Ferndale Colliery explosion, 1869

A second major explosion at Ferndale Colliery, in the fiery Four Foot Seam, killed 53 men and boys on 10 June 1869, less than two years after the pit's 1867 disaster.

Cause

The investigation could not conclusively determine the cause, but an unlocked safety lamp, found in contravention of the rules, was suspected as a contributing factor.

Contributing factors

The inquest jury found that air was not properly distributed throughout the workings and that the ventilation ways ('windways') were not of sufficient size, describing a 'lamentable want of care' by pit officials — echoing failings identified at the same colliery less than two years earlier.

What happened

Around 600 men entered the mine at 7am, 120 of them in the South (Duffryn) District; fireman Thomas James had completed a safety inspection an hour earlier and reported all was well. The explosion sent a cloud of dust rising up the shaft, and a fire subsequently broke out in a dip heading, becoming dangerously hot; water pipes were brought in from Birmingham and a turf stopping was tried but failed to contain the fire, which was ultimately extinguished by flooding the mine.

Rescue & recovery

53 bodies were recovered following the explosion and the fire that followed it.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest jury concluded that air was not properly distributed over the whole of the workings and that the windways were not of sufficient size, finding a lamentable want of care by pit officials, and recommended that Government Inspectors visit the colliery quarterly.

Memorials & commemoration

A joint memorial to the dead of both the 1867 and 1869 disasters was renovated for the 150th anniversary in 2017, featuring a statue of a coal cart surrounded by four benches.

Recorded claims

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

• The investigation could not conclusively determine the cause, though an unlocked safety lamp, found in contravention of the rules, was suspected as a contributing factor. ¹
• 53 men and boys died, including several doorboys aged 13 to 14. ¹
• The inquest jury found air was not properly distributed and the ventilation ways were undersized, describing a lamentable want of care by pit officials — failings closely echoing those identified after the colliery's 1867 disaster. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s memorials: “…renovated for the 150th anniversary in 2017, featuring a statue of a coal cart surrounded by four benches.”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “A second major explosion at Ferndale Colliery, in the fiery Four Foot Seam, killed 53 men and boys on 10 June…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the mine at 7am, 120 of them in the South (Duffryn) District; fireman Thomas James had completed a safety inspection an hour earlier and…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “…could not conclusively determine the cause, but an unlocked safety lamp, found in contravention of the rules, was suspected as a…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…all was well. The explosion sent a cloud of dust rising up the shaft, and a fire subsequently broke out in a dip heading, becoming…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Ferndale Colliery Explosion - Rhondda Valley - 1869 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Ferndale Colliery — Wikipedia

Record created: 27 August 2026 · Last researched: 27 August 2026