MineArchiveSnydale Colliery sinking explosion
| Date | 9 June 1864 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Snydale Colliery |
| Region | West Yorkshire |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Context | During active mining |
An explosion of firedamp during the sinking of Snydale Colliery's shafts in 1864 killed two shaft sinkers, Benjamin Hepworth and John Greenwood, the first deaths recorded at a colliery then only a year into construction.
Cause
Benjamin Hepworth, 35, and John Greenwood, 34, both shaft sinkers, were killed by an explosion of firedamp on 9 June 1864 during the sinking of the colliery, a year after John Rhodes began sinking the shafts in 1863. Neither source read for this pass gives circumstances beyond the fact, date and cause of the explosion.
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…” - 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
- (secondary) Snydale Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Featherstone's Three Collieries: Snydale — Featherstone's Three Collieries (Irvin Saxton)
Record created: 11 September 2026 · Last researched: 15 September 2026