Ince Hall Deep Pit explosion, 1851

About six on the morning of Monday 22 December 1851, half an hour after more than a hundred men and boys had gone down A. F. Haliburton's Deep Pit at Ince Hall, near Hindley station, firedamp exploded in the south-west workings. Thirteen were killed, six of them boys of fifteen or younger.

Cause

Firedamp ignited by a naked light, perhaps released by a roof fall where props were being drawn.

What happened

The pit, variously called the Deep Pit, the Arley Mine and Brown's Pit, stood near Hindley station. Upwards of a hundred men and boys went down at half past five; the underlooker, George Pigot, had been below since four to examine the south-west workings, where the explosion came at about six. Survivors recovered thirteen bodies, carried to their homes in Hindley by eleven o'clock.

A boy, Robert Banks, had gone down with his collier, Robert Davies, and was sitting with his little brother and other boys on a shunt about 150 yards from the face when the blast tore up the iron rails around them. He believed Davies had sent Pigot and Thomas Bushell to draw props from old workings, and that the roof fell and freed gas onto the candles. Making for the shaft through the afterdamp, he turned back for his brother and carried him to the pit bottom.

Among the dead were Joseph Topping, 39, with his sons John, 15, and Henry, 11; John Hiram, 45, and his son Elisha, 15; Robert Davies, 25, who left four small children; John Whittle, 47; and George Pigot, 65, the underlooker.

Rescue & recovery

Surviving colliers and pitmen recovered the thirteen bodies by eleven o'clock; the surgeons Mr Wright and Mr Fisher attended.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The inquest at the Red Lion Inn, Hindley, before Mr C. Driffield, returned accidental death after a long inquiry.

What's uncertain

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

• Props were being drawn from old workings, and a roof fall there was thought to have released gas onto the men's candles. (uncertain) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• On 22 December 1851 an explosion of firedamp at A. F. Haliburton's Ince Hall colliery near Hindley station killed thirteen. ^1,2
• The firedamp was ignited by a naked light. ²
• Props were being drawn from old workings, and a roof fall there was thought to have released gas onto the men's candles. (uncertain) ¹
• The inquest at the Red Lion Inn, Hindley, returned accidental death. ¹

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: “…and freed gas onto the candles. Making for the shaft through the afterdamp, he turned back for his brother and carried him to the pit…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…down A. F. Haliburton's Deep Pit at Ince Hall, near Hindley station, firedamp exploded in the south-west workings. Thirteen were killed, six of…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp ignited by a naked light, perhaps released by a roof fall where props were being drawn.”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp ignited by a naked light, perhaps released by a roof fall where props were being drawn.”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…that the roof fell and freed gas onto the candles. Making for the shaft through the afterdamp, he turned back for his brother and carried…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Ince Hall Colliery Explosion - Wigan - 1851 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Ince Hall, 22 December 1851 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026