Kersley Colliery explosion, 1879

On Christmas Eve 1879 an outburst of gas after a fall of roof fired at the naked lights in the Plodder mine of Samuel Scowcroft and Sons' colliery at Kersley, near Bolton. Eleven men and boys died, several of them of burns over the following days.

Cause

An outburst of gas following a fall of roof in Heathcote's place, ignited at naked lights.

Contributing factors

Naked lights used in a seam where gas had been met, if only in small quantities; return air carried through an old goaf.

What happened

The colliery worked the Trencherbone, Cannel and Plodder mines from four shafts. Air reached the Plodder by long tunnels from the Dow and Trencherbone shafts and returned through an old goaf to an upcast shared with the Cannel mine, whose ventilating furnace that day was tended by the fireman. Gas had been met only in very small quantities, and the men worked with naked lights after the fireman had tried each place.

James Kirkham was blown off his feet by a blast from Heathcote's place and saw the light travel across his own; he helped a burnt man named Fogg to the jig brow. The underlooker, Joseph Ducker, went down with others and found survivors in the north-east workings before strong afterdamp stopped them. On Christmas Day an exploring party found the roof down for ten yards at the top of Heathcote's place, where the explosion began. Several of the injured died between 25 and 27 December.

Rescue & recovery

The underlooker Joseph Ducker went down at once with two men and reached survivors before afterdamp stopped them; an exploring party examined the workings on Christmas Day.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The inquest before the coroner J. B. Edge at the Bowling Green Inn returned accidental death after ten minutes and recommended more care by the colliery's officials.

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 colliery was the property of Samuel Sowcroft and Sons and sometimes known as 'Sowcrofts'. (disputed) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion of firedamp in the Plodder mine on 24 December 1879 killed eleven. ^1,2
• An outburst of gas followed a fall of the roof when naked lights were in use. ¹
• The colliery belonged to Samuel Scowcroft and Sons. ²
• The colliery was the property of Samuel Sowcroft and Sons and sometimes known as 'Sowcrofts'. (disputed) ¹
• The jury returned accidental death and recommended more precaution by the colliery's officials. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…others and found survivors in the north-east workings before strong afterdamp stopped them. On Christmas Day an exploring party found the roof…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…Cannel mine, whose ventilating furnace that day was tended by the fireman. Gas had been met only in very small quantities, and the men worked…”
• Goaf (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…met, if only in small quantities; return air carried through an old goaf.”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Eve 1879 an outburst of gas after a fall of roof fired at the naked lights in the Plodder mine of Samuel Scowcroft and Sons' colliery at…”
• Outburst (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On Christmas Eve 1879 an outburst of gas after a fall of roof fired at the naked lights in the Plodder…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Kersley Colliery Explosion - Kersley - 1879 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Plodder Mine, Kersley, 24 December 1879 — Durham Mining Museum

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