Newfield Colliery black damp, 1880

On 3 May 1880 the charge man of a sinking party at Newfield Colliery, Willington, went down a new pit only 14 yards deep and was overcome by black damp; the two sinkers who went down after him to rescue him died too.

Cause

Black damp (air short of oxygen) gathered in a pit being sunk, though it was only 14 yards deep.

What happened

The three men were sinking a new pit at Newfield. Sidney Morris, the charge man, went down first and was overcome by black damp. James Hamilton and John Tredlong went down to rescue him and were lost as well.

Rescue & recovery

The two who died went down to rescue the charge man and were themselves suffocated.

Recorded claims

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

• On 3 May 1880 three sinkers, James Hamilton, 36, Sidney Morris, 25, and John Tredlong, 25, were suffocated by black damp at Newfield Colliery, Willington. ¹
• They died of black damp while sinking a pit only 14 yards deep. ¹
• Morris, the charge man, went down first, and the other two were lost going down to rescue him. ¹
• All three men killed were sinkers. ²

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “On 3 May 1880 the charge man of a sinking party at Newfield Colliery, Willington, went down a new pit only 14 yards deep and was overcome…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 3 May 1880 the charge man of a sinking party at Newfield Colliery, Willington, went down a new pit only 14…”

Sources

1. (primary) Disasters - Names: Newfield, 3 May 1880 (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Newfield Colliery (Willington) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 22 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026