Gerard's Bridge Colliery explosion, 1847

At seven on the morning of Wednesday 2 June 1847 an explosion at Gerard's Bridge Colliery, St Helens, suffocated eight men and boys working 1,000 yards from the shaft, among them John Matthew and four of his sons. The men had safety lamps but used candles, and the coal took fire.

Cause

Gas given off by burning coal exploded; the men had been using candles in place of the safety lamps provided.

Contributing factors

Men working with candles though safety lamps were provided; the fire in the coal.

What happened

Gerard's Bridge Colliery, by the canal in St Helens, belonged to Speakman, Caldwell and Co. On Wednesday 2 June 1847 the pit had been at work since four in the morning, with men, boys and thirteen ponies below, when at seven o'clock an explosion took place. Everyone escaped except eight men and boys working about 1,000 yards from the shaft, who were suffocated with three of the ponies.

The dead were John Matthew, 45, a collier, and four of his sons, Peter, 22, John, 17, David, 15, and Joseph, 12; John Lee, 17; John Forest, 12; and Joseph Worral, 50, a collier who left a wife and five children. No firedamp had been known in the pit before. The coal caught fire, and on the Thursday it was reported to be burning with great fury.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death caused by gas from the combustion of the coal.

Recorded claims

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

• On Wednesday 2 June 1847 an explosion at Speakman, Caldwell and Co.'s Gerard's Bridge Colliery, St Helens, suffocated eight men and boys working 1,000 yards from the shaft. ^1,2
• Five of the dead were John Matthew and four of his sons, aged twelve to twenty-two. ^1,2
• The men had been given safety lamps but used candles, and the coal took fire. ¹
• The jury found accidental death, caused by gas from the burning coal. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…four of his sons. The men had safety lamps but used candles, and the coal took fire.”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…the morning of Wednesday 2 June 1847 an explosion at Gerard's Bridge Colliery, St Helens, suffocated eight men and boys working 1,000 yards from…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…the shaft, among them John Matthew and four of his sons. The men had safety lamps but used candles, and the coal took fire.”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Helens, suffocated eight men and boys working 1,000 yards from the shaft, among them John Matthew and four of his sons. The men had safety…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Gerards Bridge Colliery Explosion - St Helens - 1847 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Gerard's Bridge, June 1847 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026