MineArchiveHaydock explosion, 1832
In 1832 a second explosion of inflammable air in a Haydock coal pit killed six, all of them sixteen or younger. They were buried together at St Thomas's, Ashton-in-Makerfield.
| Date | 1832 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Haydock Colliery |
| Region | Lancashire |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 6 (Six.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
An explosion of firedamp.
Contributing factors
Unknown.
What happened
The burial register names Peter Cunliffe, 13, a collier; John Martlew, 16; Daniel Holding, 13; another Peter Cunliffe, 14; and William Forshaw, 14, and Thomas Forshaw, 9. Cunliffe and Martlew are surnames that appear among the dead of the explosion the year before.
Rescue & recovery
Unknown.
Investigation & inquiry
Unknown.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
Unknown.
Changes to practice & legislation
Unknown.
Memorials & commemoration
The dead were buried on 25 September at St Thomas's, Ashton-in-Makerfield.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- NMRS dates it September 1832, with burials on 25 September; Wikipedia puts it in May 1832, the year after the 1831 explosion. (disputed) 1,2
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- NMRS dates it September 1832, with burials on 25 September; Wikipedia puts it in May 1832, the year after the 1831 explosion. (disputed) 1,2
- Six were killed by the explosion of inflammable air in a coal pit. 3,2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “In 1832 a second explosion of inflammable air in a Haydock coal pit killed six, all of them sixteen or younger. They were buried…” - Firedamp (direct cause)
Inflammable air exploded.
Sources
- (secondary) Haydock Collieries — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- (secondary) Haydock Coal Pit Explosion - Haydock - 1832 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) List of mining disasters in Lancashire — Wikipedia
Record created: 22 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026