The M1 extension from Leeds meets the A1(M) just south of Aberford and there is no way off the A1 between the A63 junction at Peckfield, south of Micklefield and the A64 junction north of Aberford. So get off the motorway and on to the old Great North Road to explore the this area.
Micklefield was at the centre of one of the worst accidents on, or rather under, the Great North Road. In 1896 an explosion in the Peckfield Mine killed 65 people, mostly from the village of Micklefield. Writing just five years later, Harper does not mention the disaster though he paints a dark picture; "Micklefield, two miles beyond (Peckfield Bar) approached by a fine avenue of elms, is an abject coal-mining village, and hauling-gear, smoke, and the inky blackness of the roads emphasise the fact."
The following account of the Peckfield Mine disaster of 1896 was posted on Rootsweb.com by Anita Mc.Neil. Thanks.
I have a short account of the above subject that was put together by a Mrs. Sudderdean a member of the "Family History Section Yorkshire Archaeological Society". She herself had a relative in the explosion. It was put together in the days before word processors.
"The story of the widowed and fatherless will be one of the most pitiful when it comes to be told" Consulting the "Yorkshire Post" for May 1st, 2nd, 4th and September 12th 1896 brought to light the most interesting facts and anecdotes, too numerous to recount here, concerning the Micklefield mining disaster. However, certain cross references having a bearing on my own family history, became apparent, viz.:-James Shillito mentioned in Mr. Ball's account was cousin to George Shillito, whose brother, David, was also killed. James Shillito was 50 years old a deputy, who left a penniless widow, Selina, of Blands Row and a married son David, was aged 55 a married man with three daughters. George Shillito also a deputy, was aged 50 and had five children, all grown-up and working, but his widow was left with no means of support. One of these five children was a son, Samuel, my grandfather; another was Fred who survived the explosion. Incidentally, J. C. Ball and the colliery official had both miss-spelt the name Shillito. From the trend of the official's report, the detail included, names supplied, etc., I feel sure from comparing his account as given in our Journal with those in the "Yorkshire Post" that he was Mr. Robert Routledge, manager of the Garforth pits. He is variously reported in the newspaper as being manager of a Garforth pits, Garforth Colliery or Collieries. Besides this connection of a Garforth Colliery manager with the Peckfield pit disaster, there was also workmen from this village involved who set out for work that Thursday morning, destined, as many a miner before and since, never to return home alive. These are named in the newspaper accounts as George Simpson, engineman, age 21 and his 24 year old brother Arthur, a brakeman, both single men along with John Simpson aged 26 years, also single; brothers Joseph and Walter Jackson, both married; Henry Edward Tallet, a married man of 41 years. Edward Goodall aged 42, married; Rayner Scrimshaw.
At the first inquest held the day after the explosion, Arthur Simpson was identified by his brother-in-law, Joseph Simpson, a miner himself married to Arthur's sister and all living at Oxtoby Houses in Garforth. He had last seen Arthur alive at 6 o'clock on Thursday morning. On identifying the body he said he, "...could see no injuries at all nor was his watch damaged". George Simpson was identified by his sister, Ester, a dressmaker, who noticed a deep cut on his chin. John Simpson's body was not retrieved from the mine until Saturday, being found lying beside his dead pony in the North district of the pit. He was identified by his brother Joseph, a rope rider at Sisters Pit in Garforth. Edward Goodall's body was also recovered at this time, being identified by his widow who had four children from 12 years downwards. By eleven o'clock at night, Rayner Scrimshaw was found dead, with a handkerchief over his mouth, "presumably to counteract the effects of afterdamp". Of all the men brought out at this time Scrimshaw had suffered the worst injury, a severe head wound, suggesting his difficulties in negotiating roof falls and all his efforts were to no avail. Notwithstanding his shocking appearance, his mother, who identified him displayed a touching desire not only to embrace him but to sit by the body in the mortuary; the poor creature was almost distraught at the sight of a son who could not speak and would not speak again. Meanwhile, Tallett's body was identified by his widow, Mary Ann, who had seven children to care for aged from 13 years to six months. On the Saturday evening the colliery owner, Mr Cliff, visited the pit as did Colonel Gasgoiigne of Parlington Park who had come from Scotland expressly for that purpose. Sunday 3rd May, saw seven miners buried at Garforth. By this stage, at the start of the Sabbath, four men remained unaccounted for. "Those four must therefore be lying buried beneath the falls of earth in the main roads." Difficulty was experienced both in scrambling over the falls of earth and in combating with the afterdamp. Several days must elapse before the remaining four bodies could be uncovered. The last of the dead were probably under the falls of roof or possibly had been blown into the sump at the bottom of the shaft. One of these four men was my great-grandfather, George Shillito.
Peckfield Colliery, owned by Mr. Joseph Cliff and sons, had been in continuous operation for some twenty years and was generally regarded as a safe pit to work. Indeed, men customarily worked with candles for light, so little gas had they encountered hitherto. Two seams of coal were being worked, the Beeston seam at 170-180 yards depth and a lower Blackbed seam, 210-220 yards deep. An upcast and downcast shaft were used with a waddle fan situated over the upcast to provide the vital circulation of air not, as was often the case, a fire lit at the bottom of the upcast shaft, thus drawing air around the workings as air, being burned by the fire, drew replacement air down the downcast shaft. At the time of the incident the manager was Mr. Houfton, assisting manager, Mr. W. Hargrave and the under-manager Mr. William Radford.
Now let us examine the sequence of events starting with that fateful Thursday morning, 30th April 1896. On the Wednesday the pit buzzer had sounded to signify that next day would be a "laik day" for most of the work force of 300 men. This in itself proved a most fortuitous coincidence, as a full complement of workers in the pit would have caused even greater loss of life than did occur. Even so, 65 men and boys perished. At the end of Wednesday night's shift the workings had been thoroughly checked by deputies Lillyman, Beckhouse and Hopkinson, who reported that "gas was all clear, ventilation good, roof and sides safe and general safety good". Ironically Lillyman's proof of checking was marked near the point of explosion. So dawned Thursday 30th April. Between six and seven o'clock in the morning 98 dayshift men went down the downcast shaft to their work of driving and repairing roads or filling and moving tubs, including several deputies and under manager Radford. Having let down the last cage of men, the brakesman, Henry Holding, who had worked at the pit since its sinking, began to eat his breakfast as usual in the engine house with the banksman on guard at the pit mouth. Suddenly, at about 7.20 am a rumbling sound could be heard. According to the "Yorkshire Post" of 1st May 1896 a terrible boom and rumbling of earth, increasing in intensity was quickly followed by a rush of smoke, dust and debris from the pit mouth, so much in its volume and force that it lifted the iron cages, as though they had been feathers, far up into the gearing over the pit head, broke the stout beams of timber, as though they were children's playthings, twisted iron girders, as though they were pin wire. Brakesman Holding secured the levers before making his escape from the engine house. Immediately he and the banksman ran to tell the manager what had happened, though the din of the explosion carried its own message. One can scarcely imagine the horrors to be found below ground, with such devastation to be seen from above. Fire would have raged then burnt out, the vital circulation of air cut off as air returned down the upcast shaft after the blast, the fan rendered useless, roof falls caused by the explosion. Inevitably, afterdamp would follow, choking to death survivors struggling towards the pit bottom. Certainly, nothing in the path of the fire would have survived! It was stated later by engineers and managers of wide coal mining experience that "the wreckage, both above the bank and down the mine, was unprecedented". Nevertheless, by eight o'clock four un-named miners had gone below via the upcast shaft's cage to attempt a rescue, but they were re-called by manager Houfton. Such had been the force of the explosion that it was heard in several neighbouring villages, the effect of this being immediately to draw to Peckfield, engineers and colliery managers, such as Mr. Robent Rutledge, manager of Garforth pits and his nephew, Mr. J. D. Routledge, in charge at Waterloo Main Colliery. It also brought medical aid in the form of such local doctors as Dr. Griesbach from Garforth, Dr. Gains from Kippax, Dr. Abbott from Aberford, Dr. Radcliffe from South Milford and others.
At nine o'clock manager Houfton had organised a rescue party including himself, Messrs Routledge, with safety lamps of Johnson and Routledge design sent from Garforth collieries and Joseph Lillyman. They were followed throughout the day by relays of rescue workers. The first explosion found that four deputies who had entered the pit last were dead at pit bottom while under-manager Radford lay dead and burned in his office along with deputy John Wallis. Several of those rescued were brought to the pit bank early on Thursday and all of the survivors had been recovered by 9.30 pm that day. Another man, Naylor Whitaker, was brought out alive, but unconscious, as late as 1.30 pm on Saturday but, sadly, died in Leeds Infirmary at 10.00 pm despite administration of oxygen. Thirty three men and boys were rescued alive, some quite unharmed, some suffering from afterdamp and had to be brought our of the pit; men such as Mr. J. L. Routledge and collier George Cawood who had been four hours in the mine trying to locate fellow workmen. All were treated in a warehouse converted into a sort of hospital. Work of recovery was hampered by foulness of the air and roof falls blocking the underground roadways; the extent of the damage was such that by 7.00 pm no rescue party had penetrated further than half a mile from pit bottom. Hence "no attempt was made to bring any of the dead men to bank". Good news was heard, however, when at 6.00 pm the fan was mended and restored to use, though ventilation was not complete until about 9.00 pm.
Of the thirty-three rescued alive three men were taken eventually to Leeds infirmary. First of these men was Thomas Turner aged 32 of Ledston, a blacksmith, "terribly burnt about the head, hands and face". Attended by doctors at pit bank he was transported by hand ambulance to the local railway station to be taken to Leeds on the 12.15 pm train. He was met at Leeds station by horse ambulance and taken to the infirmary. William Holden or Holding was taken to the infirmary with severe burns to hands and face, "unconscious and burnt beyond recognition". George Hick aged 36, the man found by J. C. Ball and mentioned as being "...in a sad way. My ginger beer came in very useful. Poor man he was parched", was first taken home to 39 The Crescent. The "Yorkshire Post" reporter saw Mr. Hide as "a pitiful object, his hair had been burnt off almost to the roots, his face was swollen and blistered and his left arm so badly charred that it had the appearance of mortified flesh". This man was able to report what had happened to him. At about half past seven he was in the under manager's office below ground when a huge explosion ripped away an office wall. He struggled out of the wreckage to see a sheet of flame set fire to the oil store and had to fight his way through flames to comparative safety between two props where he was found by J. C. Ball and his little band of men seeking a way out. Mr. Hicks main wish was to go to hospital so as not to be a burden to his wife and four small children, one still a babe-in-arms. Later in the day (Thursday) he was taken by train to Leeds Infirmary, arriving at 3.50 pm "Conscious but in a dangerous condition". Despite their terrible injuries these three survived their ordeal. Indeed primitive skin grafts saved George Hick's arm and though it never recovered to full use, my father can remember him living to a ripe old age and still living at 39 The Crescent.
On Friday began the task of identifying the bodies being brought to the surface, while local men and women crowded the pit head in search of news. "It was remarkable with what calmness they bore the terrible suspense. Before dusk a large wagon from Leeds drove into the (pit) yard and its load of coffins seemed to intensify the grief of those who had husbands, sons and brothers laying in the temporary mortuary close by". The colliery owners had ordered the coffins to be brought, but they and their grievous contents were not to be collected by the next of kin until Saturday as, "...on sanitary grounds it would be inadvisable to carry the dead into small cottages of the miners. The corpses were placed into the coffins just as they were found, in their working clothes but with all decency...". "They may screw the lid down if they like", said an old man, "but it'll come off when it gets home; he's my lad and his mother wean't let him go 'baht seeing him". And this probably expressed the intentions of all mourners".
All those men whose bodies had been recovered by late on the Saturday were buried on Sunday 3rd May, twenty six of them in Micklefield, seven in Garforth, four in Aberford and one at Sherburn. To that date 36 women had been widowed and 90 children rendered fatherless. The final total of dead was 65 men and boys; 20 burned to death and the rest killed by afterdamp. Only two of the twenty five ponies were brought out alive.
The long lines of cold, grey, stone, two-storied tenements in which the miners lived in Micklefield, would never be the same for a generation.
This concludes the account by Mrs. Sudderdean.
Anita Mc.Neil, Redditch, Worcestershire
Coal may have had its day hereabouts but a large quarry at Micklefield works the Magnesian Limestone as an aggregate.
Chris's British Road Directory has an excellent description of recent changes to the road layout with the M1 extension joining the A1. Go to Histories Section of Chris's site.
©Biff Vernon 2001