Laffack Colliery explosion, 1849

On 23 June 1849 an explosion in a slant at J. T. Johnson's Laffack Colliery, St Helens, where sixty or seventy men were at work, killed eight and injured nineteen or more. It was blamed on one collier's long-practised refusal to use a safety lamp; the blast blew the planking off the pit top and killed the banksman.

Cause

Gas fired at a candle used by a collier who refused to work with a safety lamp.

Contributing factors

A naked light used against the practice of the pit, known to the workmen though not to the owner.

What happened

Laffack's shaft went 160 feet to the Rushy Park seam, and a new shaft had recently been sunk to improve the ventilation. The explosion took place in a slant where sixty to seventy men were working, and it was so violent that the planking was blown off the pit top, fatally injuring the banksman, J. Derbyshire. Among the others who died were R. Norcross, T. Atherton, J. Molyneaux and J. Bradbury.

The ventilation was good, and the pit was cleared of afterdamp in about an hour, when the bodies were recovered. Some twenty-two others were injured, and reports at the time said some were not expected to live. The accident was traced to the 'long practised obstinacy' of a collier who would not work with a safety lamp and used a candle; the owner did not know of it, but it was well known among the men.

Rescue & recovery

The pit was cleared of afterdamp in about an hour and the bodies recovered.

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 broadside ballad of the time says seven lost their lives. (disputed) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• On 23 June 1849 an explosion at J. T. Johnson's Laffack Colliery, St Helens, killed eight and injured nineteen. ¹
• J. Derbyshire, T. Atherton, J. Molyneaux and J. Bradbury were among those killed on 23 June 1849. ^1,2
• The explosion was put down to the long-practised obstinacy of a collier who would not work with a safety lamp but used a candle. ¹
• The blast blew the planking off the pit top and fatally injured the banksman. ¹
• A broadside ballad of the time says seven lost their lives. (disputed) 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: “…J. Bradbury. The ventilation was good, and the pit was cleared of afterdamp in about an hour, when the bodies were recovered. Some twenty-two…”
• Banksman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…lamp; the blast blew the planking off the pit top and killed the banksman.”
• Heapstead (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…refusal to use a safety lamp; the blast blew the planking off the pit top and killed the banksman.”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…more. It was blamed on one collier's long-practised refusal to use a safety lamp; the blast blew the planking off the pit top and killed the banksman.”
• Slant (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 23 June 1849 an explosion in a slant at J. T. Johnson's Laffack Colliery, St Helens, where sixty or…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Laffack Colliery Explosion - St. Helens - 1849 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Laffack Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

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