MineArchiveThorncliffe Colliery explosion, 1870
On 26 August 1870 two colliers at Newton, Chambers and Co.'s Thorncliffe Colliery, near Chapeltown, took candles into a part of the pit where they had no business to be, and gas exploded. E. Arthur, 38, and Ira Shires, 24, were killed.
| Date | 1870 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Thorncliffe Colliery |
| Region | South Yorkshire |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 2 (E. Arthur, 38, collier; Ira Shires, 24, collier.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Gas fired at the candles of two men who had gone where they had no business to go.
Contributing factors
Naked candles carried into a part of the pit the men were not authorised to enter.
What happened
Thorncliffe Colliery, near Chapeltown, north of Sheffield, was worked by Newton, Chambers and Co. On 26 August 1870 two colliers, E. Arthur and Ira Shires, went with naked candles into a place where, in the inspector's words, they had no business to go. Gas had gathered there and fired at their lights.
Both men were killed: Arthur was 38 and Shires 24. The inspector's return gives the cause as their going with candles where they had no business to go.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 26 August 1870 an explosion of gas at Newton, Chambers and Co.'s Thorncliffe Colliery killed two colliers, E. Arthur and Ira Shires. 1,2,3,4
- The two men had gone with candles where they had no business to go. 2,3,4
- Arthur was 38 and Shires 24. 2,3,4
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…August 1870 two colliers at Newton, Chambers and Co.'s Thorncliffe Colliery, near Chapeltown, took candles into a part of the pit where they had…”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
The inspector's list entry for the two colliers.
View sourceIan Winstanley's list entry for Ira Shires.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Thorncliffe Colliery (UK) — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Colliery Accident: Thorncliffe, 26 August 1870 — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) 1870s S: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
- (secondary) 1870s A: Ian Winstanley's alphabetical list of mining victims — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's list of mining victims)
Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026