Norwood Colliery explosion, 1871

On 22 November 1871 nine colliers were killed at Norwood Colliery, near Killamarsh, when they went back into a stall after the roof had settled and gas from the roof and floor fired at their naked lights.

Cause

Firedamp released from the roof and floor by a heavy weighting of the roof was fired by naked lights when the men returned to the stall.

What happened

Norwood Colliery, near Killamarsh at the northern tip of Derbyshire, belonged to the Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company. On 22 November 1871 a heavy weight came on the roof of a stall in the deep workings, forcing down a quantity of roof and cracking the floor. The men withdrew into the gate, and one of them proposed they 'sit down and get some tobacco' until it settled.

When all was quiet they went back, and the gas that had come off the roof and floor exploded at their naked lights. Thomas Hutchby shouted 'Squat lads', to drop to the floor, but the floor was covered with flame; his brother rushed out over the others and reached the pit bottom. Nine men died, among them Enoch and Samuel Lilley. The damage was confined almost entirely to the one stall, and the inspector, Thomas Evans, thought the general ventilation sufficient for ordinary circumstances.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector, Thomas Evans, inspected the workings the next day with the resident agent. The inquest was held at the Angel Inn, Norwood, before the district coroner, Mr Bushby; Aaron Hart, brother of one of the dead, gave evidence.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The jury found that the nine had died in an explosion but that there was no evidence how it originated, and strongly recommended that the owners have the mine examined by one or more competent mining engineers.

Recorded claims

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

• On 22 November 1871 an explosion of gas killed nine colliers at the Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company's Norwood Colliery, near Killamarsh. ^1,2,3
• The men had withdrawn while the roof of a stall settled under weight, and on returning their naked lights fired gas given off from the roof and floor. ^1,2
• The jury found no evidence how the explosion originated and recommended the owners have the mine examined by competent mining engineers. ¹
• The inspector, Thomas Evans, held that after a serious weighting men should not return until a trustworthy official had examined the place with a safety lamp. ^1,2

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: “On 22 November 1871 nine colliers were killed at Norwood Colliery, near Killamarsh, when they went back into a stall after the roof…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp released from the roof and floor by a heavy weighting of the roof…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…the roof had settled and gas from the roof and floor fired at their naked lights.”
• Stall (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…at Norwood Colliery, near Killamarsh, when they went back into a stall after the roof had settled and gas from the roof and floor fired at…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Norwood Colliery Explosion - Chesterfield - 1871 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Norwood, 22 November 1871 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Colliery Disasters 1870-79 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 3 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026