MineArchiveHeathfield Colliery explosion, 1848
On the morning of 9 February 1848, soon after twenty-nine men had relieved the night shift at Salter and Raybould's Heathfield Colliery near Wolverhampton, the pit exploded; flame shot from the shaft and sixteen men died. The inquest jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against the doggy.
| Date | 9 February 1848 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Heathfield Colliery, Wolverhampton |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 16 (John Lowe, Henry Broadway, John Casetty, Robert Harper, Richard Bullock, William Noak (Moak), Walter White, George Bird (Baird), J. Taylor, William Johnson, James Sudley, John Grice, Joseph Halford, Absolom Sleator, Charles Horton and P. (Peter) Taylor. Several others were injured.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Firedamp. Accounts differed on how it fired: one blamed a man who had fixed his candle under the coal, found buried beneath a great mass of it; another a sudden outburst of a great quantity of gas; another the negligence of the doggy, the underground charge-hand.
What happened
Seven men had worked through the night and were relieved at six o'clock by twenty-nine others. Soon after the day shift had gone down the explosion came. The shock was felt throughout the neighbourhood and flames shot from the shaft. Sixteen men died and several were injured; thirteen escaped, and five horses were killed.
Investigation & inquiry
The inquest was held before the coroner G. Hinchcliffe at the Dartmouth Hotel. The jury found that the men had lost their lives through the negligence of John Meek, the doggy, and returned a verdict of manslaughter against him.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
Meek, aged between thirty and forty, was bound over to appear at the next Staffordshire assizes.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 9 February 1848 an explosion at Messrs Salter and Raybould's Heathfield Colliery near Wolverhampton, soon after the day shift went down, killed sixteen men; thirteen escaped and five horses were killed. 1,2
- Accounts differed: one blamed a man who had fixed his candle under the coal, another a sudden outburst of gas, another the negligence of the doggy. 1
- The inquest jury before the coroner G. Hinchcliffe at the Dartmouth Hotel found that the men died through the negligence of John Meek, the doggy, and returned a verdict of manslaughter against him. 1
- Meek, aged between thirty and forty, was bound over to appear at the next Staffordshire assizes. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Coal (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “…on how it fired: one blamed a man who had fixed his candle under the coal, found buried beneath a great mass of it; another a sudden outburst…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “…men had relieved the night shift at Salter and Raybould's Heathfield Colliery near Wolverhampton, the pit exploded; flame shot from the shaft and…” - Firedamp (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp. Accounts differed on how it fired: one blamed a man who had fixed…” - Outburst (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “…the coal, found buried beneath a great mass of it; another a sudden outburst of a great quantity of gas; another the negligence of the doggy, the…” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Colliery near Wolverhampton, the pit exploded; flame shot from the shaft and sixteen men died. The inquest jury returned a verdict of…”
Sources
- (secondary) Heathfield Colliery Explosion, Wolverhampton, 1848 (NMRS accidents and disasters) — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) Colliery disaster, 9 February 1848: Heathfield (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 24 October 2026 · Last researched: 24 October 2026