East Cannock Colliery suffocation, 1892

Two airway men at East Cannock Colliery, Hednesford, were found suffocated in the return airway on 6 April 1892, overcome by gases from a fire burning in the gob.

Cause

Gases from an underground gob fire overcame the men in the return airway.

What happened

On the afternoon of 6 April 1892 two airway men at East Cannock Colliery, Hednesford, James Burns, 59, and James Davis, 22, were found suffocated in the return airway. A fire was burning underground in the gob, and the gases it gave off had come back along the return and overcome them.

Recorded claims

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

• At about 4 p.m. on 6 April 1892 two airway men, James Burns, 59, and James Davis, 22, died at East Cannock Colliery, Hednesford. ^1,2,3
• Both men were found suffocated in the return airway. ^1,2,3
• They were overcome by gases given off by an underground gob fire. ^1,2,3

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: “Two airway men at East Cannock Colliery, Hednesford, were found suffocated in the return airway on 6 April…”
• Goaf (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…airway on 6 April 1892, overcome by gases from a fire burning in the gob.”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…at East Cannock Colliery, Hednesford, were found suffocated in the return airway on 6 April 1892, overcome by gases from a fire burning in the gob.”
• Spontaneous Combustion (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Gases from an underground gob fire overcame the men in the return airway.”

Sources

1. (primary) East Cannock Colliery (UK) -- named fatalities register, citing the 1877 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 2003), South Staffordshire District, by James P. Baker, H.M. Inspector of Mines — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames D part 3 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames B part 8 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026