Winstanley Colliery explosion, 1860

In early August 1860 firedamp released by roof falls in pillar workings exploded in the Orrell Five Feet seam at Meyrick Bankes's Winstanley Colliery, near Wigan, killing thirteen men and boys. The inspector had condemned the ventilation as primitive, and the improvements he had asked for were unfinished.

Cause

Firedamp released by roof falls where pillars were being removed, overpowering the ventilation and ignited at a safety lamp with its gauze top removed.

Contributing factors

Inadequate, primitively distributed ventilation with an underground furnace on return air; improvements unfinished after the manager's death.

What happened

The seam lay 140 yards down and the workings ran nearly a mile from the downcast. The inspector, Joseph Dickinson, had found little gas but thought the air barely enough to dilute a sudden discharge, distributed in the rudest manner, with a small underground furnace fed by the return air. The manager promised a new furnace on fresh air and three separate ventilating districts, but died before the explosion; the work was under way but incomplete, and the colliery had accepted Dickinson's suggestion to light the mine with safety lamps.

When the pillars were drawn the roof fell, letting off firedamp that overpowered the ventilation. The underlooker, George Holland, was making his daily examination when the blast threw him over and scorched him. After the explosion a lamp belonging to Thomas Sharples was found at the end of the workings with its gauze top removed.

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 happened on 3 August 1860. (disputed) ¹
• The explosion happened on 2 August 1860. (disputed) ²

Recorded claims

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

• The explosion killed thirteen men and boys in the Orrell Five Feet seam. ^1,2
• The explosion happened on 3 August 1860. (disputed) ¹
• The explosion happened on 2 August 1860. (disputed) ²
• The inspector had found the ventilation scarcely adequate and of the rudest and most primitive description. ¹
• A lamp belonging to Thomas Sharples was found after the explosion with its gauze top removed. ¹
• The ignition was caused by a safety lamp. ²

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: “…exploded in the Orrell Five Feet seam at Meyrick Bankes's Winstanley Colliery, near Wigan, killing thirteen men and boys. The inspector had…”
• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “In early August 1860 firedamp released by roof falls in pillar workings exploded in the Orrell…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “In early August 1860 firedamp released by roof falls in pillar workings exploded in the Orrell Five Feet seam at Meyrick…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…were being removed, overpowering the ventilation and ignited at a safety lamp with its gauze top removed.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Winstanley Colliery Explosion - Wigan - 1860 — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Colliery Disaster: Winstanley, 2 August 1860 — Durham Mining Museum

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