Heys Colliery explosion, 1857

At 1.25 p.m. on 31 July 1857, at the end of the dinner hour, flames burst from the flues of the underground boilers at John Kenworthy and Brother's Heys Colliery, Ashton-under-Lyne, and an explosion followed that killed everyone on the brow, forty men and boys.

Cause

A sudden increase of firedamp, fired either at the underground boiler fires or at an open lamp at the top of the engine brow.

Contributing factors

Underground boilers whose fire doors were left open in the dinner hour; open lights allowed on the brow; firemen who also worked as colliers.

What happened

The New Mine, the deepest and most fiery seam at the colliery, dipped at one in two and its workings ran about a mile from the pit top. The mine was worked with safety lamps, though open lights were allowed on the engine brow, at the lamp station and near the boiler fires, all in the intake air. During dinner the brow engine stopped and the doors of two underground boiler fires were left open. As the break ended the engineman saw flames come from the top of the engine house; they spread, and there was a violent explosion. He was brought out alive but died of his burns. The other thirty-nine on the brow, including the taker-off who had gone down to see the rails were clear, were all killed.

The night men had found the ventilation good. The inspector, Joseph Dickinson, could find no direct evidence of where the gas came from, suggesting a sudden outburst or a derangement of the ventilation, perhaps from old workings near the top of the brow. An open lamp was found at the brow top against the rules, and he thought it might have fired the gas rather than the boilers.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector Joseph Dickinson criticised the colliery for having its firemen also work as colliers and recommended that furnaces be fed with fresh air.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• An open lamp found at the top of the brow, contrary to the rules, may have been the source of ignition. (uncertain) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion on 31 July 1857 killed forty men and boys. ^1,2
• At the end of the dinner time the engineman saw flames coming from the flues of the underground boilers, followed by a violent explosion. ¹
• An open lamp found at the top of the brow, contrary to the rules, may have been the source of ignition. (uncertain) ¹
• The inspector criticised the firemen also working as colliers and recommended furnaces be fed with fresh air. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Engine House (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…As the break ended the engineman saw flames come from the top of the engine house; they spread, and there was a violent explosion. He was brought out…”
• Heapstead (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…dipped at one in two and its workings ran about a mile from the pit top. The mine was worked with safety lamps, though open lights were…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…boilers whose fire doors were left open in the dinner hour; open lights allowed on the brow; firemen who also worked as colliers.”
• Outburst (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…no direct evidence of where the gas came from, suggesting a sudden outburst or a derangement of the ventilation, perhaps from old workings near…”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…brow, at the lamp station and near the boiler fires, all in the intake air. During dinner the brow engine stopped and the doors of two…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (secondary) The Heys Colliery Explosion - Ashton-under-Lyne - 1857 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Heys, 31 July 1857 — Durham Mining Museum

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