Hindley Green Colliery explosion, 1868

On 25 November 1868 firedamp exploded in the Arley mine at John Scowcroft & Co.'s Hindley Green Colliery near Wigan, killing 62 men and boys. Gas had gathered in a stopped slant and was fired by the flame of a blown-out gunpowder shot next to it.

Cause

Firedamp accumulated in a stopped slant, ignited by the flame of a blown-out gunpowder shot in the slant below.

Contributing factors

New workings in a fiery seam ventilated by brattice instead of double roads; a stopped place not examined each day; gunpowder blasting by an inexperienced collier.

What happened

The Arley at Hindley Green was a notoriously fiery seam, and new workings were being opened out in it, ventilated by brattice cloth rather than by driving double roads. A collier, Thomas Holcroft, was driving two slants downhill and was cutting through from one to the other. The upper slant had been stopped for some time and both were giving off gas. His shot in the lower slant blew out without bringing down the coal, and its flame reached the gas that had gathered in the upper one. The burning gas travelled with the air until, beyond William Isherwood's place, it met fresh air and exploded.

The explosion happened within a few hundred yards of the downcast shaft, on the deep side of the horse road, and spent itself there; men in the rise workings came out unhurt and on the far side of the pit it was scarcely heard. Only a few of the 62 were burned. Most were suffocated by the afterdamp, many found on the wagon road and in the openings to the south. The day before had been the South West Lancashire election, when work stopped and there was much drinking, and the morning fireman's examination of the stopped places was in doubt.

Rescue & recovery

Most of the dead were recovered from the wagon road and the south openings; the inspector arrived before the bodies had been brought out.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector, Peter Higson, examined the workings and attended the inquest, which sat for six days. Its verdict fixed no responsibility; Higson called it a sort of open verdict.

Changes to practice & legislation

The jury condemned blasting coal with gunpowder, and the colliery gave the practice up.

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion in the Arley mine on 25 November 1868 killed 62. ^1,2
• Gas in a stopped slant was ignited by the flame of a blown-out shot fired by Thomas Holcroft in the slant below. ^1,2
• The six-day inquest fixed no responsibility but condemned blasting coal with gunpowder, which was then discontinued. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…heard. Only a few of the 62 were burned. Most were suffocated by the afterdamp, many found on the wagon road and in the openings to the south. The…”
• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “New workings in a fiery seam ventilated by brattice instead of double roads; a stopped place not examined each day;…”
• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…exploded. The explosion happened within a few hundred yards of the downcast shaft, on the deep side of the horse road, and spent itself there; men in…”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…of double roads; a stopped place not examined each day; gunpowder blasting by an inexperienced collier.”
• Slant (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…near Wigan, killing 62 men and boys. Gas had gathered in a stopped slant and was fired by the flame of a blown-out gunpowder shot next to it.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Hindley Green Colliery Explosion - Wigan - 1868 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Hindley Green Colliery, 25 November 1868 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 3 October 2026