MineArchiveOld Coal Pit Explosion, Coalbrookdale (1856)
| Date | 3 July 1856 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Coalbrookdale Colliery |
| Region | Shropshire |
| Primary type | Explosion |
| Associated types | Rescue |
| Fatalities | 11 (Sources disagree on the exact toll: NMRS names eleven victims (nine initial victims plus two rescuers); the Durham Mining Museum's own transcription of the original 1856 report states 'the lives of the whole of the persons underground at the time, 10 in number, were sacrificed.' Both figures are kept here rather than silently reconciled -- eleven is used as the headline figure since it corresponds to a full named list, but the DMM total is one lower.) |
| Context | During active mining |
| Status | Researched |
An explosion caused by neglected ventilation rules at the Old Coal Pit, Coalbrookdale, killed eleven men and boys, including two who died attempting a rescue.
Cause
Management's neglect of the colliery's own Special Rules for ventilation: safety lamps were not locked, and there was no single main ventilation door to control the underground airflow.
What happened
On 3 July 1856 an explosion tore through the Old Coal Pit at Coalbrookdale, then operated by the partnership of Couttwell and Lewis. Eleven men and boys were killed: colliers Noah Vaughan (20), James Morgan (19), Samuel Jenkins (20), David Williams (25), Robert Arnold (22) and Richard Ketherall (23); roadman George Morgan (28); haulier William Lewis (13); and 'roman' William Parker (20) among the initial victims, with collier George Greenway (22) and fireman Hopkin Lewis (31) killed while attempting a rescue of the first men caught by the blast.
Rescue & recovery
Two men, collier George Greenway and fireman Hopkin Lewis, died while attempting to rescue those first caught by the explosion.
Investigation & inquiry
The Mines Inspector's report, filed by Mr Brough in 1856, found the explosion was caused by management's neglect of the colliery's own Special Rules for ventilation: safety lamps had not been locked, and there was no single main ventilation door to control the flow of air underground.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Eleven men and boys were killed in the explosion, including colliers Noah Vaughan, James Morgan, Samuel Jenkins, David Williams, Robert Arnold and Richard Ketherall, roadman George Morgan, haulier William Lewis, and 'roman' William Parker among the initial victims. 1
- Collier George Greenway and fireman Hopkin Lewis died while attempting to rescue those first caught by the explosion. 1
- The 1856 Mines Inspector's report, by Mr Brough, attributed the explosion to management's neglect of the colliery's own Special Rules for ventilation -- unlocked safety lamps and no single main ventilation door. 1
- The Durham Mining Museum's own transcription of the original 1856 report states 10 men were killed, one fewer than NMRS's list of 11 named victims, and gives the operating partnership as 'Cruttwell and Levick' rather than 'Couttwell and Lewis' -- most likely the same names garbled differently by transcription in each source, since DMM's individual record for George Morgan (28, roadman) matches NMRS's named victim exactly. (disputed) 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion caused by neglected ventilation rules at the Old Coal Pit, Coalbrookdale, killed eleven men and boys, including two who died…” - Fireman (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…among the initial victims, with collier George Greenway (22) and fireman Hopkin Lewis (31) killed while attempting a rescue of the first men…” - Roadman (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…David Williams (25), Robert Arnold (22) and Richard Ketherall (23); roadman George Morgan (28); haulier William Lewis (13); and 'roman' William…”
Sources
- (secondary) Old Coal Pit Explosion - Coalbrookdale - 1856 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) George Morgan - Individual Page (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026