MineArchiveKingswood Colliery boiler explosion, 1851
On 7 June 1851 the steam boiler at the Starve-all coalpit at St George, worked by George Brain and Co. in the Kingswood coalfield, exploded and scalded eight men to death. Among them were the engineer, John Burchell, and his two sons. The contemporary verdict on Burchell was harsh: had he lived, it was said, he would have been tried for manslaughter, as one of the victims of his own recklessness.
| Date | 7 June 1851 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Speedwell Colliery |
| Region | Bristol |
| Type | Machinery |
| Fatalities | 8 (Francis Bryant, 62; Joseph Long, 46; William Burchell, 22; James Ricketts, 49, who left eight children; John Burchell, the engineer; John Burchell junior, 17; Daniel Mountain, 36, who left eight children. The NMRS names seven of the eight.) |
| Context | During active mining (The Starve-all coalpit at St George, east of Bristol, one of George Brain and Co.'s Kingswood pits, whose steam boiler was in the charge of the engineer John Burchell.) |
Location
Plotted at Speedwell Colliery. Approximate location. The large pin is the mine; the small round markers are the nearest mines on record. Click one for its page. View on full map
Cause
The explosion of a colliery steam boiler, blamed at the time on the recklessness of the engineer, John Burchell.
Contributing factors
The old boiler was to be replaced, and men were taking down the masonry round it without waiting for the steam to blow off. The inquest heard that the boiler was short of water and that a good deal of steam had been raised while the engine stood.
What happened
All eight died of scalding. The engineer's two younger sons were among the dead with their father. The Starveall pit and several others were worked by one steam engine. When the boiler burst it was blown out of its bed, and fragments of it and of the stone and brickwork round it were thrown high into the air; boiling water and red-hot cinders fell on the men. The owner, Mr Brain, was knocked down and had his hat struck off, but escaped serious injury. Some of the injured were carried on carts to the Bristol Royal Infirmary; four died that day and four more afterwards.
Investigation & inquiry
An inquest was held, at which the collier George King, who had been present, gave evidence; it was reported in Felix Farley's Bristol Journal of 14 June 1851. The jury found that the men died through the explosion of a steam boiler caused by the carelessness and inattention of the engineer, John Burchell, himself one of the dead.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- A Kingswood Town Council history of the coalfield lists 'Starveall Engine Pit (later Speedwell Pit)' among the pits of the Kingswood collieries. (uncertain) 4
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 7 June 1851 a steam boiler exploded at George Brain and Co.'s Starve-all coalpit at St George, scalding eight men to death. 1,2
- An index of Kingswood people records a collier, George King, as present when the explosion took place at 'Starveall pit St George in which Francis Bryant & 7 others were killed', giving evidence at the inquest reported in Felix Farley's Bristol Journal of 14 June 1851. 3
- A Kingswood Town Council history of the coalfield lists 'Starveall Engine Pit (later Speedwell Pit)' among the pits of the Kingswood collieries. (uncertain) 4
- The boiler burst while men were taking down the masonry round it, ready to replace it, without waiting for the steam to blow off. 5
- The jury found the explosion caused by the carelessness and inattention of the engineer, John Burchell, who was among the dead. 5
- Four men died on the day and four afterwards, some after being taken to the Bristol Royal Infirmary. 5
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “The explosion of a colliery steam boiler, blamed at the time on the recklessness of the…”
Sources
- (secondary) Kingswood Colliery — Grace's Guide
- (secondary) Kingswood Colliery Boiler Explosion - Bristol - 1851 — Northern Mine Research Society (information supplied by Ian Winstanley and the Coal Mining History Resource Centre)
- (secondary) Kingswood Index: K - O — Bristol History
- (secondary) Kingswood Coal History — Kingswood Town Council
- (secondary) The Household Narrative of Current Events, June 1851 (page 135) — Dickens Journals Online
Record created: 8 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 November 2026