Pemberton Colliery explosion, 1830

On the morning of Saturday 24 April 1830 an explosion of firedamp killed nine people in the colliery at Pemberton, near Wigan. A ventilation door had been left open overnight, and the gas that gathered in the workings fired when the men went in with a light.

Cause

Firedamp collected in the workings after a ventilation door was left open overnight, and fired at the men's light when they started work.

What happened

On the night before Saturday 24 April 1830 a door underground in the colliery at Pemberton, near Wigan, was left open, and foul air, firedamp, was let into the part of the pit where the men were employed.

When they went in to work with a light on the Saturday morning, the gas exploded at once, and nine people lost their lives.

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion at the colliery at Pemberton, near Wigan, on 24 April 1830 killed nine. ^1,2,3,4,5,6
• A door had been left open the night before, letting firedamp into the part of the pit where the men worked, and it exploded as they went in with a light on the Saturday morning. ⁶
• The explosion happened on a Saturday morning as the men started work. ⁶
• The explosion is entered in Galloway's Annals of Coal Mining. ³

Related terminology

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

• Bad Air (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…in the colliery at Pemberton, near Wigan, was left open, and foul air, firedamp, was let into the part of the pit where the men were…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…24 April 1830 an explosion of firedamp killed nine people in the colliery at Pemberton, near Wigan. A ventilation door had been left open…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On the morning of Saturday 24 April 1830 an explosion of firedamp killed nine people in the colliery at Pemberton, near Wigan. A…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) List of mining disasters in Lancashire — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) Pemberton Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (secondary) Pemberton Colliery Explosion - Wigan - 1830 — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) Colliery Disasters 1830-39 — Durham Mining Museum
5. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Pemberton, Wigan, 24 April 1830 — Durham Mining Museum
6. (primary) Fire-Damp (Annual Register for 1830) — Durham Mining Museum

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