Gwane Colliery explosion, 1857

On 10 September 1857 gas that had filled the far crop-side stalls of Gwane Colliery, by the Rowley Regis hills near Dudley, after a roof fall choked the airway exploded and killed nine. The inspector had told the owner months before that the pit's intake road was too narrow, and the owner had not acted.

Cause

The charter-masters worked the coal so as to bring down the shut, the overlying rock, choking the farthest spouting; the lofty stalls filled with firedamp, which was fired, probably at a naked candle carried by a boy sent back to the inset for tools. The inspector did not think it fired at the deputy's lamp, which was found undamaged.

Contributing factors

The pit's two seven-foot shafts had to ventilate three sections, much of the air was taken off to the Whitestone ironstone workings below, and the crop-side workings were fed through a gate road that narrowed to little more than a dozen square feet. The men had sometimes had to be withdrawn until a change of wind cleared the gas.

What happened

Gwane, the 'Gawn' pit of the inspector's report, was opened by a pair of seven-foot shafts. The downcast was 155 yards deep and passed through the Thick coal at 135 yards, where part of the air was taken into the coal workings; the rest went down to an ironstone working called the Whitestone. The crop-side workings, the most dangerous part of the pit, were aired through an ample gate road that suddenly contracted, letting only a dribble of air into lofty chambers.

When the shut came down and the stalls began to fill with gas, neither the ground bailiff nor the inspector was told. The charter-masters left orders that no one should go near the crop side and went up the pit, without first seeing every man and boy out. The deputy is thought to have tried to deal with the danger, and sent back to the inset for tools. On 10 September the gas exploded: six were killed outright and three badly injured, two of whom soon died and the third some weeks later.

Investigation & inquiry

Lionel Brough, H.M. Inspector, had been down the pit twice before the explosion and had told William Mills that a new gate road, or a much enlarged one, was needed to the crop side. At the inquest Brough produced his correspondence, and Mills admitted that he had promised the road but, on his bailiff's advice, had not gone to the expense. Other ground bailiffs testified that the narrow road was adequate. The juries returned accidental death or similar verdicts, censuring the management for not adopting the inspector's recommendation, and some made severe remarks on the butties for not telling the mine agent of the dangerous state of the shut.

Recorded claims

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

• On 10 September 1857 an explosion of firedamp at William Mills and Son's Gwane Colliery, by the Rowley Regis hills, killed nine: six outright and three who died of their injuries, the last some weeks later. ^1,2
• A fall of the overlying rock, the shut, choked the farthest airway on the crop side, the stalls filled with gas, and the subsequent want of discipline caused it to be fired, probably at a naked candle brought by a boy sent back for tools. ^1,2
• The inspector, Lionel Brough, had told William Mills that the pit needed a new or enlarged intake road to the crop side; Mills promised it but, on his bailiff's advice, did not go to the expense. ^1,2
• The juries returned accidental death or similar verdicts but censured the management for not adopting the inspector's recommendation, some also criticising the butties for not reporting the danger. ²

Related terminology

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

• Buttyman (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the cause: “The charter-masters worked the coal so as to bring down the shut, the overlying rock,…”
• Gate Road (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…workings below, and the crop-side workings were fed through a gate road that narrowed to little more than a dozen square feet. The men had…”
• Inset (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…fired, probably at a naked candle carried by a boy sent back to the inset for tools. The inspector did not think it fired at the deputy's…”
• Ironstone (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…three sections, much of the air was taken off to the Whitestone ironstone workings below, and the crop-side workings were fed through a gate…”
• Stall (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 10 September 1857 gas that had filled the far crop-side stalls of Gwane Colliery, by the Rowley Regis hills near Dudley, after a…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Gwane Colliery Explosion, Dudley, 1857 (NMRS accidents and disasters) — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery disaster, 10 September 1857: Gwane (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 24 October 2026 · Last researched: 24 October 2026