Leasingthorne Colliery explosion, 1853

An explosion of firedamp in the north-east headway of Leasingthorne Colliery on the evening of Sunday 2 January 1853 killed two deputies, another man and a boy of sixteen, after part of a stopping was taken out and gas reached a naked candle.

Cause

Gas collecting in the innermost board was fired by a naked candle. Half of a stopping had been taken out, it was supposed so that Bell could take a tram down the second board; that diverted the air current, the innermost board filled with gas, and the gas reached the candle the boy had in his hand.

Contributing factors

The overman, Stephen Campbell, had been at the place the day before with a naked candle and found a good current of air, though gas was making in the innermost board. Barrass had a Davy lamp with him. The first newspaper report supposed that one of the deputies had sent the boy ahead with a naked candle to take up railway plates, when it was a deputy's duty to go there with a Davy lamp.

What happened

At about six o'clock on the evening of Sunday 2 January 1853 three men and two boys went down Leasingthorne Colliery to work in the innermost wall of the north-east headway, taking up the bottom stone. About half an hour later an explosion of inflammable gas was heard.

Help was got as soon as possible, and the bodies of the three men and one of the boys were found: the deputies Thomas Stones, 35, and Thomas Barrass, 33, Walter Ainsley, 43, and Thomas Bell, 16. The other boy escaped with a slight burn; the pony close beside him was found dead. Barrass left a wife and four children, Ainsley a wife and five, Stones two children. Three of them were buried at St John the Evangelist, Kirk Merrington.

Rescue & recovery

Help was got as soon as possible after the explosion was heard, and the four bodies were brought out.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest opened on 4 January before William Trotter and was adjourned to 11 January at Coundon, where a great deal of evidence was heard. The jury found that the three men were accidentally killed by afterdamp and the boy, Thomas Bell, by burning.

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 worked by the Black Boy Coal Company. (uncertain) ^3,4

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion of inflammable gas at Leasingthorne Colliery on 2 January 1853 killed three men and a boy. ^1,2
• Walter Ainsley, 43, Thomas Barrass, 33, and Thomas Bell, 16, were killed at Leasingthorne on 2 January 1853. ^2,3,4
• Gas that filled the innermost board when half a stopping was taken out was fired by a naked candle carried by the boy Thomas Bell. ²
• The adjourned inquest at Coundon found the three men accidentally killed by afterdamp and the boy by burning. ²
• The colliery was worked by the Black Boy Coal Company. (uncertain) ^3,4

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…heard. The jury found that the three men were accidentally killed by afterdamp and the boy, Thomas Bell, by burning.”
• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Colliery on the evening of Sunday 2 January 1853 killed two deputies, another man and a boy of sixteen, after part of a stopping was…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s contributing factors: “The overman, Stephen Campbell, had been at the place the day before with a naked…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…of air, though gas was making in the innermost board. Barrass had a Davy lamp with him. The first newspaper report supposed that one of the…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “…had been taken out, it was supposed so that Bell could take a tram down the second board; that diverted the air current, the innermost…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Leasingthorne Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Colliery Accident 1853 (Leasingthorne) — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) 1850s A: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
4. (secondary) 1850s B: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)

Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 6 October 2026