MineArchiveEast Cannock Colliery Explosion (1877)
| Date | 1877 |
|---|---|
| Mine | East Cannock Colliery |
| Region | Staffordshire |
| Primary type | Explosion |
| Associated types | Gas / Asphyxiation |
| Fatalities | 4 (Four boys were killed; no names or ages have been located for this research pass. Four pit horses also died in the same explosion.) |
| Context | During active mining |
| Status | Researched |
A methane explosion at East Cannock Colliery in 1877 killed four boys and four pit horses, and seriously injured two men.
Cause
An explosion of methane gas underground at the colliery.
What happened
The explosion killed four boys working underground and four pit horses, and seriously injured two men. Compensation of £10 10s was paid to each injured workman, and £15 15s to the owner of one of the dead horses -- a telling reflection of the era's relative valuation of an injured miner against a working animal.
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A methane explosion at East Cannock Colliery in 1877 killed four boys and four pit horses, and seriously injured…”
Sources
- (secondary) Colliery Explosion on Cannock Chase — Andrew's Kindred
- (secondary) East Cannock Colliery, Hednesford, Cannock Chase — Mindat
Record created: 1 September 2026 · Last researched: 1 September 2026