In 1862 Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (age 42) appointed seven Knights of the Garter:

729th Charles Canning 1st Earl Canning (age 49). He died a month later.

730th Edward Adolphus Seymour 12th Duke Somerset (age 57).

731st. John Russell 1st Earl Russell (age 69).

732nd Anthony Ashley-Cooper 7th Earl Shaftesbury (age 60).

733rd William Thomas Wentworth-Fitzwilliam 6th and 4th Earl Fitzwilliam (age 46).

734th Prince Louis Hesse Darmstadt IV Grand Duke (age 24).

735th Grand Duke Frederick William of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (age 42).

30 Apr 1875. The colliery was the property of Messrs. William Rigby and Company with Mr. George Sumner as the manager. An explosion took place at the colliery which claimed the lives of forty men and boys. The colliery was close to the Talk o’ th’ Hill and Bignall Hall Collieries at which there had been previous disasters. Every precaution was taken for the safety of the men and on the morning of the disaster one hundred went to work in the pit including thirty five into the Eight Feet Banbury seam to work about 800 yards from the shaft.

The colliery was the property of Messrs. William Rigby and Company with Mr. George Sumner as the manager. An explosion took place at the colliery which claimed the lives of forty men and boys. The colliery was close to the Talk o’ th’ Hill and Bignall Hall Collieries at which there had been previous disasters. Every precaution was taken for the safety of the men and on the morning of the disaster one hundred went to work in the pit including thirty five into the Eight Feet Banbury seam to work about 800 yards from the shaft.

Those who died: J. Ashmore, C. Baddeley, T. Beech, D. Boston, W. Boughey, J. Boyd, E. Breeze, J. Buckley, G. Burton, J. Carter, J. Chadwick, D. Charlesworth, I. Cooper, R. Dale H .Dean, T. Dean, D. Fox, E. Hancock, J. Hancock, W. Hancock, J. Higgins, G. Holland, J. Holland, T. Holland, R. Jackson, T. Lawton, J. Lucas, J. Marshall, T. Mason, W. Maxwell, H. Moore, W. Moore, S. Morris, J. Nield, T. Peats, W. Proudlove, J. Rogers, J. Stevenson, J. Stubbs, N. Sumner, T. Thompson, J. Yearsley One unnamed.

The inquest into the disaster was opened at the Swan Inn, Talk o’ th’ Hill, by Mr. J. Booth, Coroner. Mr. Wynne, the Inspector made a thorough inspection of the workings and Mr. S.B. Gilroy, Assistant Inspector, thought the mine was well managed but Mr. Wynne commented

For more than twenty years I have been pointing out what a "farce" it is to prohibit the use of naked lights in mines and yet allow powder to be used and have indulged in the hope that self-preservation would prevail over the more idle method of getting coal by blasting but I am now satisfied that the only safe course to take, is to prohibit all explosives in coal mines, and in a few years the coal owners would wonder how they could have allowed their coals to be blow to atoms and the roofs shaken as they have been for many years and the colliers would find that, having got rid of the impure fumes of the powder and dangers of explosions, together with the comparative safety from falls of roof, they were amply repaid for an extra hour of labour the wedging process would entail. Nothing could more clearly show the advantage of wedging over those of powder than to state of the two downbrows of 600 yards each, which effectually withstood the enormous strain which must have been put on them by the force of the air that must have been driven from the seat of the explosion, to the top of the upcast shaft, not so much as a hundredweight of coal was blown down in them or in the dips the slightest degree injured, or indeed was that proportion of the levels which was driven without blasting.

The only reason assigned for the change from wedging to blasting was, that Mr. Rigby could not compete with his neighbours if he wedged the coal and they blasted theirs so that to meet competition he was obliged to increase production and lessen cost.

In the report made by Mr. Dowdswell there was no doubt that the explosion was caused by a shot fired in a thirling on the East side of the engine brow and he was satisfied that there had been no breach of the rules and the fireman had taken all precautions before he fired the shot. It was thought that the method for firing the shots by a touch paper was most dangerous. It was thought that the fireman went to light the fuse and retired to a place which he thought was safe and opened his lamp to light the touch paper and it was thought that the gas came from the floor of the mine.

The jury returned and open verdict and recommended that blasting should be discontinued in all mines in which safety lamps were used. They also recommended that in opening out new workings, the ventilation should be set by bratticing and not by air pipes.

Edinburgh Gazette 14 Jan 1876. 14 Jan 1876. Whitehall Palace [Map].

The Queen (age 56) has been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, granting the dignities of an Earl and Duke of the said United Kingdom to Charles Henry, Duke of Richmond, K.G. (age 30), and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the names, styles, and titles of Earl of Kinrara, in the County of Inverness, and Duke of Gordon, of Gordon Castle, in that part of the said United Kingdom called Scotland.

The Queen (age 56) has also been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the said Great Seal, granting the dignities of an Earl and Marquess of the said United Kingdom to William, Earl of Abergavenny (age 49), and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the names, styles, and titles of Earl of Lewes, in the County of Sussex, and Marquess of Abergavenny, in the County of Monmonth.

The Queen (age 56) has also been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the said Great Seal, granting the dignities of a Viscount and Earl of the said United Kingdom to Edward Montagu Stuart Granville, Lord Wharncliffe (age 48), and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the names, styles, and titles of Viscount Carlton, of Carlton, and Earl of Wharncliffe, bdth in the West Riding of the County of York; with remainder, in default of such issue male, to the Honourable Francis Dudley Stuart-Wortley (age 46) (brother of the said Edward Montagu Stuart Granville, Lord Wharncliffe), and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten.

The Queen (age 56) has also been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the said Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom to John, Earl of Erne (age 73), in that part of the said United Kingdom called Ireland, K.P., and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Fermanagh, of Lisnaskea, in the County of Fermanagh.

The Queen (age 56) has also been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the said Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom to John Ralph Ormsby-Gore (age 59), Esq, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Harlech, of Harlech, in the County of Merioneth; with remainder, in default of snch issue male, to William Richard Ormsby-Gore, Esq (age 56). (brother of the said John Ralph Ormsby-Gore), and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten.

The Queen (age 56) has also been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the said Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom to Henry Gerard Sturt (age 50), Esq, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Alington, of Crichel, in the County of Dorset.

The Queen (age 56) has also been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the said Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom to John Tollemache, Esq, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Tollemache, of Helmingham Hall, in the County of Suffolk.

The Queen (age 56) has also been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the said Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom to Sir Robert Tolver Gerard, Bart., and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Gerard, of Bryn, in the County Palatine of Lancaster.

New Years Appointments.