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Whitefield Colliery Explosion 1881

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Disasters | Mining Disasters | England Mining Disasters |Staffordshire Mining Disasters | Whitefield Colliery Disaster 1881

Contact: David Moss

Summary

  • Date: 7 February 1881
  • Location: Whitefield Colliery Staffordshire (approximately 53 degrees 5' N, 2 degrees 10' W)
  • Victims: 24+ fatalities
  • Cause: Explosion
  • sources [1]
"Whitefield colliery, about five miles from Stoke-on-Trent and owned by the Chatterley Iron Company.. William Moss, a wagoner, went to the smithy about 11 p.m. and saw Morton blowing on the fire. He told him to be careful and not to get the pit on fire...The manager Mr. E. Thompson was committed for trial at the Staffordshire Assizes for manslaughter by both the Coroners jury and the Stipendiary Magistrate. He was tried before Mr. Justice Cave and acquitted ."


Victims
Name Age Those they left behind Address Sourced Bio Connected Category
John Bailey 42 Sun St Tunstall Dataler
Christopher Beech 49 wife and 5 children Whitfield Lamp man
Joseph Beech 22 mother Whitfield Dataler
A Bickerton Pit's Hill
Henry Boulton 29 wife Whitfield Fireman
Richard Cottonberry 30 Norton Green Collier
George Dale 33 wife Whitfield Collier
Joseph Dale 22 Bradeley Collier
John Davis 46 Whitfield Dataler
William (George) Dean 17 Whitfield jigger
James Fletcher 34 wife and 7 children Turnhurst dataler
Samuel Gaskell 45 wife and family Ball Lane collier
William Thomas Gidman 19 Chell Heath jigger
Thomas Hargreaves 37 Woodhouse Lane dataler
Arthur Holdcroft 25 wife and 2 children Fegg Hayes dataler
William Locket 38 wife and 5 children Whitfield underlooker
Cain Mayer 40 wife and 11 children Whitfield engineer
Robert Miles 60 wife and 3 children Fegg Hayes fireman
Edward Morton 40 wife and 8 children Whitfield fireman
William Morton 16 mother Whitfield taker off
Arthur Poole 25 Whitfield collier
John Sargeant 33 wife and 2 children Ball Green fireman
Henry Stubbs 33 wife and 7 children carpenter
Edward Thompson Whitfield son of manager
John Thompson wife Whitfield son of manager
Samuel Vickers 50 wife Whitfield fireman

Sticker:

Mining Emblem
... ... ... died in the [Colliery Explosion] disaster on 7-February 1881

Research Notes

possible birth, census, death records

John Bailey

There is an 1871 Hanley census record of John Bailey 32 (coal miner) with family - Jane Bailey Wife 30 James Bailey Son 10 John Bailey Son 8 Arthur Bailey Son 5 William Bailey Son 3

John died aged 42, Whitfield Sun St, Tunstall, Dataler

Christopher Beech

There is an 1871 Hodnet census record of Christopher Beech 38 (blacksmith) with family - Emma Beech Wife 40 Joseph Beech Son 12 Lettice Beech Daughter 9 Cristopher Beech Son 5 William Beech Son 3 Arthur Beech Son 1

Christopher died aged 49, Whitfield Married & 5 Children, Lamp man

Joseph Beech

(please see above)

There is an 1871 Hodnet census record of Christopher Beech 38 (blacksmith) with family - Emma Beech Wife 40 Joseph Beech Son 12 Lettice Beech Daughter 9 Cristopher Beech Son 5 William Beech Son 3 Arthur Beech Son 1

Joseph died aged 22, Whitfield Son of Christopher, Single, Dataler

A Bickerton

Whitfield Pit`s Hill

Henry Boulton

There are several local census records of 'Henry Boulton' - for example 1861 Talke aged 9 -

  • "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M71Y-1W1 : 3 March 2021), Henry Boulton in household of Elijah Boulton, Talke, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. (accessed 6-7-2022)

Henry died aged 29, Whitfield, Thrown Into Gearing, Broke Arm & 2 Ribs Died 10pm On The 7th, Fireman, Married

Richard Cottonberry

There is a local 1861 Congleton census record of Richard Cottenborough aged 9 -

  • "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M727-YM7 : 3 March 2021), Richard Cottenborough in household of Ann Cottenborough, Congleton, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. (accessed 6-7-2022)

Richard died aged 30, Whitfield Norton Green, Collier

George Dale

There is a local 1871 Smallthorne census record of George Dale 22 (coal miner) with family - Benjamin Dale Father 47 coal miner Louisa Dale Mother 42 Amos Dale Brother 20 coal miner Eunice Dale Sister 18 Benjamin Dale Brother 16 coal miner Joseph Dale Brother 12 coal miner Elizabeth Dale Sister 10 John Dale Brother 8

George died aged 33, Whitfield Married, Brother of Joseph Bradeley, Collier

Joseph Dale

There is a local 1871 Smallthorne census record of Joseph Dale 12 (coal miner) with family - Benjamin Dale Father 47 coal miner Louisa Dale Mother 42 George Dale Brother 22 coal miner Amos Dale Brother 20 coal miner Eunice Dale Sister 18 Benjamin Dale Brother 16 coal miner Elizabeth Dale Sister 10 John Dale Brother 8

Joseph died aged 22, Whitfield Single, Brother of George Bradeley, Collier -

John Davi(e)s

There are several local census records of 'John Davis'.

John died aged 46, Whitfield, 'A Stranger Recently Come To Work At Colliery', Dataler

William ( George ) Dean

There are several local census records of William Dean, for example Newcastle, aged 6, with family -

William died aged 17, Whitfield, A Boy, Jigger

James Fletcher

James died aged 34, Whitfield, Married & 7 Children, Turnhurst, Dataler

Samuel Gaskell

There is a local 1871 Bagnall census record of Samuel Gaskell 34 (coal miner and farmer) with family - Emma Gaskell Wife 39 James Wm Gaskell Son 15 coal miner John Gaskell Son 9 Samuel Gaskell Son 6 Harriet Elizabeth Gaskell Daughter 4 Wright Gaskell Son 2 Thomas Gaskell Son 0

Samuel died aged 45, Whitfield, Married & Family, Lane Ball, Collier

William Gidman

There is a local 1871 Smallthorne census record of William aged 9 with family - Joseph Gidman Father 42 forge man Mercy Gidman Mother 33 Sarah Gidman Sister 15 cutter of prints for ware Harriot Gidman Sister 13 Mary Gidman Sister 1

William died aged 19, Whitfield, A Boy, Chell Heath, Jigger

Thomas Hargreaves

Thomas aged 27 (coal miner) is recorded in the 1871 Norton census with family - James Hargreaves Father 60 coal miner James Hargreaves Brother 31 coal miner Hannah Hargreaves Sister 19 George Hargreaves Brother 13 farm labourer

Thomas died aged 37, Whitfield, Woodhouse Lane, Green Ball, Dataler

Arthur Holdcroft

Arthur aged 14 (bricklayers labourer) is recorded in the 1871 Norton census with family - Richard Holcroft Father 43 shoemaker Ann Holcroft Mother 42 Richard Holcroft Brother 16 coal miner Joseph Holcroft Brother 12 Ann Holcroft Sister 11 Hannah Holcroft Sister 9 Edna Holcroft Sister 3 Thomas Holcroft Brother 0

Arthur died aged 25, Whitfield, Married & 2 Children, Hayes Fegg, Dataler

William Lockett

William 27 (collier) aged is recorded in the 1871 Tunstall census with family - Eliza Lockett Wife 28 Ann Bale sister in law 16

William died aged 38, Whitfield, Married & 5 Children, Underlooker

Cain Mayer

Cain 31 (blacksmith, widower) is recorded in the 1871 Tunstall census with family - James Mayer Son 11 Elijah Mayer Son 9 Cain Mayer Son 7 Esrom G Mayer Son 5 Annie Mayer Daughter 3 Ellen Dol 25 servant

Cain died aged 40, Whitfield, Married & 11 Children, Whitfield, Engineer

Robert Miles

Robert died aged 60, Whitfield, Married & 3 Grown-Up Children, Hayes Fegg, Fireman

Edward Morton

Edward died aged 40, Whitfield, Married & 8 Children, Fireman

William Morton

There is an 1871 Rugeley census record of William Moreton 5 with family - John Parton grandfather 64 coal miner Jane Moreton 36 dressmaker

William died aged 16, Whitfield, Son of Edward, Single, Taker-off

Arthur Poole

There is an 1861 Burslem census record of Arthur Poole 5 with family - Thomas Poole 48 potter Elizabeth Poole 48 William Poole 22 potter Mary Poole 16 potter Thomas Poole 14 potter apprentice Joseph Poole 11 potter apprentice

  • "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWMC-QLW : 3 March 2021), Arthur Poole in household of Thomas Poole, Burslem, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. (accessed 6-7-2022)

Arthur died aged 25, Whitfield, Collier

John Sargeant

There are a couple of local census records of John Sergeant.

John died aged 33, Whitfield, Married & 2 Children, Ball Green, Fireman

Henry Stubbs

Henry died aged 33, Whitfield, Married & 7 Children, Whitfield, Carpenter

Edward Thompson

Whitfield, Eldest Son of The Manager, Broken Leg & Concussion of The Brain – Died Early Hrs of The 8th -

John Thompson

John died aged 26, Whitfield, Asst Manager, Son of The Manager, Married But No Family

Samuel Vickers

Samuel died aged 53, Whitfield, Married, Whitfield, Fireman

Sources

  1. ↑ https://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/accidents-disasters/staffordshire/whitefield-colliery-explosion-hanley-1881/ "WHITEFIELD. Hanley, Staffordshire. 7th. February, 1881." (accessed 7-6-2022)
  • 'Ironopolis...' book by Nicholas Moss, Caxton 2018




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Categories: Whitefield Colliery Explosion 1881, Hanley, Staffordshire, 1881