MineArchiveBritain Colliery shot-firing accident, 1867
On 8 April 1867 two colliers, John Feam and William Langdon, were killed while firing a shot at Britain Colliery, the Butterley Iron Company's pit near Ripley in Derbyshire.
| Date | 8 April 1867 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Britain Colliery |
| Region | Derbyshire |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 2 (John Feam (35) and William Langdon (34), colliers.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Firing a shot.
What happened
John Feam, aged 35, and William Langdon, aged 34, were colliers at the Butterley Iron Company's Britain Colliery near Ripley. On 8 April 1867 both were killed in the firing of a shot, the blasting of coal or stone with explosives.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 8 April 1867 two colliers, John Feam and William Langdon, were killed firing a shot at the Butterley Iron Company's Britain Colliery, near Ripley. 1,2,3
- John Feam was 35 and William Langdon 34. 4,2,3
- The colliery belonged to the Butterley Iron Company. 1,2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Coal (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…April 1867 both were killed in the firing of a shot, the blasting of coal or stone with explosives.” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Feam and William Langdon, were killed while firing a shot at Britain Colliery, the Butterley Iron Company's pit near Ripley in Derbyshire.” - Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…On 8 April 1867 both were killed in the firing of a shot, the blasting of coal or stone with explosives.”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
The two colliers killed, from the inspector's list.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Colliery Disaster: Britain, 8 April 1867 — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) 1860s F: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
- (secondary) 1860s L: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
- (primary) Britain Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026