P5-Emails Rescue Teams

Britains Collieries And Pit Disasters

A Facebook group dedicated to every man, woman and child who toiled in the mining industry. And, to the thousands and thousands who lost their lives supplying a fuel that has created the digital age we now live in.

Above Photo from Joseph Malones Post in Britain's Collieries and Pit Disasters

HAMSTEAD COLLIERY DISASTER MARCH 1908 - BARNSLEY RESCUE TEAM.

Thanks to Robert Bradley for bringing this to my attention

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Trevor Armstrong
16 Feb 2015, Updated 17 Nov 2016
Hardwick No2 Rescue Team

Dear Sir,

Here is a photo of my grandfather, George Barrington Knowles, born 1876, with the Hardwick No2 Rescue Team. He is seated on the right.

I don't know the date or where the photo was taken. George was born in Friesland near Selston in 1876 and died in Hasland in 1945, aged 59, having lived in Selston and Holmewood in between. I was born in 1941 so barely remember him.

My mother (his youngest child) told me that he was a deputy, but I'm not sure in which pit. I seem to remember Williamthorpe being mentioned, but I suppose that it could have been more than one over his career. He was certainly quite prosperous for the time, owning his home in Selston and Hasland - not sure about Holmewood.

Please feel free to use the photo. The more these old photos are spread around the better the chance that they will be preserved for posterity. Would you have any idea where and when it was taken? Any information would be appreciated.

Best regards,

Trevor Armstrong

The photo below was taken around 1930, the officer in the middle looks like the same officer in the middle of yours but a little younger, possibly 1920-25 that would make your grandfather around 40/45

Fionn, Webmaster

George Knowles was born in 1876, so he would have been 44 in 1920. By 1935 (when my parents were married) he is pretty much totally bald and looks older than his age, 59. He died in 1945. I was born in 1941 so barely remember him.

Regarding the gent in the middle - they do look very similar, but Newstead is near Eastwood and the Hardwick collieries were Williamthorpe, Holmewood, and Ramcroft, I think, near Chesterfield. Also, I notice that said gent has his arms crossed differently in the two photos, but then that's getting really picky.

The photo came from my sister and she agrees with me regarding which one is George. He looks very much like a younger photo which we know is him. I do find that the moustaches worn in those days made men look very similar.

I love your site. There's so much good stuff on it. And thank you for putting a link to the Tupton Local History Society. I'm the secretary. I'll make sure that at our next committee meeting I request that we link to your site.

We are having a presentation at our venue in Tupton (details on our web site) on 1st December about coal mining in this area. This will be given by Neil Bridgewater, who also has a web site:

Neil
http://www.oldminer.co.uk/

http://www.tuptonlocalhistorysociety.com/

Best regards,

Trevor Armstrong

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Charles Snarski
12 March 2009
Newstead Colliery No1 Rescue Team

- Hover Over Faces to Read Names -

L – R Standing Will Wood, Tom Wallhead, Unknown Official, Thomas Millership, Lance Millership (Shot Fire/Deputy)
L –R Seated Sam Field (Colliery Manager), Elijah Meakin (Colliery Deputy)

Just as an aside the rescue team was becoming a bit of a family affair, as well as the two brothers, Thomas and Lance Millership, Will Wood (seen standing in the photo) was their brother-in-law having married their youngest sister, Mary.

Newstead Colliery No1 Rescue Team
Each Colliery Had Its Own Fully Equipped Rescue Team

Newstead Pit - Roy Kirkham - Shane Phillips

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Graham Christian
26 March 2007
6803 - Lance Millership - Newstead Colliery No1 Rescue Team

Having recently used your excellent web site Healyhero ( re fatal accident of Timothy Mellors at Newstead 2 Oct 1941) I thought I would like to contribute something that might be of interest to you and your site visitors, namely an official photo of Newstead Colliery No1 Rescue team from circa 1930. This comes from an old family photo album.

Just to give you a little back ground information my grandmother’s family (The Matley’s) moved about 1870 from the Leicestershire Coalfield to Annesley Colliery. Both myself and my cousin’s husband, Rob Skermer have been tracing the family history back into Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

One of the Matley girls married Timothy Mellors ( see above, his father was William Mellors who was killed in a fatal accident on 17 Apr 1925 at Annesley) Another Matley girl married William Lesley (Les) Millership who spent all his working life in Newstead pit Offices and lived to be 100 years old. His father was Lancelot Arthur Millership who died after fatal accident at Newstead pit on 11 Dec 1939.

He is in the photo, see below, which depicts the following (source of information Les Millership)
L – R Standing Will Wood, Tom Wallhead, Unknown Official, Thomas Millership, Lance Millership (Shot Fire/Deputy)
L –R Seated Sam Field (Colliery Manager), Elijah Meakin (Colliery Deputy)

I hope this may be of interest to you.

If anyone has an interest in the Matley’s I would be interested to hear from them and if anyone has an interest in the Millership’s
I would be happy to pass this on to Rob.

Graham Christian

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Melvyn Thomas
5 June 2014
Nostell Mines Rescue Team, Near Wakefield

Hi there,
I am an ex mining Electrician, and have just found your web site, marvellous resource that it is. I come from a mining family we all lived just North of Barnsley. Just recently I have taken to writing about my walking experiences when I was young, the pits around here were just playgrounds.

Mining affected every part of the area, either by money or by the environment. These walks are just my way of setting down the effects that mining had on me and my contemporaries of course. During the writing, I found that I had to research collieries, that is how I came across your site.

I try not to go into the historical details, others have already done that, I walk around, photograph what I see, then write up where it came from and what it did in the landscape of the time. This process made me consider carefully items found, I have not removed any, they are still exactly where I found them. It has spurred me on to delve a little further, maybe when I retire I’ll look more deeply into the background.

Anyway, great web site, well presented
Thanks for putting it out there.
Regards

Melvyn Thomas.

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Peter Jackson
28 Jan 2014
Linby No.2 Mines Rescue Team

Attached is a photo of the Linby No. 2 Rescue Team. My grandfather is Alfred William Jackson who is seated left.
He died in the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918.