MineArchiveWilliam Pit explosion, 1821
| Date | 13 April 1821 |
|---|---|
| Mine | William Pit |
| Region | Cumbria |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 12 (John Coulthard, 51; John Cragg, 41; Margaret Froggat; John Gill, 11; Dennis Hickey, 31; Christian Hoy, 17; Mary Hoy, 16; George Hutchinson, 18; James McCave, 26; Cecilia Morgan, 19; James Scott, 24; Matthew Thornton, 17. At least four were women or girls.) |
| Context | During active mining (The Main Band workings of William Pit on the shore at Whitehaven, where boys and girls worked alongside the haggers and Davy lamps were seldom used closed.) |
On 13 April 1821 a sudden great outburst of firedamp in the Main Band workings of William Pit, Whitehaven, reached an open light and exploded, killing twelve: five haggers and seven boys and girls. Each hagger had been issued with a Davy safety lamp, but working with the top off was common. It was the first of the pit's great explosions; two years later a worse one killed thirty-two.
Cause
A sudden great outburst of firedamp in the Main Band workings, ignited at an open light.
Contributing factors
Davy safety lamps had been supplied to every hagger, but they were commonly used with the tops off.
What happened
William Pit, begun in 1804 on the shore at Bransty, reached the Main Band at 92 fathoms in 1805. Its workings had already fired in 1810, when the viewers John Peile and Caleb Hetherington and four workmen were altering the ventilation and two workmen died. In 1821 the gas came suddenly and in quantity, and an open light fired it.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- In 1821 an explosion of firedamp in the Main Band workings of William Pit killed five haggers and seven boys and girls; it was attributed to a sudden great outburst of gas that fired at an open light. 1
- A Davy safety lamp was supplied to each hagger, but using it with the top on was more honoured in the breach than the observance. 1
- The Durham Mining Museum lists twelve killed on 13 April 1821, among them Margaret Froggat, Christian and Mary Hoy, 17 and 16, and Cecilia Morgan, 19, and John Gill, aged 11. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Firedamp (direct cause)
A sudden outburst of firedamp exploded. - Naked Light (direct cause)
The gas fired at an open light. - Outburst (direct cause)
A sudden great outburst of gas. - Safety Lamp (contributing factor)
Davy lamps were used with the tops off. - Viewer (contextual relationship)
Viewers had been burned in the pit's 1810 explosion.
Sources
- (primary) William Pit Whitehaven — a history of the Whitehaven Collieries — Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society (CATMHS)
- (primary) William Colliery, Whitehaven — Durham Mining Museum — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 2 September 2026 · Last researched: 13 September 2026