Preston Island Colliery explosion, 1811

In 1811 an explosion of firedamp in the George Pit of Sir Robert Preston's colliery on Preston Island, in the Firth of Forth off Low Valleyfield, killed several of the men at work in the Lochgelly Splint seam, and Preston gave up the mine.

Cause

An explosion of firedamp in the George Pit.

What happened

Preston Island was built out of Torry Bay after 1800 by Sir Robert Preston, with a colliery whose coal fired salt pans on the same island. Two further shafts were being developed when firedamp exploded in the George Pit, working the Lochgelly Splint about 250 feet down. Later local tradition held that the blast killed all the men and that the sea broke into the workings, but nineteenth-century investigation found the workings had not been flooded from the sea; newspaper accounts speak of 'several' killed or burned. Preston, much affected, abandoned coal working on the island.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Local tradition held that the explosion killed all the men at work. (uncertain) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• A fatal firedamp explosion occurred at the Preston Island colliery in 1811, after which the mine was closed. ^1,2
• The explosion was in the George Pit, working the Lochgelly Splint at about 250 feet. ¹
• Local tradition held that the explosion killed all the men at work. (uncertain) ¹
• Later investigation found that the sea had not broken into the workings, as was commonly believed. ¹
• Sir Robert Preston abandoned coal working on the island after the explosion. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…of Torry Bay after 1800 by Sir Robert Preston, with a colliery whose coal fired salt pans on the same island. Two further shafts were being…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…an explosion of firedamp in the George Pit of Sir Robert Preston's colliery on Preston Island, in the Firth of Forth off Low Valleyfield, killed…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “In 1811 an explosion of firedamp in the George Pit of Sir Robert Preston's colliery on Preston…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…colliery whose coal fired salt pans on the same island. Two further shafts were being developed when firedamp exploded in the George Pit,…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Preston Island Colliery — Fife Pits and Memorial Book (Michael Martin)
2. (secondary) Preston Island — Wikipedia

Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 10 October 2026