Rainton Plain Pit explosion, 1817

Early on 18 December 1817 firedamp exploded in the Plain Pit of Rainton Colliery, near Houghton-le-Spring, killing 27, eleven men and sixteen boys. The pit was thought free of gas and still worked by candles, and the hewers had not yet gone down, which saved about 160 lives.

Cause

Firedamp ignited at a candle in a pit believed free of gas, where safety lamps had never been introduced.

Contributing factors

Candles in use because the pit was thought free of explosive gas.

What happened

The explosion came at about 3 o'clock in the morning, before the hewers had descended; had it come later there would have been some 160 men and boys below. The pit had always been considered free of explosive gas, and on the strength of that safety lamps had never been introduced; the men still worked by candlelight.

Every effort was made to help those below. Two men collapsed, suffocated by the foul air, and the viewers and agents nearly shared their fate. Early reports put the dead at twenty-six, mainly boys. They came from Cross Fines Row, Collier Row, West Rainton and the other pit rows of the parish, and were buried at St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring, on 20 and 21 December.

Rescue & recovery

Rescuers were overcome by the foul air; two men fell suffocated, and the viewers and agents nearly shared their fate.

Memorials & commemoration

The dead were buried at St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring.

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion on 18 December 1817 killed twenty-seven, eleven men and sixteen boys. ^1,2
• It happened before all the workmen had descended; later there would have been upwards of 160 men and boys in the pit. ^1,2
• The pit was considered free of explosive gas, so safety lamps had never been introduced and the miners worked by candlelight. ¹
• The dead were buried at St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring. ²

Related terminology

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

• Bad Air (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…was made to help those below. Two men collapsed, suffocated by the foul air, and the viewers and agents nearly shared their fate. Early reports…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Early on 18 December 1817 firedamp exploded in the Plain Pit of Rainton Colliery, near…”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…The pit was thought free of gas and still worked by candles, and the hewers had not yet gone down, which saved about 160 lives.”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…been considered free of explosive gas, and on the strength of that safety lamps had never been introduced; the men still worked by…”
• Viewer (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…those below. Two men collapsed, suffocated by the foul air, and the viewers and agents nearly shared their fate. Early reports put the dead 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) Rainton Colliery Plain Pit Explosion - Rainton - 1817 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Rainton Plain Pit, 18 December 1817 — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Plain Pit (Rainton Colliery) — Durham Mining Museum

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