MineArchiveParadise Colliery explosion, 1795
On 24 April 1795 an explosion at the Paradise colliery at Benwell, west of Newcastle, killed eleven men.
| Date | 24 April 1795 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Paradise Colliery |
| Region | Tyne and Wear |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 11 (Eleven men were killed; the Durham Mining Museum names eight - Thomas Aaronfield, James Anderson, John Cram, Thomas Dance, Thomas Morland, Joseph Proctor, Jonas Stringer and Joseph Towns.) |
| Context | During active mining (Coal had been worked at Benwell from at least 1766; the explosion predates the later sinking of the Beaumont (Paradise) pit.) |
Cause
An underground explosion.
What happened
On 24 April 1795 an explosion at the Paradise colliery at Benwell, about a mile and a half west of Newcastle, killed eleven men. The Durham Mining Museum names eight of them: Thomas Aaronfield, James Anderson, John Cram, Thomas Dance, Thomas Morland, Joseph Proctor, Jonas Stringer and Joseph Towns. Coal had been worked at Benwell from at least 1766, when the Charlotte Pit was sunk, and the explosion belongs to these early Benwell workings, predating the sinking of the Beaumont (Paradise) pit that Matthew Liddell later worked for the Brockwell seam.
Rescue & recovery
Unknown.
Investigation & inquiry
Unknown.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
Unknown.
Changes to practice & legislation
Unknown.
Memorials & commemoration
Unknown.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 24 April 1795 an explosion at the Paradise colliery at Benwell killed eleven men. 1,2
- The Durham Mining Museum names eight of the eleven dead. 1
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
The Durham Mining Museum's Paradise Colliery page, listing the 1795 explosion and the names of eight of the dead.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Paradise Colliery (DMM p042) — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Northumberland accidents and disasters (NMRS) — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 23 September 2026 · Last researched: 23 September 2026