Shipley Colliery explosion, 1857

On 4 March 1857 gas burst from the roof at A. M. Mundy's Shipley Colliery and fired at a candle on the floor, burning six who escaped. Two minutes later, men waiting in the gate-road for a missing boy struck a match against a warning and a second explosion killed eight, among them three Starbucks.

Cause

A sudden outburst of gas from the roof fired at a candle; the second, fatal explosion was of gas left in the gate-road, fired at a struck match.

Contributing factors

Naked candles in a seam liable to sudden outbursts; the gate-road still full of gas from the first explosion; a match struck despite a warning.

What happened

One of the Starbucks and a man named Baker were setting timber close to the face of the long-wall workings when a sudden discharge of gas came from the roof and fired at Baker's candle, which was standing on the floor of the seam. The flame burned six men, none fatally, and they made their way out to the pit bottom.

A man named Rice was the last to leave that part of the mine. Groping his way in the dark towards the end of No. 9 gate-road, he found the others, who had escaped the first blast, waiting there for a boy they thought had been left behind. One of the Starbucks called on another man to strike a match so they could look for the boy; Rice, sure there was gas in the gate-road, begged them not to, and set off down the road in the dark. About 200 yards on he was thrown to the ground by a second explosion, about two minutes after the first, but reached the pit bottom safely. The men at the gate-road end were all found dead: three Starbucks, Abraham, 43, Abraham junior, 13, and John, 24, Joseph and Job Richardson, 25 and 21, John Purdy, 36, Joseph Fowles, 20, and Thomas Hensham, 15.

Investigation & inquiry

H.M. Inspector John Hedley, who was at a neighbouring colliery and went straight to Shipley, found a box of lucifer matches in a jacket pocket beside the dead and had no doubt one of them had struck a match. He judged the primary cause a sudden outburst of gas.

Changes to practice & legislation

On the inspector's advice the consulting engineer, Mr Woodhouse, introduced locked safety lamps; after three or four weeks' resistance from the workmen they were adopted. When a large blower filled the same district with gas that October, the men saw it fire at their lamps and withdrew safely.

Recorded claims

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

• On 4 March 1857 an explosion of gas at A. M. Mundy's Shipley Colliery killed eight. ^1,2
• A sudden discharge of gas from the roof fired at a candle set on the floor of the seam while two men were setting timber near the face; it burned six, who escaped to the pit bottom. ²
• About two minutes later a second explosion killed the men who had waited at the end of No. 9 gate-road for a boy; the inspector found a box of lucifer matches beside them and had no doubt one of them had struck a match. ²
• On the inspector's advice locked safety lamps were introduced at the colliery afterwards. ²

Related terminology

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

• Blower (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s changes to practice: “…weeks' resistance from the workmen they were adopted. When a large blower filled the same district with gas that October, the men saw it fire…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “On 4 March 1857 gas burst from the roof at A. M. Mundy's Shipley Colliery and fired at a candle on the floor, burning six who escaped. Two…”
• Gate Road (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…burning six who escaped. Two minutes later, men waiting in the gate-road for a missing boy struck a match against a warning and a second…”
• Outburst (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the cause: “A sudden outburst of gas from the roof fired at a candle; the second, fatal explosion…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s changes to practice: “…advice the consulting engineer, Mr Woodhouse, introduced locked safety lamps; after three or four weeks' resistance from the workmen they were…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Shipley Colliery Explosion - Derby - 1857 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Shipley, 4 March 1857 — Durham Mining Museum

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