Garswood Park Colliery explosion, 1866

A shot fired in Richard Swift's working place in the Little Delf mine at David Bromilow's Garswood Park Colliery, Ashton-in-Makerfield, ignited firedamp on 4 May 1866. Between a hundred and twenty and a hundred and eighty people were underground; twelve were killed at once and four of those brought out alive died afterwards. Richard Swift himself, his brothers Peter and William, and John Swift are all on the roll of the dead; so are a boy of eleven and two of twelve.

Cause

Firedamp in the Little Delf mine ignited by a shot fired in Richard Swift's working place.

Contributing factors

The Little Delf was the top workings, reached by the 400-yard upcast shaft, and the coal from it was wound up the upcast. The fireman Joseph Topping had visited Swift's place between two and three that morning, found no gas, and noticed no accumulation of coal at the end of the brattice; Swift had only just begun work.

What happened

Garswood Park worked several seams — the St Sebastian, the Rushy Park and the Little Delf — for David Bromilow and Company. Samuel Mather was underlooker and Thomas Molyneux underground manager, assisted by his son; work in the mine had been going on four years. The explosion came in the Little Delf. All the victims but one had been found by three o'clock; there was no hope left for Richard Swift. Dr Gaskell was sent for to the injured, and a telegram went to David Bromilow, who was in Liverpool. The local papers printed the roll: Richard Swift, thirty, married, of Smarts Row, Parr; Peter Swift, eighteen; Henry Anders, forty-eight, of Islands Brow; Thomas Harrison, twenty-eight, of Fingerpost; Peter Molyneux, forty-six, of Back Lane; James Knowles, sixteen, of Park Road; Ralph Kilshaw, eleven, of Marsh Bridge; Peter Thomas, twelve, of Moss Bank, and Peter Thomas his father; Peter Beetle, sixteen, of Coal Pit Lane; William Swift, twenty, of Croppers Row; and Thomas Anders of Park Road.

Rescue & recovery

John Swift, Henry Finney, William Roughley and John Mills were rescued alive and died later, bringing the toll to sixteen.

Investigation & inquiry

Peter Higson, H.M. Inspector of Mines for the district, gave evidence. The conclusion reached was that the explosion came about through the shot fired in Swift's place. Beyond that the sources read for this pass do not carry the inquest.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

Unknown.

Changes to practice & legislation

Fifteen months later, on 20 August 1867, the Little Delf exploded again at the same colliery, again after a shot, killing fourteen — including Joseph Topping, the fireman who had inspected Richard Swift's place in 1866 and survived that explosion.

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 Liverpool Mercury, reporting the second explosion in August 1867, recalled the first as having occurred on 13 May 1866 with thirteen dead. (disputed) ³

Recorded claims

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

• Sixteen died: twelve at once and four - John Swift, Henry Finney, William Roughley and John Mills - after being brought out alive. NMRS and the Durham Mining Museum both give sixteen, and the museum names them all. ^1,2
• The Liverpool Mercury, reporting the second explosion in August 1867, recalled the first as having occurred on 13 May 1866 with thirteen dead. (disputed) ³
• The explosion is attributed to a shot fired in Richard Swift's working place in the Little Delf mine; the Durham Mining Museum records the cause as firedamp, ignition caused by shot firing. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “…found no gas, and noticed no accumulation of coal at the end of the brattice; Swift had only just begun work.”
• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “The Little Delf was the top workings, reached by the 400-yard upcast shaft, and the coal from it was wound up the upcast. The fireman Joseph…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Bromilow's Garswood Park Colliery, Ashton-in-Makerfield, ignited firedamp on 4 May 1866. Between a hundred and twenty and a hundred and eighty…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…upcast shaft, and the coal from it was wound up the upcast. The fireman Joseph Topping had visited Swift's place between two and three that…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “Peter Higson, H.M. Inspector of Mines for the district, gave evidence. The conclusion reached was that the…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Garswood Park Colliery Explosion – Ashton-in-Makerfield – 1866 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Colliery Disaster: Garswood Park, 4th May 1866 (David Bromilow and Co.) — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Fearful Colliery Explosion near St Helens, Loss of 14 Lives, Liverpool Mercury, 23 August 1867 — Old Mersey Times

Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 20 September 2026