MineArchiveCoxlodge Colliery explosion, 1863
An explosion of firedamp at the Bower pit of Coxlodge Colliery, north of Newcastle, on 6 March 1863 killed nineteen men by Wikipedia's account and twenty-two by the Durham Mining Museum's. The museum records the ignition as caused by naked lights. The colliery, developed by Matthew Bell and Charles Brandling about 1810, closed in 1894 and its men went to other pits nearby.
| Date | 6 March 1863 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Coxlodge Colliery |
| Region | Tyne and Wear |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 19 (The sources disagree: nineteen dead by Wikipedia's account of the Bower pit explosion, twenty-two by the Durham Mining Museum's record. The museum lists those killed at the colliery.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
An explosion of firedamp, the ignition caused by naked lights.
What happened
Coal had been worked around Coxlodge since at least 1757, and the colliery proper was developed by Matthew Bell and Charles John Brandling in 1809 or 1810. It had three pits, among them the Bower Pit, where the explosion of 6 March 1863 happened. The Durham Mining Museum records the cause as firedamp ignited by naked lights and gives the toll as twenty-two; Wikipedia's account of the village says nineteen died. The colliery closed on 16 June 1894, its miners transferring to other local pits, and part of its spoil was later used in building the runway at Newcastle Airport.
Rescue & recovery
Unknown.
Investigation & inquiry
Unknown.
Memorials & commemoration
Unknown.
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 number killed differs between the sources: the Durham Mining Museum gives 22 lives lost and Wikipedia's account of Coxlodge gives 19 deaths in the explosion at the Bower pit. (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 Durham Mining Museum records the explosion of 6 March 1863 at Coxlodge as firedamp ignited by naked lights. 1
- The number killed differs between the sources: the Durham Mining Museum gives 22 lives lost and Wikipedia's account of Coxlodge gives 19 deaths in the explosion at the Bower pit. (disputed) 1,2
- Coal had been worked around Coxlodge as early as 1757, and Coxlodge Colliery was developed by Matthew Bell and Charles John Brandling in 1809 or 1810; it had three pits, among them the Bower Pit, and closed on 16 June 1894, its miners transferring to other local pits. 2
Sources
- (secondary) Coxlodge Colliery (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Coxlodge — Wikipedia
Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 20 September 2026