MineArchiveManners Colliery gas suffocation, 1893
A man and a boy of the same family were suffocated at Manners Colliery, Ilkeston, on 12 June 1893 by gas coming through a stopping they were building to seal off a fire in the mine.
| Date | 12 June 1893 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Manners Colliery |
| Region | Derbyshire |
| Type | Gas / Asphyxiation |
| Fatalities | 2 (David Tatham (62) and James Tatham (15), datallers.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Noxious gas from a fire in the mine came through the stopping the two men were sealing up.
What happened
A fire had broken out in the workings of Manners Colliery, and on 12 June 1893 David Tatham, 62, and James Tatham, 15, both datallers, were engaged in sealing it off. Gas from the fire issued through the stopping they were trying to seal, and both were suffocated.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- David Tatham, 62, and James Tatham, 15, datallers, were suffocated on 12 June 1893 by noxious gas issuing through a stopping they were trying to seal up while sealing off a fire in the mine. 1
- David Tatham and James Tatham died at Manners on 12 June 1893 from fumes from a fire stopping. 2
- The two men were engaged in sealing up a fire in the mine when they were overcome. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A man and a boy of the same family were suffocated at Manners Colliery, Ilkeston, on 12 June 1893 by gas coming through a stopping they…” - Dataller (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…and on 12 June 1893 David Tatham, 62, and James Tatham, 15, both datallers, were engaged in sealing it off. Gas from the fire issued through…”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
A dated table of Derbyshire colliery deaths, including the 1893 Manners suffocations.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Manners Colliery (UK) — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Derbyshire Coalfield fatalities (9) - Healey Hero — Healey Hero
Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026