Lillydale Colliery inrush and explosion, 1881

At about 10.45 a.m. on 3 May 1881 men driving headings towards flooded old workings at Enoch Perrins's Lillydale Colliery, near Hanley, tapped the water; it drove gas from the goaf onto naked lights and the gas exploded, killing nine. The jury found the manager guilty of manslaughter.

Cause

Water tapped from old workings drove gas from the goaf onto naked lights, and it exploded.

Contributing factors

Headings driven towards known flooded workings without the boreholes the rules required; naked lights; a fire burning in old workings near the upcast.

What happened

On Perrins's instructions the butties Joseph and William Biddulph had for some weeks been driving three headings in the Cockshead seam towards old workings on the north level, to drain them and reach coal beyond. The colliery's rules required a borehole four or five yards ahead and flank borings when approaching old workings, but there was only one hole about five feet in advance of each heading, and when water was found leaking at the lower heading a fortnight before, no borings were ordered. A fire had also been burning for months in old workings near the upcast shaft.

On the morning of the disaster the water was bleeding faster, and one man left the pit at 9 a.m. When the water broke in, the flame came up the main dip; among the dead were the engine tenters William Tabiner and George Phillips. Fifteen were in the pit. Neighbouring managers helped in the rescue.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector, Thomas Wynne, blamed the reckless disregard of the owner, who knew the danger and took not the slightest precaution in driving towards a large accumulation of water.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The inquest at the Red Lion, Bucknall, returned manslaughter against the manager, Enoch Perrins; at Stafford Assizes he was acquitted on the judge's direction.

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion of firedamp and irruption of water on 3 May 1881 killed nine. ^1,2
• Tapping the water drove the gas from the goaf onto naked lights, causing the explosion. ¹
• The rules required a borehole four or five yards ahead and flank borings near old workings, which was not done. ¹
• The jury returned manslaughter against the manager, Enoch Perrins, who was acquitted at Stafford Assizes on the judge's direction. ¹
• Enoch Perrins is recorded as the colliery's owner. ²

Related terminology

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

• Buttyman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “On Perrins's instructions the butties Joseph and William Biddulph had for some weeks been driving three…”
• Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…A fire had also been burning for months in old workings near the upcast shaft. On the morning of the disaster the water was bleeding faster, and…”
• Goaf (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Colliery, near Hanley, tapped the water; it drove gas from the goaf onto naked lights and the gas exploded, killing nine. The jury found…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…headings in the Cockshead seam towards old workings on the north level, to drain them and reach coal beyond. The colliery's rules required…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…near Hanley, tapped the water; it drove gas from the goaf onto naked lights and the gas exploded, killing nine. The jury found the manager…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Lillydale Colliery Inrush and Explosion - Hanley - 1881 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Lillydale, 3 May 1881 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 3 October 2026 · Last researched: 3 October 2026