Greenfields Ash Pit Explosion – Fenton- 1843

GREENFIELDS ASH PIT. Fenton, Staffordshire. 26th. June, 1843.

The colliery was the property of the Broadfield Colliery Company and was near Fenton. The men used candles and there had been two previous explosions at the colliery since April but there had been no fatalities.

On the day of the disaster twenty seven men and boys were working and at the end of the days work, some were making their way to the shaft when the explosion took place about 500 yards from the shaft bottom. Seven men were still in the workings and they all lost their lives. It was thought that one of the men, James Dawson, went into the mine to fetch some tools and powder with a naked candle in his hand and was returning when he met the five men who had finished their work. One of the five was James Smith, the underlooker. He closed a “wall” to enable work to go on in another part of the mine the following day which was supposed to have driven gas onto the naked candle. Two other men who were working in the mine died from the effects of afterdamp. They were Samuel Thornton and Alfred Tompkinson.

Those who died were:

• John Smith aged 36 years of Fenton who left a wife and two children.
• James Dawson aged 33 years of Fenton who left a wife and four children the last one being born the Saturday before the disaster.
• Jacob Tipton of Fenton aged 11 years.
• Samuel Thornton aged 35 years of Fenton who left seven children and a wife who was not living with him.
• Alfred Tomkinson aged 18 years, of Fenton, single.
• Peter Bolderstone aged 36 years of Longton, widower with three children.
• Wiliam Shone aged 22 years, married but no family.
• William Baker aged 23 years of Longton, single.
• Moses Heath of Fenton aged 16 years.

The inquest into the disaster was held at the Canning Inn, Fenton when Elijah Mountford told the court that on the day of the explosion he had just descended the pit to go to work when the explosion took place. He was thrown down and bruised and he made his way back with difficulty. He met Samuel Heath and they went in with a candle to see if they could help anyone. In about half an hour they found Moses Heath lying dead. Twenty yards further on the found the body of Peter Bolderstone and they went on to find the rest of the dead. By this time they were being helped by Samuel Thornton and Alfred Tompkinson. Mountford was suffering badly from the effects of the afterdamp which killed Thornton and Tompkinson

Aaron Barton, the agent for the Colliery Company gave evidence on the ventilation of the mine and the Coroner summed up. The jury brought in the verdict of “Accidental Death”, adding that the men were killed by the explosion and Thornton and Tompkinson were killed by the afterdamp.

REFERENCES
Annals of Coal Mining. Galloway. Vol.2, p.105.
Mining Journal. Vol. xiii, p.215-9.
The Staffordshire Advertiser.

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