Bryn Hall Colliery explosion, 1870

At about 9 a.m. on 19 August 1870 a blown-out shot fired gas in the Nine Feet workings of W. and J. B. Crippin's Bryn Hall Colliery, Ashton-in-Makerfield, killing 20. The fireman had let the men drill, charge and fire their own shots.

Cause

Firedamp ignited by a blown-out shot in the first north down brow of the Nine Feet mine.

Contributing factors

Hard coal blasted with heavy charges without cutting; a fireman letting men fire their own shots; several blowers in a little-ventilated district.

What happened

The colliery, on Sir Robert Gerard's estate near Bryn station, had lately been opened to the Five Feet, Four Feet and Nine Feet seams. The Nine Feet had been worked only a little, no more than 120 yards from the shaft, and gave off gas from several blowers. The coal was so hard that the men would not cut the side before blasting, so each shot took a large charge of powder and, badly stemmed, blew out in a long flame. The inspector, Higson, called that plainly dangerous. Firemen were meant to examine, charge and fire every shot, but the fireman on duty, John Low, let the men do it themselves, and was believed to have fired the fatal shot.

Of 140 men down, 40 were in the Nine Feet. Smoke and flame burst from the upcast shaft. Explorers found doors and stoppings blown down and men and horses dead near the pit eye; a team from the Pemberton Collieries cleared the gas and recovered the rest. Low, Fellows and Gill died later of their injuries.

Rescue & recovery

Explorers, with help from the Pemberton Collieries, cleared the gas and recovered the bodies.

Investigation & inquiry

The jury, whose foreman was Sir Robert Gerard's mining engineer Christopher Fisher Clarke, heard concern at how many Wigan explosions came from blown-out shots.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The jury found the gas was fired by a blown-out shot and recommended a way of working that used less gunpowder, with supervision of the powder taken down each day. The coroner said the verdict could not be considered entirely satisfactory.

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion on 19 August 1870 took twenty lives. ^1,2
• The gas was ignited by a blown-out shot in the first north down brow. ^1,2
• The fireman John Low allowed men to drill, charge and fire their own shots and was believed to have fired the one that caused the explosion. ¹
• The jury recommended a mode of working requiring less gunpowder and supervision of the powder taken into the mine each day. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Blower (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…without cutting; a fireman letting men fire their own shots; several blowers in a little-ventilated district.”
• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…men down, 40 were in the Nine Feet. Smoke and flame burst from the upcast shaft. Explorers found doors and stoppings blown down and men and horses…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp ignited by a blown-out shot in the first north down brow of the Nine…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Crippin's Bryn Hall Colliery, Ashton-in-Makerfield, killing 20. The fireman had let the men drill, charge and fire their own shots.”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…The coal was so hard that the men would not cut the side before blasting, so each shot took a large charge of powder and, badly stemmed, blew…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (secondary) Bryn Hall Colliery Explosion - Ashton-in-Makerfield - 1870 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Bryn Hall, 19 August 1870 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 3 October 2026 · Last researched: 3 October 2026