Fatfield Colliery Hall Pit explosion, 1813

On 28 September 1813 the Hall Pit at Fatfield, in the parish of Chester-le-Street, fired with foul air and killed 30 or more men and boys. A stone falling from the roof was thought to have driven firedamp into the workings, where it caught at the miners' candles.

Cause

Firedamp, thought to have been driven into the workings by a stone falling from the roof, ignited at the miners' candles.

Contributing factors

Candles in use.

What happened

The pit lay at Fatfield on the Wear, on the old Harraton estate, and was worked by candlelight. Galloway's account is that a stone fell from the roof and carried firedamp out into the workings, where it reached the naked lights. Richardson's local chronicle says simply that the Hall Pit fired from the foul air and that thirty-two men and boys were killed. Thirty of their names are known.

It was one of several explosions on the Fatfield and Harraton collieries in these years: the Row Pit at Harraton killed 38 in 1817, and the Juliet Pit at Fatfield 11 in 1825.

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 explosion at the Hall Pit on 28 September 1813 killed thirty men and boys. (disputed) ¹
• Thirty-two men and boys were killed. (disputed) ^2,3

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion at the Hall Pit on 28 September 1813 killed thirty men and boys. (disputed) ¹
• Thirty-two men and boys were killed. (disputed) ^2,3
• A stone falling from the roof was thought to have carried firedamp into the workings, where it ignited at the miners' candles. ¹
• The Hall Pit was at Fatfield colliery, in the parish of Chester-le-Street. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Bad Air (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Hall Pit at Fatfield, in the parish of Chester-le-Street, fired with foul air and killed 30 or more men and boys. A stone falling from the roof…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…was one of several explosions on the Fatfield and Harraton collieries in these years: the Row Pit at Harraton killed 38 in 1817, and the…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…and boys. A stone falling from the roof was thought to have driven firedamp into the workings, where it caught at the miners' candles.”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…and carried firedamp out into the workings, where it reached the naked lights. Richardson's local chronicle says simply that the Hall Pit fired…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Fatfield Colliery Hall Pit Explosion - Chester-le-Street - 1813 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Fatfield, Hall Pit, 28 September 1813 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Fatfield, Hall Pit — Durham Mining Museum

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