Burdon Main Colliery explosion, 1835

On the afternoon of 19 November 1835 gas fired at the candle of the deputy James Campbell in the Low Main seam of Burdon Main Colliery, North Shields, killing eleven, three men and eight boys. A trap door had been left open by a ten-year-old trapper, Joseph Arkley, who was among the dead.

Cause

Gas from a blower, accumulated in three unventilated boards when a trap door was left open, ignited at a deputy's candle.

Contributing factors

A trap door kept by a ten-year-old boy; candles in use because the pit was thought free of gas.

What happened

The pit had always been so free of foul air that the men worked with candles and a lamp had never been used. In the new north district a door turned the air into the three innermost boards, and with it left open, even for a quarter of an hour, gas from a blower could gather there. Campbell, going his usual rounds, walked into it with his candle. The blast blew out stoppings, the trap door and the brick walling on either side of it.

At the inquest three deputies, Thomas Cramman, Ralph Stoker and Robert Hall, said the trappers sometimes tied strings to their doors to open them without getting up, and sometimes fell asleep or let the string tangle; they thought the boy had fastened the door back to let the putters through and then fallen asleep or gone to play. The coroner, Reed, asked whether grown men on good wages would not make better door-keepers. The viewer, George Johnson, answered that boys of eight to twelve were more attentive than older lads, and doubted that men would take the work.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest heard the deputies' evidence on how trappers worked their doors, and the coroner questioned the viewer on employing boys as trappers.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The jury found, without retiring, that the deceased died by an explosion of foul air and its afterdamp, caused by the opening of a trap door, whether intentionally or accidentally no evidence showed.

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 November 1835 killed eleven, three men and eight boys. ^1,2,3
• Accumulated gas ignited at the candle of the deputy James Campbell. ^2,3
• The explosion was attributed to a trap door left open by the trapper Arkley, aged ten, who was among the dead. ^2,3
• The mine had been so free of gas that the men worked with candles and a lamp had never been used. ³
• The jury found the explosion was caused by the opening of a trap door, whether intentionally or accidentally no evidence showed. ²

Related terminology

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

• Bad Air (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s aftermath: “…found, without retiring, that the deceased died by an explosion of foul air and its afterdamp, caused by the opening of a trap door, whether…”
• Blower (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “Gas from a blower, accumulated in three unventilated boards when a trap door was left…”
• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “On the afternoon of 19 November 1835 gas fired at the candle of the deputy James Campbell in the Low Main seam of Burdon Main Colliery, North…”
• Trapper (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…men and eight boys. A trap door had been left open by a ten-year-old trapper, Joseph Arkley, who was among the dead.”
• Viewer (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…grown men on good wages would not make better door-keepers. The viewer, George Johnson, answered that boys of eight to twelve were more…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Burdon Main Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Burdon Main Colliery Explosion - Burdon - 1835 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Burdon Main, 19 November 1835 — Durham Mining Museum

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