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The
Men of Diglake
Around
238 men and boys were at work in the pit that morning. Of these,
over 100 were working in the West 8 Foot seam, 14 or so in
the West 8 Foot Boundary workings, around 50 in the East 7
Foot seam (Elsby's area) and
just 25 in the new East Ten Foot seam, which was being extended.
The fireman, William Sproston, fired a shot in the new Ten
Foot at around 11.30. His son, Bill Sproston, who had just
started down the dip on an errand for his father, described
a sound 'like thunder' and seconds later he was washed away
by a torrent of water.
In
the West 8 Foot Seam, at the lowest level of the pit, 12 men
were killed - presumably drowned. In the new East 10 Foot Seam,
25 men were lost, and in the East Seven Foot Seam, all 40 men
were lost. In the latter two cases, it is possible that these
men were cut off by the rising water and died as the air became
bad.
The
Diglake Colliery memorial at Bignall End lists 78 names. With
this as a starting point, I have collected information from
three other sources: The
Database of Mining Deaths, North
Staffordshire Coalfield and FreeBMD.
Using this information, I have tried to identify the men in both
the 1881 and 1891 census returns. (NB the pages covering Wood
Lane are missing from the 1891 census). In some cases, confirmation
of their identity is provided by details listed in the Diglake
Disaster Fund Account Book. In some
cases the age listed by these sources is different to the
age listed on the memorial itself. Most of the men were
not employed directly by the mine, hence the mine managers
had little information about their ages. All of the deaths
were registered in the Newcastle L disctrict in the June
quarter of 1895, after the inquest which took place in February
1895. Click on each of the names below to find out more about
each man. 78
or 77? The memorial at Bignall End has 78 names. However,
the account book of the Diglake Colliery Disaster Relief
Fund and the Official Report to HM Inspector of Mines list
only 77. On the memorial, E Lightfoot is listed twice - he
had been seen in two different areas of the pit that morning.
The memorial also lists an H Rhodes twice, in the last column.
The Diglake Disaster Relief Fund Account Book shows only
one H Rhodes and lists an Alfred Rhodes who died aged 17.
George Walter Thompson is listed on the memorial as G Rhodes. The victims'
families received money from the Diglake Disaster Relief
Fund. In an era before the Welfare State,
this was often all that stood between a bereaved family and
the workhouse, once the main breadwinner was gone. To help
understand how much the families received, I have listed
below what the sums from 1895 would represent today.
£10 in 1895 is roughly the equivalent of £745 today.
£20 in 1895 is roughly the equivalent of £1500 today.
As you can see from the chart above, by far the largest number
of victims were born locally in Audley, Staffordshire.
|
|
Name & Age
on memorial |
Name & Age
from FreeBMD
|
Name
from Database of Mining Deaths |
Name/Age
from North Staffs Coalfield |
T
Alkins 47 |
Thomas
Alkins 49 |
Thomas
Atkins Snr |
T
Alkins 47 |
H
Bailey 38 |
Henry
Bailey 42 |
Henry
Bailey |
H
Bailey 36 |
J
Bailey 21 |
John
Bailey 22 |
John
Bailey |
J
Bailey 21 |
J
Beckett 22 |
John
Thomas Beckett 22 |
John
Bechett |
J
Beckett 22 |
G
Beech 32 |
George
Beech 27 |
George
Beech |
G
Beech 32 |
E
Billington 56 |
Elijah
Billington 57 |
Elijah
Billington |
E
Billington 56 |
J
Blurton 15 |
John
Burton 16 |
John
Blurton |
J
Blurton 15 |
T
Bowers 32 |
Thomas
Sargeant Bowers 28 |
Thomas
Bowers |
T
Bowers 32 |
J
Brough 38 |
John
Brough 30 |
John
Brough |
J
Brough 38 |
W
Butler 22 |
William
Butler 20 |
William
Butler |
W
Buttler 22 |
G
Carter 40 |
George
Carter 40 |
George
Carter |
G
Carter 40 |
T
Cartwright 45 |
Thomas
Cartwright 48 |
Thomas
Cartwright |
T
Cartwright 45 |
T
Childers 27 |
Thomas
Chidler 27 |
Thomas
Childers |
T
Childers 27 |
H
Clough 19 |
Henry
Clough 19 |
Henry
Clough |
H
Clough 19 |
J
Cooper 20 |
Joseph
Cooper 18 |
Joseph
Cooper |
J
Cooper 20 |
S
Cork 38 |
Samuel
Cork 37 |
Samuel
Cork |
S
Cork 38 |
S
Crosby 18 |
Samuel
Crosby 18 |
Samuel
Crosby |
S
Crosby 18 |
G
Dodd 24 |
George
Dodd 23 |
George
Dodd |
G
Dodd 24 |
J
Elsbey 48 |
John
Elsby 47 |
John
Elsby |
J
Elsbey 48 |
G
Fox 13 |
George
Henry Fox 13 |
George
Henry Fox |
G
Fox 13 |
J
Frost 18 |
John
William Frost 20 |
John
Frost |
J
Frost 16 |
J
Guise 45 |
John
Guise 38 |
John
Guise |
J
Guise 45 |
E
Higgins 42 |
Edward
Higgins 48 |
Edward
Higgins |
E
Higgins 42 |
A
Hodgkinson 14 |
Alfred
Hodgkinson 15 |
Alf
Hodgkinson |
A
Hodgkinson 14 |
H
Holland 30 |
Henry
Holland 26 |
Henry
Holland |
H
Holland 30 |
A
Hopwood 18 |
Alfred
Hopwood 18 |
Alf
Hopwood |
A
Hopwood 18 |
H
Hopwood 15 |
Abram
Hopwood 15 |
Abram
Hopwood |
H
Hopwood 15 |
W
Hughes 25 |
William
Hughes 30 |
William
Hughes |
W
Hughes 25 |
A
Jackson 15 |
no
listing found |
Arthur
Jackson |
A
Jackson 15 |
A
Johnson 21 |
Aaron
Johnson 21 |
|
A
Johnson 21 |
F
Johnson 35 |
Fred
Johnson 33 |
Fred
Johnson |
F
Johnson 35 |
J
Johnson 14 |
Joseph
Johnson 14 |
Joseph
Johnson |
J
Johnson 14 |
S
Johnson 40 |
Samuel
Johnson 42 |
Samuel
Johnson |
S
Johnson 40 |
W
Johnson 22 |
Richard
William Johnson 20 |
Richard
William Johnson |
W
Johnson 22 |
B
Knight 16 |
Benjamin
Albert Knight 16 |
Benjamin
Knight |
B
Knight 16 |
W
Latham 18 |
William
Latham 18 |
William
Latham |
W
Latham 18 |
H
Lee 15 |
Harry
Lee 14 |
Henry
Lee |
H
Lee 15 |
H
Leech 20 |
Harry
Leech 18 |
Henry
Leach |
H
Leech 20 |
E
Lightfoot 15 |
no
listing found |
|
E
Lightfoot 15 |
E
Lightfoot 17 |
Ernest
Daniel Lightfoot 16 |
Ernest
Lightfoot |
E
Lightfoot 17 |
F
Lowe 28 |
Fred
Lowe 28 |
Fred
Lowe |
F
Lowe 28 |
H
Maddock 45 |
Henry
Maddock 47 |
Henry
Maddock |
H
Maddock 45 |
J
Maddock 15 |
James
Henry Maddock 15 |
James
Henry Maddock |
J
Maddock 15 |
G
Mayer 18 |
George
Mayer 17 |
George
Mayer |
G
Mayer 18 |
R
Mayer 14 |
Ralph
Mayer 15 |
Ralph
Mayer |
R
Mayer 14 |
S
Mayer 18 |
Samuel
Mayer 16 |
Samuel
Mayer |
S
Mayor 18 |
B
Mitchell 40 |
Benjamin
Sunderland Mitchell 39 |
Ben
Mitchell |
B
Mitchell 40 |
J
Mitchell 33 |
James
Mitchell 37 |
James
Mitchell |
J
Mitchel 33 |
W
Mottram 33 |
William
Mottram 30 |
William
Mottram |
W
Mottram 33 |
G
Murray 14 |
George
Morrey 14 |
George
Murray |
G
Murray 14 |
J
Platt 18 |
James
Platt 17 |
|
J
Platt 18 |
J
Platt 20 |
John
Edmund Platt 19 |
John
Platt |
J
Platt 20 |
G
Pover 14 |
George
Pover 13 |
George
Pover |
G
Pover 14 |
J
Pover 17 |
James
Pover 15 |
James
Pover |
J
Pover 17 |
W
Pugh 15 |
William
Pugh 16 |
William
Pugh |
W
Pugh 15 |
H
Rhodes 17 |
Alfred
G Rhodes 17 |
Alfred
Rhodes |
Alfred
G Rhodes 17 |
H
Rhodes 15 |
Henry
Rhodes 15 |
Henry
Rhodes |
H
Rhodes 15 |
H
Riley 21 |
Henry
Riley 20 |
Henry
Riley |
H
Riley 21 |
J
Riley 46 |
John
Riley 46 |
John
Riley |
J
Riley 46 |
W
Roberts 42 |
William
Roberts 35 |
William
Roberts |
W
Roberts 42 |
D
Rowley 25 |
Dan
Rowley 25 |
Daniel
Rowley |
D
Rowley 25 |
D
Spode 62 |
David
Spord 61 |
David
Spode |
D
Spode 62 |
G
Spode 23 |
George
Walter Spord 26 |
George
Spode |
G
Spode 23 |
T
Sproson 64 |
Thomas
Sproson 45 |
Thomas
Sproston |
E
Sproson 25 |
E
Sproson 25 |
Enoch
Sproson 23 |
Enoch
Sproston |
F
Sproson 14 |
F
Sproson 14 |
Frank
Thomas Sproson 14 |
F
Thomas Sproston |
T
Sproson 64 |
W
Sproson 47 |
William
Sproson 43 |
William
Sproston |
W
Sproson 47 |
F
Taylor 30 |
Frederick
Henry Taylor 27 |
Fred
Taylor |
F
Taylor 30 |
J
Taylor 40 |
John
Taylor 38 |
John
Taylor |
J
Taylor 40 |
P
Taylor 40 |
Peter
Taylor 36 |
Peter
Taylor |
P
Taylor 40 |
R
Taylor 18 |
Richard
Taylor 19 |
Richard
Taylor |
R
Taylor 18 |
R
Taylor 38 |
Ralph
Taylor 36 |
Ralph
Taylor |
R
Taylor 38 |
G
Rhodes (Thompson) 17 |
George
Walter Thompson (Rhodes) |
George
Thompson (Rhodes) |
G
Thompson 17 (Rhodes) |
T
Taylor 15 |
Thomas
Taylor 14 |
Thomas
Taylor |
T
Taylor 15 |
T
Tittle 19 |
Thomas
Titley 15 |
Thomas
Tittle |
T
Tittle 19 |
C
Vernon 30 |
Charles
Vernon 28 |
Charles
Vernon |
C
Vernon 30 |
H
Webb 35 |
Edwin
Henry Webb 39 |
Henry
Webb |
H
Web 35 |
G
Wynne 30 |
George
Frederick Wynne 29 |
George
Wynne |
G
Wynne 30 |
"In
late August of 1932 in a new mine that formed part of the Jamage
colliery, the skeleton of a mineworker was found. At the inquest
that followed the Pathologist gave the opinion that the man was
between 27 and 32 years of age and had probably drowned in the
Diglake inrush. Between January and March of 1933 a further two
skeletons were found. At the reconvened inquest the coroner was
reluctant to give a name to any of the remains, as he thought it
could result in a terrible mistake. In the above photograph a group
of men can be seen with a coffin used to remove the remains of
one of men who perished in the Diglake disaster." - text
courtesy of North
Staffs Coalfield.
"Meanwhile
mining operations at Diglake had been transferred to a new pit
at Rookery, several hundred yards to the northeast and
it was from this pit in 1932, 37 years later that a heading was driven
in the general direction of the abandoned mine. After drawing off
considerable quantities of water, the vicinity of the 1895 disaster
was reached on August the 12th, 1932. Further exploration
was then postponed because of accumulations of firedamp.
It was not until September 3rd that it was considered safe to proceed.
The same morning the searchers came across the skeleton of a man.
It was lying on its left side with the right arm extended above
the
skull.
There was a clog on the right foot, and, inside the clog piece of
stocking. Apart from a few remnants of a leather belt and four trouser
buttons, there were no other remains except the bones, and no
means of identification.
H.M.I. of Mines said no action was to be taken until the approach
roads had been re timbered and made good.
Then the skeleton was brought to the surface in March 1933.
Dr.
Riley of Audley gave medical evidence, to the effect that the skeleton
was a well-built male of about 28yrs, and 5 feet 8 inches
in height.
Subsequently, two more skeletons were recovered. Caleb Johnson,
while engaged in cleaning up No.2. Road of the Ten feet seam at
10.30 a.m.,
came across a powder can and, further on, a skeleton.
Dr.Riley said it was impossible to identify but appeared to be
a man of about 40yrs. On March the 6th, another one was found and
brought up next day. It was decided to abandon any plans to explore
further and the road
way was sealed up, leaving the remains of the other 72 to rest
for eternity in the place where they died." - text courtesy of
John Lumsdon, North
Staffs Coalfield.
The
three men recovered in 1932/33 are buried beneath the above memorial
in the churchyard of Audley Methodist Chapel.
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