MineArchiveSeaton Burn Colliery boiler explosion, 1881
A steam boiler explosion at Seaton Burn Colliery on Monday 14 March 1881 killed a mason and a labourer.
| Date | 14 March 1881 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Seaton Burn Colliery |
| Region | Tyne and Wear |
| Type | Machinery |
| Fatalities | 2 (John Connell (76), mason (printed 'John Collins' in one newspaper), and Joseph Gascoigne (31), labourer.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
The explosion of a steam boiler at the colliery.
What happened
On Monday 14 March 1881 a steam boiler exploded at Seaton Burn Colliery, north of Newcastle. The mason John Connell, 76, and the labourer Joseph Gascoigne, 31, were killed. Gascoigne was buried at North Gosforth Cemetery.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- John Connell, 76, mason, and Joseph Gascoigne, 31, labourer, were killed by the explosion of a steam boiler on 14 March 1881. 1
- Two men, a mason and a labourer, were killed on Monday by a boiler explosion at Seaton Burn, near Newcastle. 2
- Joseph Gascoigne was buried at North Gosforth Cemetery. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “A steam boiler explosion at Seaton Burn Colliery on Monday 14 March 1881 killed a mason and a labourer.”
Sources
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Fatal Accidents at Seaton Burn Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Boiler explosion: two men killed - Monmouthshire Merlin, 18 March 1881 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
Record created: 30 September 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026