Lumley George Pit explosion, 1819

On 9 October 1819 gas fired at the candle of a hewer named Gee in the George Pit at Lumley, near Chester-le-Street. Eleven men and boys were killed outright, and Gee and a boy died the next day, making thirteen; many others were badly hurt.

Cause

Gas from a blower, gathered in a board after a fall of roof, ignited at a hewer's candle.

Contributing factors

Naked lights in use.

What happened

Gee had worked into a board where, it was supposed, a fall of roof had let gas collect from a blower, and it fired at his naked light. About eighty men and boys were down the pit. The local papers reported eleven dead from Lumley and two from New Lambton.

Lumley had suffered worse before: explosions there had killed 31 in 1797 and 39 in 1799, and another in the George Pit would kill 14 in 1824.

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 death toll was eleven men and boys. (disputed) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• Eleven men and boys were killed on the spot and two more died the following day. ^1,2
• The death toll was eleven men and boys. (disputed) ¹
• The gas ignited at the candle of a hewer named Gee, who had worked into a board where gas from a blower had accumulated, supposedly after a fall of roof. ^1,2
• About eighty men and boys were down the mine at the time. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Blower (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “Gas from a blower, gathered in a board after a fall of roof, ignited at a hewer's…”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 9 October 1819 gas fired at the candle of a hewer named Gee in the George Pit at Lumley, near Chester-le-Street.…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “Naked lights in use.”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “Gas from a blower, gathered in a board after a fall of roof, ignited at a hewer's candle.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Lumley Colliery George Pit Explosion - Chester-le-Street - 1819 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Lumley, George Pit, 9 October 1819 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Lumley Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

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