in the Jubilee district, a mile and a half from the shaft, when the deputy William Carr, the only man there authorised to fire shots, fired a powder shot. Flame spread over a considerable area and charred the props.

Rescue & recovery

Unknown.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest was opened by J. T. Proud of Bishop Auckland, with the owners, the Miners' Union and the Deputies' Union represented and John Wilson MP present. The jury found that Griffiths and Murphy died of the force of the explosion and the others of pneumonia following their burns, the explosion being caused by natural gas ignited by flame from the shot hole passing into the old headway, and purely accidental.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

Unknown.

Changes to practice & legislation

Roburite replaced compressed powder as the explosive used at the mine.

Memorials & commemoration

Unknown.

People

6 of the 6 who died are named in the archive; the rest are not named in the sources read for this record.

• Ralph Broadbent (d. 1899) · victim, 1899 — Hewer, 53; died 16 August.
• William Carr · victim, 1899 — Deputy, 39, who fired the shot; died of burns.
• Enoch Griffiths (d. 1899) · victim, 1899 — Hewer, 32 (NMRS) or 22 (DMM); killed outright.
• Robert Hunter · survivor, 1899 — Putter, 17, injured.
• James Liddle · survivor, 1899 — Putter, 21, injured.
• Frank Murphy (d. 1899) · victim, 1899 — Putter, 20; killed outright.
• Frank Robson (d. 1899) · victim, 1899 — Putter, 22; died 18 August.
• George Robson (d. 1899) · victim, 1899 — Putter, 18; died 17 August.
• William Robson · survivor, 1899 — Hewer, 45, injured.
• George Winter · survivor, 1899 — Hewer, 44, injured.

What's uncertain

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

• NMRS gives William Carr's death as 14 August, the day before the explosion, and George Robson's as 17th. (disputed) ²
• Enoch Griffiths is 32 in NMRS and 22 in DMM. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• A powder shot fired by the deputy William Carr blew through a parting in the stone and ignited fire-damp in an old place. ¹
• The jury found the explosion caused by natural gas ignited by flame from the shot hole passing into the old headway, and purely accidental. ²
• Griffiths and Murphy were killed outright; Broadbent died on the 16th, Carr and George Robson on the 17th, Frank Robson on the 18th (DMM). ¹
• NMRS gives William Carr's death as 14 August, the day before the explosion, and George Robson's as 17th. (disputed) ²
• Enoch Griffiths is 32 in NMRS and 22 in DMM. (disputed) ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  The deputy who fired the shot died.
• Firedamp (direct cause)
  Firedamp in an old headway was ignited.
• Goaf (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “Gas lying in the old headway from the goaf or a fault leader, not found at the deputy's 2.45 a.m. examination;…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  The mine used locked safety lamps.
• Shot-firing (direct cause)
  A powder shot blew through a parting.

Sources

1. (secondary) Brandon Colliery (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Brandon Colliery Explosion – Brandon – 1899 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 21 September 2026