Snydale Colliery sinking explosion

On 9 June 1864 an explosion of firedamp in a sinking shaft killed two sinkers and burned a third at Snydale Colliery, near Pontefract in the West Riding.

Cause

Firedamp, which had gathered at the pit bottom after several days of neglected ventilation, kindled at the blazing fuse of a shot as the sinkers were being drawn up, before the powder charge itself ignited.

What happened

Benjamin Hepworth and John Greenwood, sinkers, were killed and William Carter burned. Although the men used Stephenson safety lamps, the ventilation had been neglected for several days and firedamp had appeared in the pit bottom. Having set and lit a shot, the sinkers were being drawn up the shaft when the gas kindled at the blazing fuse before the charge went off. On the Inspector's representations the agent, James Wilson, was fined £10 and the contractor, Richard Cowling, £5; the proprietors voluntarily added £40 for the relief of the two widows.

Recorded claims

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

• Benjamin Hepworth, 35, and John Greenwood, 34, shaft sinkers, were killed by an explosion of firedamp during shaft-sinking operations at Snydale Colliery in 1864. ^1,2

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: “An explosion of firedamp during the sinking of Snydale Colliery's shafts in 1864 killed two shaft sinkers, Benjamin Hepworth and…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of firedamp during the sinking of Snydale Colliery's shafts in 1864 killed two…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…killed and William Carter burned. Although the men used Stephenson safety lamps, the ventilation had been neglected for several days and firedamp…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of firedamp during the sinking of Snydale Colliery's shafts in 1864 killed two shaft sinkers, Benjamin Hepworth and John…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of firedamp during the sinking of Snydale Colliery's shafts in 1864 killed two shaft sinkers,…”

Sources

1. (primary) Snydale Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Featherstone's Three Collieries: Snydale — Featherstone's Three Collieries (Irvin Saxton)
3. (primary) Snydale Colliery explosion of firedamp, 9 June 1864 (from the 1864 Mines Inspector's Report, Charles Morton) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 11 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026