Jarrow Colliery explosion, 1830

At 5.40 a.m. on 3 August 1830 gas exploded in the Bensham seam at Jarrow Colliery, killing 42 men and boys. Seventy of the 120 men and boys in the pit were in the Bensham seam, where the hewers had broken into a fissure from which gas suddenly issued.

Cause

Gas issuing suddenly from a fissure in the coal of the Bensham seam; accounts differ on whether it was fired at naked lights or by careless use of a Davy lamp.

What happened

There were 120 men and boys in the mine that morning, seventy of them in the Bensham seam where the blast took place. The hewers had cut into a crack in the coal, and gas poured out of it. The flame did not reach far: the hewer at the place where the gas burst out was not burned, and there was no sign of fire for about eight yards back from the face, where the gas had mixed with enough air to explode. Ten more were badly injured and two horses were killed. The youngest of the dead, a trapper, was nine.

The viewer John Buddle described the explosion to the Natural History Society of Northumberland that October. He showed the Society charred coal dust he had found deposited through the workings, and described how such dust flew like luminous sparks well beyond the flame, scorching men and setting fire to whatever it fell on. About twenty of the dead were married men, leaving some sixty children, and a subscription for the families raised over £900.

Rescue & recovery

The dead were buried at Jarrow on 5 August.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest heard that the miners had broken into a fissure from which the gas issued. John Buddle's account to the Natural History Society of Northumberland drew attention to the charred coal dust spread through the workings.

What's uncertain

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

• The workings where the gas fired were lit by naked lights. (disputed) ¹
• The gas was ignited by some negligence in the use of the Davy lamp, the mine having been well ventilated just before. (disputed) ²

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion on 3 August 1830 killed 42 men and boys, forty of them among the seventy in the Bensham seam. ^1,2
• The hewers broke into a fissure in the coal from which gas suddenly issued. ^1,2
• The workings where the gas fired were lit by naked lights. (disputed) ¹
• The gas was ignited by some negligence in the use of the Davy lamp, the mine having been well ventilated just before. (disputed) ²
• John Buddle showed the Natural History Society of Northumberland charred coal dust deposited through the workings by the explosion. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…the 120 men and boys in the pit were in the Bensham seam, where the hewers had broken into a fissure from which gas suddenly issued.”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “…coal of the Bensham seam; accounts differ on whether it was fired at naked lights or by careless use of a Davy lamp.”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “…on whether it was fired at naked lights or by careless use of a Davy lamp.”
• Trapper (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…injured and two horses were killed. The youngest of the dead, a trapper, was nine. The viewer John Buddle described the explosion to the…”
• Viewer (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…were killed. The youngest of the dead, a trapper, was nine. The viewer John Buddle described the explosion to the Natural History Society…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Jarrow Colliery Explosion - Jarrow - 1830 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Jarrow, 3 August 1830 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Jarrow Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

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