Wynnstay Colliery shot accident, 1869

Four men died of burns at the New British Iron Company's Wynnstay Colliery, Ruabon, on 13 March 1869 when a shot blew out in the main coal.

Cause

A blown-out shot in the main coal, whose flame burned the men.

What happened

On 13 March 1869 a shot fired in the main coal at Wynnstay Colliery, the New British Iron Company's pit at Ruabon, blew out. Its flame burned four men to death: the fireman Edward Davies, the colliers George Reynolds and John Roberts, and a sixteen-year-old drawer who was also named John Roberts.

Recorded claims

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

• On 13 March 1869 four men were burned to death by a blown-out shot in the main coal at Wynnstay Colliery, Ruabon. ^1,2
• The dead were the fireman Edward Davies, 41, the colliers George Reynolds, 29, and John Roberts, 40, and a sixteen-year-old drawer, also named John Roberts. ²
• The colliery belonged to the New British Iron Company. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Colliery, Ruabon, on 13 March 1869 when a shot blew out in the main coal.”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Four men died of burns at the New British Iron Company's Wynnstay Colliery, Ruabon, on 13 March 1869 when a shot blew out in the main coal.”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…pit at Ruabon, blew out. Its flame burned four men to death: the fireman Edward Davies, the colliers George Reynolds and John Roberts, and a…”
• Putter (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…colliers George Reynolds and John Roberts, and a sixteen-year-old drawer who was also named John Roberts.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining deaths 1860-1869, surnames Q and R (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
2. (primary) Wynnstay Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026