Thorncliffe Colliery gassing, 1890

Two young colliers at Thorncliffe Colliery, Chapeltown, were gassed on 2 May 1890 and died in the following days.

Cause

Gas underground.

What happened

On 2 May 1890 two colliers at Newton, Chambers and Company's Thorncliffe Colliery, north of Sheffield, J. T. Rylott, 23, and F. Mires, 21, were gassed underground. Rylott died three days later, on 5 May, and Mires on 13 May.

Recorded claims

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

• On 2 May 1890 two colliers, J. T. Rylott, 23, and F. Mires, 21, were fatally gassed at Thorncliffe Colliery. ^1,2,3
• Rylott died on 5 May and Mires on 13 May. ^1,2,3
• The colliery belonged to Newton, Chambers and Company. ^2,3

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: “Two young colliers at Thorncliffe Colliery, Chapeltown, were gassed on 2 May 1890 and died in the following…”

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Thorncliffe Colliery (UK) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames R part 5 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
3. (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames M part 6 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)

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