Rothwell Haigh Colliery Victoria Pit explosion, 1840

On 24 January 1840 a roof fall at the Victoria Pit, Rothwell Haigh, near Leeds, threw up dust that put out every candle but one, and the gas it released fired at Samuel Worth's light. Seven died, Worth and two of his sons among them; the fire brought down 120 yards of roof and his body was never found.

Cause

Gas released by a roof fall during prop-drawing fired at a candle.

Contributing factors

Candles used though safety lamps had been provided; gas allowed to gather behind a roof that had not fallen.

What happened

The Victoria Pit had been called the Garden Pit until it was renamed for the Queen's accession. Men were drawing the props that held up the roof behind the coal face, taking the farthest first so that the roof would fall in behind them; on this occasion it had not fallen for a long way, and gas had gathered in the space. They had been given safety lamps but were using candles.

When the roof came down it raised such dust that the men could not see one another, and every candle went out except the one Samuel Worth was holding. The gas fired at it. The explosion set the coal pillars alight and brought down a fall 120 yards long. Seven were killed: Thomas Hopton, 52; Samuel Worth, about 40, who left a wife and six children, and his sons John, 15, and William, 13; George Lister, 19; Edward Bell, 12; and Samuel Ward, 9. The men dug a burgate through the fall, at some risk, looking for Worth's body, but it was never found; it was thought to have been burned to a cinder.

Rescue & recovery

A burgate was driven through the 120-yard fall in search of Samuel Worth's body, which was never recovered.

Recorded claims

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

• On 24 January 1840 an explosion at the Victoria Pit, Rothwell Haigh, killed seven: two men and five lads. ^1,2
• As props were drawn the roof fell, raising dust that put out every candle but Samuel Worth's, and gas that had gathered in the space fired at it; the men had been given safety lamps but used candles. ¹
• The explosion set fire to the coal pillars and brought down a fall 120 yards long; Samuel Worth's body was never found. ¹
• The dead were Thomas Hopton, 52, Samuel Worth, about 40, and the boys Edward Bell, George Lister, Samuel Ward, John Worth and William Worth, the youngest nine. ^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: “…Men were drawing the props that held up the roof behind the coal face, taking the farthest first so that the roof would fall in…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 24 January 1840 a roof fall at the Victoria Pit, Rothwell Haigh, near Leeds, threw up dust that…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the contributing factors: “Candles used though safety lamps had been provided; gas allowed to gather behind a roof that had not…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Rothewell Haigh Colliery Victoria Pit Explosion - Leeds - 1840 (Northern Mine Research Society) — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Victoria Pit, Rothwell Haigh, 24 January 1840 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 29 September 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026