Willington Colliery Bensham seam explosion, 1831

On 20 September 1831 gas from a large blower in the newly opened Bensham seam at Willington Colliery, on Tyneside, forced its way through the water left to drown it, rose into the High Main and fired at the men's candles. Eight were killed, four men and four boys.

Cause

Gas from a blower in the Bensham seam, which had been left to flood, forced its way through the water into the High Main and fired at naked lights.

Contributing factors

Candles, not safety lamps, were in use in the High Main.

What happened

By the 1830s the High Main at Willington had been worked out wastefully on pillars, much of it lost to creep, and a staple was sunk from it to the Bensham seam, 39 fathoms below. A large blower of gas was met in the Bensham, and the viewer, Mr Johnson, ordered the seam to be allowed to fill with water. The gas forced its way through the water into the High Main, where it met the naked lights of the men working there, and exploded without warning.

The whole workforce was below at the time; most escaped by another shaft. Four men and four boys died, among them Thomas Nichols, who left a widow and five children, and Joseph Armstrong and Thomas Cowell, who each left a widow and three children. Several others were scorched; the Tyne and Wear record gives three men and eight horses killed outright and fourteen men burnt, four of whom died later.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The inquest before Mr S. Reed at Mr Wardel's house returned accidental death, hearing that the mine used candles and that safety lamps might have prevented the accident.

Changes to practice & legislation

The staple was covered by a strong iron cap with a three-inch pipe through which the gas was carried to the surface and burnt as a flare.

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 explosion killed three men and eight horses outright; fourteen men were burnt, four of whom later died. (disputed) ³

Recorded claims

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

• On 20 September 1831 gas from the Bensham seam exploded in the High Main at Willington Colliery, killing eight: four men and four boys. ^1,2
• The explosion killed three men and eight horses outright; fourteen men were burnt, four of whom later died. (disputed) ³
• A large blower met in the Bensham seam was left to fill with water, but the gas forced its way through into the High Main and fired at the men's candles. ¹
• The staple to the Bensham seam was then capped with iron and its gas piped to the surface and burnt. ^3,1
• The inquest returned accidental death, hearing that safety lamps might have prevented the explosion. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Blower (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 20 September 1831 gas from a large blower in the newly opened Bensham seam at Willington Colliery, on…”
• Fathom (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…lost to creep, and a staple was sunk from it to the Bensham seam, 39 fathoms below. A large blower of gas was met in the Bensham, and the viewer,…”
• Naked Light (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…forced its way through the water into the High Main and fired at naked lights.”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s aftermath: “…accidental death, hearing that the mine used candles and that safety lamps might have prevented the accident.”
• Viewer (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…fathoms below. A large blower of gas was met in the Bensham, and the viewer, Mr Johnson, ordered the seam to be allowed to fill with water. The…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (secondary) Willington Colliery High Pit Explosion - Willington - 1831 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Willington Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
3. (secondary) Willington Colliery, Bigge Pit — Tyne and Wear HER (Sitelines)

Record created: 3 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026