Stoneclough Colliery shot accident, 1863

On 8 May 1863 a spark set off the powder while Richard Owen, 62, and his son, 35, were preparing a shot at Stoneclough Colliery, Kearsley, near Bolton, killing them both.

Cause

A spark ignited the blasting powder while the shot was being prepared.

What happened

Richard Owen and his son, both miners, were preparing a shot together when a spark exploded the powder, and both were killed.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The colliery is given as Knowles and Stott's. (uncertain) ¹
• The colliery is given as Andrew Knowles and Sons'. (uncertain) ²

Recorded claims

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

• Richard Owen and his son were killed at Stoneclough Colliery on 8 May 1863. ^1,2
• A spark exploded the powder as they were preparing a shot. ^1,2
• The colliery is given as Knowles and Stott's. (uncertain) ¹
• The colliery is given as Andrew Knowles and Sons'. (uncertain) ²

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…Owen, 62, and his son, 35, were preparing a shot at Stoneclough Colliery, Kearsley, near Bolton, killing them both.”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “A spark ignited the blasting powder while the shot was being prepared.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Stoneclough, 8 May 1863, powder explosion — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Ian Winstanley, alphabetical list of mining victims: 1860-69, O (Owen) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley collection)

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 10 October 2026