MineArchiveLeycett Colliery explosion, 1871
A collier named John Crooks fired a shot in the Ten Feet mine of the Independent pit at Leycett without the fireman's leave; the powder blew out of the hole, moved no coal, and fired the gas. The jury held Crooks was not to blame, because the rules did not stop him. The inspector, Thomas Wynne, called Leycett 'the most unfortunate colliery in the district' and blamed the system of driving many levels at once beyond the main air on nothing but pipes and brattice.
| Date | 12 January 1871 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Leycett Colliery |
| Region | Staffordshire |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 8 (The figure is not settled. NMRS names nine dead; Wynne's report, as quoted by both sources, speaks of 'the explosion in which eight men lost their lives'; and the contemporary newspaper account transcribed by John Lumsdon, published just after the event, reports four killed and fifteen injured, several of whom would have died later.) |
| Injuries | The contemporary report gives fourteen men and one boy injured, some seriously. |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A blown-out shot, fired without the fireman's permission, igniting firedamp in the Ten Feet mine.
Contributing factors
A great number of levels being driven at the same time, some twenty and some thirty yards beyond the main air, ventilated only by pipe or brattice and sometimes with the brattice many yards back from the face. The seams lay at about twenty-two inches to the yard.
What happened
The Independent pit, No. 1, belonged to the Crewe Coal and Iron Company and was 270 yards deep; it stood near the New pit, which had been closed about nine months after a fire, but was not connected to it. On the morning of the explosion fifty-nine men and seven boys went down out of the two hundred employed. Thomas Bagnall, the fireman, examined the south level of the Ten Feet mine, found no gas and reported the pit safe to William Leather, the underlooker. At about twenty past six Crooks fired his shot. The hole had been drilled beforehand; he did not ask the fireman's permission or take a light from him. The powder blew out without moving any coal — had it done its work it might have scattered what gas there was — and the gas fired. Leather, in the cabin at the pit bottom, had his light put out, went up for a lamp and came straight back down. Along the south level he met Crooks coming out, who said to him: 'I fired it.' A little further on he found the body of George Longmore.
Rescue & recovery
Edward Thompson, the underground bailiff, went in soon after and found Samuel Mason alive at the far end of No. 1 — he died shortly after — and John Johnson dead. Bagnall went in and saw the hole that had been drilled for the shot. Those who could run had run for the shaft.
Investigation & inquiry
The inquest was held at the Swan Inn, Madeley, and had to be adjourned until Crooks was fit to give evidence. When he did, he denied firing the shot; the coroner had no doubt that he had. The jury found the explosion was caused by a shot fired by Crooks, but that he was not to blame, the rules being what they were, and recommended greater care in pushing the thirlings forward, which the manager undertook to act on.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
No prosecution followed. Wynne's report treated the explosion as a lesson in management: Leycett was a colliery 'with a large capital, requiring a large output of coal to make it pay', which 'must necessarily cause great anxiety to an inspector unless he is satisfied that first-rate talent is engaged in the management'.
Changes to practice & legislation
Wynne used the case to attack brattice and pipe ventilation at the face: 'how is it possible for air to circulate freely when the only space open to it is behind a brattice or through pipes?' The same fault — a shot fired where the brattice could not keep the face clear — killed sixty-two men at the same colliery nine years later.
Memorials & commemoration
Unknown.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- NMRS names nine dead: John Johnson, Samuel Mason, George Longmore, George Powers, Thomas Roberts, George Allman, Andrew Jones, Andrew Wilkinson and John Hailwood. (disputed) 1
- Wynne's report as quoted describes it as 'the explosion in which eight men lost their lives', and the contemporary press account gives four killed outright with fifteen injured. (disputed) 1,2
- NMRS dates the explosion 3 January 1871; the contemporary newspaper report transcribed by John Lumsdon dates it Thursday 12 January 1871. (disputed) 1,2
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- NMRS names nine dead: John Johnson, Samuel Mason, George Longmore, George Powers, Thomas Roberts, George Allman, Andrew Jones, Andrew Wilkinson and John Hailwood. (disputed) 1
- Wynne's report as quoted describes it as 'the explosion in which eight men lost their lives', and the contemporary press account gives four killed outright with fifteen injured. (disputed) 1,2
- NMRS dates the explosion 3 January 1871; the contemporary newspaper report transcribed by John Lumsdon dates it Thursday 12 January 1871. (disputed) 1,2
- The explosion followed a shot fired by the collier John Crooks without the fireman's permission, which blew out of the hole without moving coal and ignited firedamp. 1,2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Brattice (contextual relationship)
Named 5 times in this record, first in the contributing factors: “…some thirty yards beyond the main air, ventilated only by pipe or brattice and sometimes with the brattice many yards back from the face. The…” - Firedamp (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “A blown-out shot, fired without the fireman's permission, igniting firedamp in the Ten Feet mine.” - Fireman (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…boys went down out of the two hundred employed. Thomas Bagnall, the fireman, examined the south level of the Ten Feet mine, found no gas and…” - Level (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…colliery in the district' and blamed the system of driving many levels at once beyond the main air on nothing but pipes and brattice.” - Thirling (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “…being what they were, and recommended greater care in pushing the thirlings forward, which the manager undertook to act on.”
Sources
- (secondary) Leycett Colliery Explosion – Newcastle-under-Lyme – 1871 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) Leycett Explosion 1871 — Healey Hero / John Lumsdon
Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 20 September 2026