West Moor Colliery explosion, 1845

A blower had been struck a fortnight earlier when a fault was cut through at West Moor colliery, Killingworth. On the evening of 3 April 1845 the gas fired at the end of one of the headings, killing four men and six boys. The viewer, John Wales, told the inquest that lamps were not needed in the pit; the men had Davy lamps and lived, and the belief was that a boy sent down ahead of them with a naked light set the gas off. The coroner could find no fault with the ventilation and the jury returned accidental death.

Cause

A large accumulation of firedamp from a blower struck two weeks earlier, believed to have been ignited by a boy carrying a naked light who was sent down before the men, who had Davy lamps.

Contributing factors

A blower started between shifts when a fault was cut through a fortnight before, still issuing gas after the explosion. The colliery did not require safety lamps, and the viewer defended that at the inquest. John Latimer's contemporary record puts it more simply: 'The explosion arose from the sudden discharge of a large quantity of gas.'

What happened

West Moor was the property of Lord Ravensworth and partners — the Killingworth pit where George Stephenson had been engineman and where he had built his safety lamp. From the shaft bottom a stone drift ran about nine hundred yards south-west to the water level; from it three drifts branched along the level for some 1,100 yards to the south-east, and from those a couple of headings went three hundred yards north-east into the solid coal. The explosion took place at the far end of one of those headings. The first sign of it came from two hewers who described the explosion 'coming back on them' — out of the workings towards them. The air rushed along the drift to the pit mouth carrying with it the dust the men called 'stour', and that was how the surface knew. A continuous stream of water was turned down the shaft, which helped the rescuers. Four men and six youths were killed; two others were brought out badly burnt and recovered. Eight of the ten were buried together at St Bartholomew's, Longbenton, on 6 April. Among them were the brothers John and William Sharp, hewers of forty and forty-four, who left widows with six and seven children, and three trapper boys of eleven, eleven and twelve.

Rescue & recovery

Water was run down the shaft continuously to help the men going in. Two of those brought out were severely burnt and recovered. The blower went on giving off gas for some time afterwards.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest a collier who had left the workings said the pit had been safe an hour before. Joseph Browner, the overman, said he had inspected it and found it safe. John Wales, the viewer, said that lamps were not needed in the pit. The coroner said he could find no fault with the ventilation, and the jury returned accidental death.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

Unknown.

Changes to practice & legislation

The explosion made its own argument. The pit belonged to the colliery where Stephenson had built his lamp; the men who carried Davy lamps that evening came out alive, and the boy who went down ahead of them with a naked light did not. The viewer still told the coroner lamps were not needed.

Memorials & commemoration

Eight of the ten are recorded as buried at St Bartholomew's, Longbenton, on 6 April 1845, three days after the explosion.

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 gas was believed to have been ignited by a boy with a naked light who was sent down before the men, who carried Davy lamps. (uncertain) ¹

Recorded claims

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

• Ten died: four men and six youths. All ten are named, and eight were buried together at St Bartholomew's, Longbenton, on 6 April 1845. ^1,2
• The gas was believed to have been ignited by a boy with a naked light who was sent down before the men, who carried Davy lamps. (uncertain) ¹
• John Latimer's Local Records of 1857 attributes the explosion to the sudden discharge of a large quantity of gas, and records that two men extricated severely burnt recovered. ²
• The viewer, John Wales, told the inquest that lamps were not needed in the pit; the coroner could find no fault with the ventilation and the jury returned accidental death. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Blower (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “A blower had been struck a fortnight earlier when a fault was cut through at…”
• Hewer (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…end of one of those headings. The first sign of it came from two hewers who described the explosion 'coming back on them' — out of the…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…told the inquest that lamps were not needed in the pit; the men had Davy lamps and lived, and the belief was that a boy sent down ahead of them…”
• Trapper (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…forty-four, who left widows with six and seven children, and three trapper boys of eleven, eleven and twelve.”
• Viewer (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…the end of one of the headings, killing four men and six boys. The viewer, John Wales, told the inquest that lamps were not needed in the pit;…”

Sources

1. (secondary) West Moor Colliery Explosion – Killingworth – 1845 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Colliery Disaster: Killingworth, West Moor, 3rd April 1845, with John Latimer's contemporary account and the burial record — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 20 September 2026