Newbury Colliery explosion, 1869

On 22 October 1869, as the men were going down, firedamp exploded on the Mackintosh side of the Westbury Iron Company's Newbury Colliery at Coleford in the Somerset coalfield. Eleven died, and the jury found three officials guilty of manslaughter.

Cause

Firedamp in a working place beyond the end of the brattice, ignited at a lamp.

Contributing factors

Brattice left well back from the face; long, narrow air roads from a furnace; the pit examined only on Mondays; the first general rule not obeyed.

What happened

Newbury was ventilated by a furnace, the air going down the Newbury shaft and struggling about 800 yards through narrow roads to come up the Mackintosh shaft. Stone drifts were being driven and little coal was being got near the staple. The men were descending for the day when a report was heard miles away and smoke and dust came up the upcast. The bailiff, Baker, and the lamp man, Coles, went straight down and found six or seven men dead and badly burned; one had been blown into the sump, and two who had just stepped out of the cage were thrown a long way. Others lingered for days with burns and the effects of afterdamp and dust.

The inspector, Lionel Brough, traced the explosion to Gunning's place, where the face was eighteen feet beyond the end of the brattice, and found gas in another place too. The pit was examined only on Mondays. There was no relief fund, and the owners paid for the funerals.

Rescue & recovery

The bailiff and the lamp man went down at once; the dead and injured were brought up, and several of the injured died over the following days.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector, Lionel Brough, found that rules had been neglected and that a daily examination might have prevented the explosion. He also wrote on the harm done by coal dust thrown up by explosions.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against William Baker, Abraham Hamblin and John Bainton, who were committed to the Somerset Assizes at Taunton.

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 explosion claimed seven lives. (disputed) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• Eleven persons were killed by the explosion of firedamp on 22 October 1869. ^1,2
• The explosion claimed seven lives. (disputed) ¹
• The jury returned manslaughter against William Baker, Abraham Hamblin and John Bainton, committed to the Somerset Assizes. ¹
• The pit was examined only on Mondays. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…a long way. Others lingered for days with burns and the effects of afterdamp and dust. The inspector, Lionel Brough, traced the explosion to…”
• Brattice (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the cause: “Firedamp in a working place beyond the end of the brattice, ignited at a lamp.”
• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…been blown into the sump, and two who had just stepped out of the cage were thrown a long way. Others lingered for days with burns and the…”
• Stone Drift (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…800 yards through narrow roads to come up the Mackintosh shaft. Stone drifts were being driven and little coal was being got near the staple. The…”
• Sump (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…six or seven men dead and badly burned; one had been blown into the sump, and two who had just stepped out of the cage were thrown a long…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Newbury Colliery Explosion - Westbury - 1869 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Newbury Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

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