Kirkless Hall Colliery explosion, 1847

About one o'clock on 28 June 1847, at the Higher Patricroft or Kirkless Hall Colliery on the canal between Ince and Aspull, a fire started by a miner's shot in the coal led to an explosion of firedamp. Thirteen died and about thirty were injured.

Cause

Coal set on fire by a miner's shot, against the rules; firedamp exploded while the men were walling off the fire.

Contributing factors

Blasting in coal against the colliery rules; the air current stopped while the fire was being built up.

What happened

The colliery, known sometimes as the Higher Patricroft but more properly as Kirkless Hall, stood on the Leeds and Liverpool canal about two miles from Wigan and was worked by John Lancaster's Kirkless Hall company. One of its two sections employed about thirty-two men and boys. At about half past eleven in the morning one of the colliers fired a 'blow up' in the coal, against the proprietors' rules, and set the coal, which was highly inflammable, on fire.

The underlooker, George Evans, gathered his best men to put the fire out and sent others up the pit. When that failed they began to build the place up; the stopping of the air current is thought to have brought on the explosion, about one o'clock. Twenty-three were brought up by five in the afternoon. The first reports spoke of two dead, but thirteen died, among them John Cartwright, John Berry, John Rhodes, Henry Hewson, John Riley, Samuel Evans, a boy named Ashmore, and Robert Williamson and his son Joseph, who died on the way home; Robert Southern was missing, believed dead. George Evans was among the dead. About thirty were injured.

At the adjourned inquest on John Riley, at the Mitre Inn, Wigan, Mr Roberts appeared for the colliers' friends; Lancaster, for the owners, rejected a charge that men had been bricked up alive and offered to have the works inspected. The jury chose Mr Peace of Haigh to inspect them.

Investigation & inquiry

The borough coroner, Mr Rogerson, adjourned the inquest at the Mitre Inn, Wigan, to hear the injured underlooker, and the jury appointed Mr Peace of Haigh to inspect 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 first newspaper report gave two dead and eight or ten very seriously injured. (disputed) ³

Recorded claims

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

• On 28 June 1847 an explosion at the Higher Patricroft or Kirkless Hall Colliery, between Ince and Aspull, killed thirteen and injured about thirty. ^1,2
• A shot fired by a miner set the coal on fire, and the gas exploded before the fire could be put out; blasting was against the rules. ^1,3
• The first newspaper report gave two dead and eight or ten very seriously injured. (disputed) ³
• The adjourned inquest at the Mitre Inn, Wigan, appointed Mr Peace of Haigh to inspect the workings for the jury. ⁴

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “…between Ince and Aspull, a fire started by a miner's shot in the coal led to an explosion of firedamp. Thirteen died and about thirty were…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…o'clock on 28 June 1847, at the Higher Patricroft or Kirkless Hall Colliery on the canal between Ince and Aspull, a fire started by a miner's…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…a fire started by a miner's shot in the coal led to an explosion of firedamp. Thirteen died and about thirty were injured.”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “Blasting in coal against the colliery rules; the air current stopped while…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Kirkless Hall Colliery Explosion - Wigan - 1847 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Kirless Hall, Wigan, 28 June 1847 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Serious Colliery Explosion And Loss Of Life Near Wigan (Newcastle Guardian, 3 July 1847) — Durham Mining Museum
4. (primary) The Late Explosion At Kirklees Hall Colliery (Liverpool Mercury, 13 July 1847) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026