Conygre Pit explosion

An explosion on the night maintenance shift at Lower Conygre, Timsbury, on 6 February 1895 killed seven men and four horses. Nine men were underground. The two who lived were working in a part of the pit ventilated from a different source, and the blast never reached them.

Cause

The inquest found the explosion due to the firing of a shot by James Carter in the through road, and said it could not explain the nature of that explosion. Two theories had been put forward: that coal dust was ignited by the shot, or that gas had escaped from a cavity within thirty yards of the firing point.

What happened

Lower Conygre opened in 1847 and was connected underground to the older Upper Conygre pit, and the two were worked as one. During the night shift on Wednesday 6 February 1895 an explosion killed seven men and four horses. Nine men were below ground at the time, all of them engaged in general repairs and maintenance. The seven killed were James Carter (41), John Gage (36), George Harding (50), Joseph Bridges (57), John Keeling (55), George Sperring (73) and James Durham (32). The two who escaped, George Flower and John Fear, happened to be working in a different part of the pit, ventilated from a different source, and so were cut off from the force of the explosion. The funeral of five of the dead was a joint service at St Mary's Church, Timsbury. The complete workforce of both Conygre pits met at the Temperance Hall at half past three and marched in procession to the churchyard.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest sat in the Temperance Hall on 4 March 1895. It concluded that the explosion was due to the firing of a shot by James Carter in the through road, that the nature of that explosion could not be explained, and that the management was free from blame.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

There was no compensation for the families of men killed in pit accidents. Many miners belonged to Friendly Societies, which might meet the cost of the funeral, but beyond that the bereaved had to rely on parish handouts and on family and friends.

Memorials & commemoration

Timsbury's Miners Memorial Garden, near the Square, was built in 1995 for the centenary. William Ashman wrote a poem in memory of the seven men, which the Timsbury community website reproduces.

Recorded claims

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

• The seven killed were James Carter (41), John Gage (36), George Harding (50), Joseph Bridges (57), John Keeling (55), George Sperring (73) and James Durham (32). All were engaged in general repairs and maintenance on the night shift. ¹
• Nine men were below ground. The two who escaped, George Flower and John Fear, happened to be working in a different part of the pit, which was ventilated from a different source, and so were cut off from the force of the explosion. ¹
• The inquest, held on 4 March 1895 in the Temperance Hall, concluded that the explosion was due to the firing of a shot by James Carter in the through road; that the nature of that explosion could not be explained; and that the management was free from blame. ¹
• There was no compensation for the families of those killed in pit accidents. Many miners were members of Friendly Societies, which might pay the costs of the funeral, but beyond that the bereaved dependants had to rely on parish handouts and on help from family and friends. ¹

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Conygre Pit Disaster 1895 — Timsbury community website
2. (secondary) Timsbury, Somerset — Wikishire

Record created: 10 September 2026 · Last researched: 11 September 2026