Moreton Colliery explosion, 1860

At seven in the morning of 20 October 1860 firedamp exploded in a heading of Moreton Colliery near Saundersfoot, ten minutes after the men had gone in with a mix of safety lamps and naked candles, killing three and injuring eight.

Cause

An explosion of firedamp, probably at a naked light or a faulty lamp, in a heading where the men went to work before it had been examined; some carried naked candles and the lamps were not locked.

What happened

Moreton Colliery, in the parish of St Issels near Saundersfoot, then worked a pit about twenty fathoms deep with only four working places. On the morning of 20 October 1860 the overman, Thomas Badham, gave out 32 lamps at the shaft bottom; some men took lamps and candles and some naked candles only. About ten minutes after they passed him he heard the firedamp explode, and a dozen men came running out of the heading, all more or less burnt. He found his own son, John, nearly dead inside the door separating the intake from the return air. The roads were torn up, the brattice broken and the doors blown down.

Rescue & recovery

The injured were brought out by the overman and the other men. Mr G. Chater attended to the injured and raised a subscription for the families.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest the overman said it was the fireman's duty to go in before the others and examine every working, which could have been done in twenty minutes, and that the lamps were not locked. After some consultation the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. The Pembrokeshire Herald understood that further proceedings would be taken against the owners and managers of the colliery for breach of the rules for the regulation of coal mines.

Recorded claims

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

• A firedamp explosion at Moreton Colliery at about 7 am on 20 October 1860 killed three men. ^1,2
• Eight others were injured, some very severely. ²
• Of the 32 lamps given out that morning, some men had lamps and candles and some naked candles, and the lamps were not locked. ²
• The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death, but further proceedings were expected against the owners and managers for a breach of the colliery rules. ²

Related terminology

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

• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the intake from the return air. The roads were torn up, the brattice broken and the doors blown down.”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “At seven in the morning of 20 October 1860 firedamp exploded in a heading of Moreton Colliery near Saundersfoot, ten…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “An explosion of firedamp, probably at a naked light or a faulty lamp, in a heading where the men went to work before it…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…with only four working places. On the morning of 20 October 1860 the overman, Thomas Badham, gave out 32 lamps at the shaft bottom; some men took…”
• Return Airway (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…found his own son, John, nearly dead inside the door separating the intake from the return air. The roads were torn up, the brattice broken and…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Bonville's Court Colliery — Welsh Coal Mines, from the Inspector of Mines lists
2. (primary) 'Fatal colliery explosion: the inquest', Pembrokeshire Herald, 30 November 1860 — Welsh Newspapers Online (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 10 October 2026 · Last researched: 10 October 2026