Gresford Disaster - Popular Culture

Popular Culture

The Gresford Disaster

(Lyrics: anon)

You've heard of the Gresford Disaster,

Of the terrible price that was paid;

Two hundred and sixty-four colliers were lost,

And three men of the rescue brigade.

It occurred in the month of September

At three in the morning the pit

Was racked by a violent explosion

In the Dennis where gas lay so thick.

Now the gas in the Dennis deep section

Was packed there like snow in a drift,

And many a man had to leave the coal-face

Before he had worked out his shift.

Now a fortnight before the explosion,

To the shotfirer Tomlinson cried,

"If you fire that shot we'll be all blown to hell!"

And no one can say that he lied.

Now the fireman's reports they are missing

The records of forty-two days;

The collier manager had them destroyed

To cover his criminal ways.

Down there in the dark they are lying.

They died for nine shillings a day;

They have worked out their shift and now they must lie

In the darkness until Judgement Day.

Now the Lord Mayor of London's collecting

To help out the children and wives;

The owners have sent some white lilies

To pay for the poor colliers' lives.

Farewell, all our dear wives and our children

Farewell, all our comrades as well,

Don't send your sons down the dark dreary mine

They'll be doomed like the sinners in hell.

The song was issued as a broadsheet soon after the disaster. It has been recorded by The Hennessys, Ewan MacColl, Alex Campbell and the Albion Band, amongst others.

The disaster is the subject of the song "The Colliers" on Seth Lakeman's 2006 album Freedom Fields.

The disaster is also commemorated in the hymn tune "Gresford", which is also known as "The Miners' Hymn", written by Robert Saint of Hebburn, himself also a miner. This tune has been played regularly by many colliery brass bands over the years and is found on a number of recordings, and is also played at the annual Miners Picnics around the North of England, especially at the Durham Miners' Gala.