Wellington Pit explosion, Shakerley, 1895

On 1 October 1895 firedamp exploded in the Trencherbone seam of the Wellington Pit at Shakerley, Tyldesley, killing the five men trying to clear it: the manager, the undermanager, two firemen and a dataller. The inspector blamed a bonneted Clanny lamp whose gauze had become red hot.

Cause

Firedamp ignited at a bonneted, screw-locked Clanny lamp whose gauze overheated while burning gas inside it.

Contributing factors

An accumulation of firedamp found after the workings stood idle for a local fair; a badly made lamp with a loose bonnet, a crooked glass and a loose oil vessel; a furnace-ventilated upcast.

What happened

The colliery belonged to William Ramsden and Sons. The Wellington Pit, the furnace upcast, was 360 yards deep to the Trencherbone. No work was done on Monday 30 September because of the fair, and the fireman found firedamp that the undermanager and four firemen failed to clear in three hours. About 10 a.m. the next day the manager, John Kay, went in with the other four, using brattice to carry air forward. Between 11 and 11.30 the hooker-on, John Grime, saw a great volume of dust and smelt burning.

Rescue & recovery

Search parties went in after the officials raised the alarm; the afterdamp took hours to disperse. Kay's body was found about 7 p.m., and it took twenty-four hours to clear the firedamp as far as Sharples.

Investigation & inquiry

The inspector, Mr Gerrard, found a Clanny lamp with signs of a red-hot gauze 30 yards outbye of Kay, and experiments suggested gas would burn inside until the gauze glowed. He condemned the Clanny as a type, the crooked glass and screw locks. The inquest at the George and Dragon before F. Butcher returned accidental death.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

Unknown.

Changes to practice & legislation

Unknown.

Memorials & commemoration

Unknown.

People

5 of the 5 who died are named in the archive; the rest are not named in the sources read for this record.

• John Grime · witness, 1895 — Hooker-on at the Wellington No. 2 Pit who saw the dust and raised the alarm.
• John Harrison (d. 1895) · victim, 1895 — Day fireman, 39.
• John Kaye · victim, 1895 — Manager, 50.
• William Pollitt (d. 1895) · victim, 1895 — Dataller, 62.
• Thomas Preston (d. 1895) · victim, 1895 — Night fireman, 35.
• James Sharples (d. 1895) · victim, 1895 — Undermanager, 39.

What's uncertain

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

• NMRS spells the manager both Kaye and Kay; DMM Kay; DMM spells the dataller Pollit. (disputed) ^2,3

Recorded claims

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

• Five men including the colliery manager and undermanager died after an explosion of firedamp possibly caused by a safety lamp on 1 October 1895. ¹
• DMM: explosion of firedamp which ignited at a bonnetted Clanny lamp whilst trying to remove firedamp; probably the gauze became red hot. ²
• NMRS spells the manager both Kaye and Kay; DMM Kay; DMM spells the dataller Pollit. (disputed) ^2,3

Related terminology

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

• Brattice (relevant method/equipment)
  Brattice was used to carry air forward to the gas.
• Dataller (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…trying to clear it: the manager, the undermanager, two firemen and a dataller. The inspector blamed a bonneted Clanny lamp whose gauze had become…”
• Firedamp (direct cause)
  An accumulation of firedamp was ignited.
• Onsetter (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…four, using brattice to carry air forward. Between 11 and 11.30 the hooker-on, John Grime, saw a great volume of dust and smelt burning.”
• Safety Lamp (direct cause)
  A bonneted Clanny lamp's gauze overheated.

Sources

1. (secondary) Shakerley Collieries — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) Shakerley Colliery (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) Shakerley Colliery Wellington Pit Explosion – Tyldesley – 1895 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 21 September 2026