Kepier Grange Colliery boiler explosion, 1864

One of three boilers at Kepier Grange Colliery, east of Durham, burst at dinner time on 13 May 1864, killing the fireman and two boys who had brought the workmen's dinners and scalding three more children.

Cause

The bursting of the first of three connected boilers; the reason is not recorded.

What happened

Between twelve and one on Friday 13 May 1864 the first of three connected boilers at Kepier Grange Colliery, near Carville on the Sunderland road, exploded with a noise that made people across the district think the pit had fired. The boiler split into three: one part landed on the pit heap, another fifteen yards off, and the third was thrown a hundred feet up over the chimney. A length of steam pipe was flung over the engine house into a field, the engine house lost its roof and the next boiler was torn from its bed.

The fireman and two young boys were killed. Three other children, one a girl of fifteen with a baby in her arms, were badly scalded; like the boys, they were there because they had carried dinners to men at the colliery. Red-hot bricks from the boiler seating were dug out of the coal heaps before they could set them alight.

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 newspapers name the fireman Robson and give the boys as Granger, five, and Miller, fifteen. (disputed) ^2,3

Recorded claims

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

• A boiler exploded at Kepier Grange Colliery, near Carville east of Durham, between noon and one o'clock on 13 May 1864, killing the fireman and two boys. ^1,2,3
• The Durham Mining Museum names the dead as James Brown, fireman, 33, and William Grainger, 8, and John Miller, 10, who were not employed at the pit. ¹
• The newspapers name the fireman Robson and give the boys as Granger, five, and Miller, fifteen. (disputed) ^2,3
• The first of three connected boilers was blown to pieces, one piece flying 100 feet into the air over the chimney. ²
• The boys and three scalded children were at the colliery because they had brought the workmen's dinners. ²

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…colliery. Red-hot bricks from the boiler seating were dug out of the coal heaps before they could set them alight.”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “One of three boilers at Kepier Grange Colliery, east of Durham, burst at dinner time on 13 May 1864, killing the…”
• Engine House (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…feet up over the chimney. A length of steam pipe was flung over the engine house into a field, the engine house lost its roof and the next boiler was…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…east of Durham, burst at dinner time on 13 May 1864, killing the fireman and two boys who had brought the workmen's dinners and scalding…”
• Spoil Heap (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…pit had fired. The boiler split into three: one part landed on the pit heap, another fifteen yards off, and the third was thrown a hundred feet…”

Sources

1. (primary) Kepier Grange Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Terrific boiler explosion (Monmouthshire Merlin, 21 May 1864) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) News in brief: Kepier Colliery boiler explosion (The North Wales Chronicle, 21 May 1864) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026