Pendlebury Colliery Explosion – Pendlebury – 1870

PENDLEBURY. Pendlebury, Lancashire. 27th. September, 1870.

The colliery was owned by Andrew Knowles and Sons and six men and boys lost their lives in an explosion. A bay at the far end of the boundary weighted and was stopped until the two outer bays could be worked level with it. The work was nearly completed when some of the roof fell in the boundary bay and released a large quantity of gas. The gas fouled the air and moving with the ventilation current, fired at a bay where men were working with naked lights.

The men who died were:

• David Clough aged 48 years, fireman,
• Robert Fox aged 13 years, wagoner,
• Robert Fox aged 53 years, miner,
• Thomas Taylor aged 24 years, miner,
• James Taylor aged 32 years, miner and
• Joseph Taylor aged 30 years, miner.

REFERENCES
Mines Inspectors Report, 1870. Mr. Joseph Dickinson.

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