MineArchiveKingswood Colliery boiler explosion, 1851
| 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.) |
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.
Cause
The explosion of a colliery steam boiler, blamed at the time on the recklessness of the engineer, John Burchell.
Contributing factors
The sources read do not say what Burchell did or failed to do.
What happened
All eight died of scalding. The engineer's two younger sons were among the dead with their father.
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.
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
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
Record created: 8 September 2026 · Last researched: 13 September 2026