Coalmining became an important part of the economy in the 19th century, when the demand for coal became increasingly high due to the industrial revolution. Although coal was plentiful in England, there were few coal reserves close to the surface, and so miners put shafts in place in order to extract the coal from deeper underground. This meant that the miners were faced with more dangers and hardships in their everyday lives than ever before.

Probably the most dangerous aspect of mining, and the biggest problem, was that of ventilation. Lots of poisonous gases were found down mines, and people needed fresh air to breath. These gases included Methane, and there was a danger that if gas wasn't removed it could catch fire from the candles that miners used to see, causing an explosion.

This problem was partly solved by means of a process called `coursing the air'...