St Helens (Coal Pit at Whiston) Explosion – St Helens – 1806

ST. HELENS. St. Helens, Lancashire. June 1806.

An explosion was reported to have taken sixteen lives. A local burial register bears ten names with a note in the margin, “Killed in a fire in a coal pit at Whiston” and buried in early June, 1806.

• William Anderton.
• Thomas and Henry Anderton, sons of William.
• William Manchester.
• James and Thomas Manchester sons of Joshua Manchester.
• Mary Rylance.
• John Rylance, illegitimate daughter of Mary.
• Henry Lawrenson.
• Lawrence Wainwright, son of Lawrence.

REFERENCES
Annals of Coal Mining. Galloway, Vol. 1, p. 405.
Ryan’s Appeal, p. 20.
St. Mary’s Burial Register, Prescot.

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