MineArchiveSheriff Hill Colliery fire, 1815
| Date | 11 December 1815 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Sheriff Hill Colliery |
| Region | Tyne and Wear |
| Type | Fire |
| Fatalities | 5 (Five wastemen. The Durham Mining Museum has found none of their names.) |
| Context | During active mining (Sheriff Hill Colliery on Gateshead Fell, less than six months after the explosion of June 1815, where a timber partition divided the upcast from the downcast.) |
On 11 December 1815 the wooden partition that divided Sheriff Hill Colliery's shaft into upcast and downcast caught fire from the coal lamp burning to draw the air up. With the partition gone the ventilation failed. Every effort was made to get the men and horses out, and all were saved but five wastemen, who perished in the workings.
Cause
A fire in the timber partition (brattice) dividing the upcast from the downcast shaft, lit by the coal lamp used to create the ventilating updraught.
Contributing factors
The upcast and downcast air were separated only by a wooden partition, with an open fire burning to drive the ventilation; losing the partition stopped the air throughout the workings.
What happened
The fire destroyed the partition and with it the circulation of air in the workings. Men and horses were brought out, but the five wastemen, who travelled and maintained the old workings, could not be reached.
Rescue & recovery
Every exertion was made to get both men and horses out of the pit, and all but the five were saved.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- A fire on 11 December 1815 killed five. 1,2,3
- The wooden partition dividing the upcast from the downcast shaft caught fire from the coal lamp used to cause the updraught; its destruction stopped the circulation of air, and all but five wastemen were got out. 4
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Brattice (direct cause)
The timber shaft partition caught fire. - Coal (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Hill Colliery's shaft into upcast and downcast caught fire from the coal lamp burning to draw the air up. With the partition gone the…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “On 11 December 1815 the wooden partition that divided Sheriff Hill Colliery's shaft into upcast and downcast caught fire from the coal lamp…” - Downcast Shaft and Upcast Shaft (contextual relationship)
The partition divided the upcast from the downcast. - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “…1815 the wooden partition that divided Sheriff Hill Colliery's shaft into upcast and downcast caught fire from the coal lamp burning to…”
Sources
- (secondary) Sheriff Hill Colliery — Wikipedia
- (secondary) Durham Mining Museum: Sheriff Hill Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Tyne and Wear HER 3844: Sheriff Hill Colliery (Ellison Main) — Tyne and Wear Historic Environment Record (Sitelines)
- (secondary) Durham Mining Museum - Colliery Disaster 1815 (Sheriff Hill, 11 December) — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 9 September 2026 · Last researched: 13 September 2026