MineArchiveHebburn Colliery Explosion, 1849
| Date | 5 June 1849 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Hebburn Colliery |
| Region | Tyne and Wear |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 33 dead, in the Bensham seam. Many bodies were badly mutilated by the blast. |
| Context | During active mining |
| Status | Researched |
A firedamp explosion in the Bensham seam at Hebburn Colliery on the morning of 5 June 1849 killed 33 men and boys, with almost everyone in the affected north-west district of the pit killed outright.
Cause
A firedamp explosion in the Bensham seam; the specific ignition source is not recorded in the sources consulted.
What happened
The pit, then owned by Messrs. Easton & Co., had not worked from Saturday until the Tuesday morning of 5 June 1849, when an explosion occurred in the Bensham seam at around 6.30am. About 100 men were at work in the colliery at the time; the explosion was confined to the north-west part of the mine, where all but one man were killed. Thirty-three men and boys died in total, many of their bodies badly mutilated by the blast.
Investigation & inquiry
No detailed inquest findings have been located in the sources consulted beyond the Mines Inspectors' record of the event.
Memorials & commemoration
No dedicated memorial to this specific explosion has been identified.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- 33 men and boys were killed in the Bensham seam; all but one of those working in the affected north-west district died. 1
- The pit had lain idle from Saturday to Tuesday before the explosion, which occurred around 6.30am with about 100 men underground. 1
- Durham Mining Museum's own colliery page independently lists this explosion on 5 June 1849 with 33 lives lost, matching NMRS's account. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A firedamp explosion in the Bensham seam at Hebburn Colliery on the morning of 5 June 1849 killed 33 men and boys, with almost…” - Firedamp (direct cause)
The explosion was caused by an ignition of firedamp underground.
Sources
- (primary) Hebburn Colliery Explosion — Hebburn — 1849 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum — Hebburn Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 3 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 September 2026