Talk o' th' Hill Colliery explosion, 1873

On 18 February 1873 an explosion in the Seven Foot Banbury seam at the North Staffordshire Coal and Iron Company's Talk o' th' Hill Colliery killed all eighteen men and boys working there, six years after the pit's 1866 disaster. Firing a shot was given as the cause of ignition.

Cause

Firedamp ignited by shot firing.

What happened

The colliery worked four seams, the Ten Foot, the Two Row and the Seven and Eight Feet Banbury, the last at 350 yards, reached by internal shafts; the Seven Foot Banbury was reached by the Bucksand shaft. Six men had gone home early that day and six more arrived too late to go down, leaving eighteen in the seam. At 1.45 p.m. there was a loud report and a rush of air, dust and rubbish up the downcast.

The manager, Hunter, went down in a basket with three workmen but strong gas drove them back. About fifty volunteers went down to clear the roads, and thirty of them had to be brought up overcome by afterdamp; three doctors in the neighbourhood treated them at the surface. By the Wednesday all the dead had been recovered and taken to the Swan Tavern to be identified. The youngest was thirteen.

Rescue & recovery

About fifty volunteers went down to help; thirty were overcome by afterdamp. All the bodies were out by the Wednesday.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest was opened by the coroner, Booth. The fireman, Edwin Durber, said he had found no gas at his inspection before the explosion.

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion on 18 February 1873 killed the eighteen men and boys working in the Seven Foot Banbury seam. ^1,2
• The firedamp was ignited by shot firing. ¹
• Of about fifty volunteers who went down, thirty had to come up affected by afterdamp. ²

Related terminology

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

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…clear the roads, and thirty of them had to be brought up overcome by afterdamp; three doctors in the neighbourhood treated them at the surface. By…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp ignited by shot firing.”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The inquest was opened by the coroner, Booth. The fireman, Edwin Durber, said he had found no gas at his inspection before the…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…and Eight Feet Banbury, the last at 350 yards, reached by internal shafts; the Seven Foot Banbury was reached by the Bucksand shaft. Six men…”
• Shot-firing (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp ignited by shot firing.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Talk o' th' Hill Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Talke o' th' Hill Colliery Explosion - Newcastle-under-Lyme - 1873 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 3 October 2026 · Last researched: 3 October 2026