Bryn Hall Colliery explosion, 1873

At 12.20 a.m. on 2 June 1873, while shotlighters fired the night's shots in the Wigan Nine Feet mine at the Crippins' Bryn Hall Colliery, Ashton-in-Makerfield, gas exploded twice, wrecking both headgears and killing six of the nine men and boys below. Because the inspector had ordered shots fired at night, the day shift of 250 was out of the pit.

Cause

Gas ignited by a shot in John Hill's place on the north side, a door having probably been blown open and the air taken off; a second explosion followed from fire left by the first.

Contributing factors

Hard coal blasted with large charges; powder taken down in 20- and 25-pound cans; ventilation by brattice to many open places; more than one shot fired in a bratticed place.

What happened

The coal was so hard that it was blasted without side-cutting, up to three shots in each ten-foot place, and the inspector had directed that the shots be fired at night. That night seven shotlighters, the furnaceman and a pump boy were below. The first blast roared up the downcast for almost three minutes; a second burst from the upcast as people reached the pit. Both headgears were ruined, and guide rods, cage fragments and tubs lay across the bank; wood and iron from the shafts was found 100 to 150 yards away.

Frederick Crippin, the manager, went down at 4 a.m. and found the pump boy slightly burnt; wreckage in the shaft held the party back until seven. Mining engineers from neighbouring collieries gathered to advise, fires were found and put out in the north and south workings, and another lad was brought out alive. The furnaceman, Isaac John Jones, married four months, and the shotlighters John Gorton, James Holden, William Hodson, William Collier and Peter Hankey were killed. Two had 20-pound cans of powder, contrary to the Act, which allowed no more than four pounds in a case.

Rescue & recovery

The manager, underlooker and fireman went down at 4 a.m.; engineers from neighbouring collieries advised the rescue, and parties put out fires in the workings and recovered the bodies.

Investigation & inquiry

Joseph Dickinson, inspector, told the inquest at the Park Hotel, Bryn, that the 25-pound powder cans broke the Act and that the brattice system suited the north of England but not Lancashire's fiery mines. Engineers called by the owners and by Sir Robert Gerard said the coal should be cut, not blasted.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The jury found the first explosion was from gas fired by a shot in John Hill's place, the second from fire left by the first, and that the two north-side shotlighters had not done their duty. It recommended working the coal as Sir Robert Gerard's engineer proposed, splitting the air, fewer doors, no more than twelve places to two shotlighters, and a man in each district to examine places before shots were fired.

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 inspector's report names two of the dead as James Oldham and Peter Hartley, where the local papers have Holden and Hankey. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion of 2 June 1873 killed six: the furnaceman and five shotlighters. ^1,2
• The inspector had directed that shots be fired at night, which reduced the number who could be killed. ¹
• Powder cans of 20 and 25 pounds were found below, contrary to the Act, which allowed cases of no more than four pounds. ¹
• The jury found the first explosion was caused by a shot in John Hill's place and that the two north-side shotlighters had not done their duty. ¹
• The inspector's report names two of the dead as James Oldham and Peter Hartley, where the local papers have Holden and Hankey. (disputed) ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…charges; powder taken down in 20- and 25-pound cans; ventilation by brattice to many open places; more than one shot fired in a bratticed place.”
• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…people reached the pit. Both headgears were ruined, and guide rods, cage fragments and tubs lay across the bank; wood and iron from the…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “The manager, underlooker and fireman went down at 4 a.m.; engineers from neighbouring collieries advised…”
• Headgear (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Colliery, Ashton-in-Makerfield, gas exploded twice, wrecking both headgears and killing six of the nine men and boys below. Because the…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…pit. Both headgears were ruined, and guide rods, cage fragments and tubs lay across the bank; wood and iron from the shafts was found 100 to…”

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 - 1873 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Bryn Hall, 2 June 1873 — Durham Mining Museum

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