Hetton Downs Pit Explosion, 1836

An explosion in the Downs pit of the Hetton colliery on 28 January 1836 killed twenty and left another man so badly scorched there was little hope for him. The inquest found the cause was a boy failing to keep a ventilation trap door shut — and heard that the men preferred candles to the Davy lamp because candles gave a better light.

Cause

Firedamp fired by a naked candle, the gas having accumulated because a ventilation trap door was not kept shut.

Contributing factors

The men worked by candlelight rather than with the Davy lamp. The inquest heard that even where danger existed the men had an antipathy to the lamp, because candles gave a better light — and that had they been using lamps the explosion would not have happened.

What happened

Upwards of a hundred people were at work in the Hetton colliery when the explosion came. Because it was confined to one of the workings — the Downs pit — the toll was lower than it might have been: twenty killed outright, and one more so dreadfully scorched that there was faint hope of his recovery. The inquest turned on a trap door and the boy who had charge of it. His duty was to keep it shut as much as possible, so that the current of air would sweep the district where the men were working; the evidence was that his negligence or inattention had let the gas gather. Witnesses experienced in mine management, among them George Hunter of Painsher, viewer to the Marquess of Londonderry, were clear that the general ventilation of the colliery was excellent — the fault lay in one door left open, and in what the men were carrying to see by.

Investigation & inquiry

A coroner's inquest was held, at which several experienced mining witnesses gave evidence. It found the explosion caused by the negligence or inattention of the boy in charge of the trap door, and heard that the use of Davy lamps would have prevented it.

Recorded claims

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

• Twenty were killed and another so dreadfully scorched as to afford but faint hopes of his recovery. (medium) ¹
• Upwards of a hundred persons were employed in the pit at the time, but because the accident was confined to the Downs pit the number of victims was less than might have been expected. (medium) ¹
• From the evidence at the coroner's inquest it appeared that the explosion was caused by the negligence or inattention of a boy who had charge of a trap door, whose duty was to keep it shut as much as possible so that the part of the pit where the men were working might be purified by a current of air. (medium) ¹
• Several witnesses experienced in the management of mines, including George Hunter of Painsher, viewer to the Marquess of Londonderry, left no doubt that the general ventilation of the pit was excellent. (medium) ¹
• The whole of the evidence tended to show that had the men been working with the Davy lamp instead of candles no explosion would have occurred; but it was stated that the men, even where danger existed, had an antipathy to the lamp because candles gave a better light. (medium) ¹

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion in the Downs pit of the Hetton colliery on 28 January 1836 killed twenty and left another man so badly…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp fired by a naked candle, the gas having accumulated because a…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…trap door shut — and heard that the men preferred candles to the Davy lamp because candles gave a better light.”

Sources

1. (secondary) M. A. Richardson, Local Historian's Table Book (1844), on the Hetton Downs Pit explosion of 1836 — Durham Mining Museum, quoting Richardson
2. (secondary) Durham Mining Museum: Eppleton Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 3 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 September 2026