Springwell Colliery Explosion – Gateshead – 1837

SPRINGWELL, Gateshead, Durham. 6th. December, 1837.

The pit was the property of Lord Ravensworth and there was an explosion at the colliery between 9 and 10 a.m. when there were 29 men and boys in the mine. Twenty-seven lives were lost, fifteen men and twelve boys. George Southern was the resident viewer and Mr. C. Steel, the overman. The mine was 128 fathoms deep to the Hutton Seam in which the explosion occurred. There had been great improvements made to the mine since an explosion in 1832.

Those who lost their lives were:

• Thomas Hedley aged 15 years.
• Alexander McCree aged 50 years left a wife and a large family.
• George McCree aged 15 years, son of Alexander.
• Edward Price aged 40 years left a wife and six children.
• Robert Price aged 24 years nephew of Edward.
• George Hunter aged 17 years.
• William Fenwick father of William and Mark, left a wife and five children.
• William Fenwick Jnr.
• Mark Fenwick.
• George Ridley aged 16 years.
• Todd Wakefield aged 32 years wife and four children.
• Thomas Weir aged 24 years.
• Andrew Awfflick aged 27 years wife and four children.
• Joseph Ramsay aged 37 years left a wife.
• James Radley aged 21 years.
• George Simpson aged 31 years wife and five children.
• L. Robson aged 17 years.
• Foster Banks aged 26 years wife and child.
• James Henderson aged 30 years wife and four children.
• Joseph Mason aged 32 years wife and large family.
• Joseph Richey aged 30 years wife and child.
• Luke Richey aged 18 years brother of Joseph.
• Samuel Hood aged 12 years.

There were two survivors, Robert Puncheon, boy and George Oliver, boy. The inquest took place before Mr. Michael Hall, Coroner for the Chester Ward and a jury at the house of Mr. Thomas Maughan, the Springwell Inn.

Nicholas Wood, the colliery viewer and general manager to Lord Ravensworth, Mr. George Southern, the resident viewer, Mr. C. Steel, the overman at the colliery and several colliers who had worked in the colliery gave a description of the workings. The Hutton seam was at a depth of 128 fathoms and the coal dipped to the east at one in sixteen. After the accident in 1832, every available means had been adopted to improve the ventilation, the most expensive and effective had been the driving of a road which now connected the Springwell shaft with the Back Fell shaft. The Springwell shaft was the downcast and the men deemed the pit as safe.

In the district where the accident happened, about half a mile from the shaft, operations were was going on in the whole and the broken coal. In doing this the men worked out portions leaving pillars of coal to support the roof. Eventually, the pillars are removed and the roof supported with wooden props which was termed “working the broken”. This part of the work was always considered dangerous by the miners and the work at the colliery was carried out with safety lamps but the custom was to blast down the pillars with powder.

John Todd and William Pratts, pitmen spoke of finding a broken lamp and tracing the explosion from the northern extremity and from there to the west and through the whole workings to the shaft. The lamp belonged to Edward Price and was found to have a defective glass and gauze.

The inquest was held before Mr. Michael Hall at Springwell Inn when it was heard that Edwin Price’s lamps was found in a damaged state. The jury considered their verdict and returned that:

Three horses and the unfortunate men were killed by the explosion and came to their deaths by accident.

The workings of the pit were less injured than might have been anticipated.

REFERENCES
Annals of Coal Mining. Galloway.
Latimers Local Records. p.82.
Sykes’ Local Records.
The Mining Journal.
The Wall’s End Miner or a Brief Memoir of the Life of William Crister by James Everett, 1868.
Newcastle Journal.

Information supplied by Ian Winstanley and the Coal Mining History Resource Centre.