Hamstead Colliery explosion, 1901

An explosion of firedamp at the Hamstead Colliery Company's pit at Great Barr on 18 August 1901 killed a stallman and a loader; the cause was given as naked lights and inadequate ventilation.

Cause

Firedamp ignited by naked lights, with inadequate ventilation.

What happened

On 18 August 1901 firedamp exploded in the workings of Hamstead Colliery, at Great Barr on the edge of Birmingham, killing William Courtnell, a 20-year-old stallman, and Edgar Morley, a 22-year-old loader. The recorded cause was naked lights and inadequate ventilation. Hamstead worked the Thick Coal, and the year had already brought a death from a bump in that seam in January.

Recorded claims

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

• On 18 August 1901 an explosion of firedamp at Hamstead Colliery killed two men. ^1,2
• The dead were William Courtnell, aged 20, a stallman, and Edgar Morley, aged 22, a loader. ^3,1,2
• The cause was naked lights and inadequate ventilation. ^3,2
• The colliery was owned by the Hamstead Colliery Company Limited. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…naked lights and inadequate ventilation. Hamstead worked the Thick Coal, and the year had already brought a death from a bump in that seam…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “On 18 August 1901 firedamp exploded in the workings of Hamstead Colliery, at Great Barr on the edge of Birmingham, killing William Courtnell,…”
• Filler (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…pit at Great Barr on 18 August 1901 killed a stallman and a loader; the cause was given as naked lights and inadequate ventilation.”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of firedamp at the Hamstead Colliery Company's pit at Great Barr on 18 August…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…August 1901 killed a stallman and a loader; the cause was given as naked lights and inadequate ventilation.”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Hamstead explosion, 18 August 1901 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Edgar Morley, Hamstead, 1901 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Hamstead Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026