The Maypole Colliery disaster was a mining accident on 18 August 1908, when an underground explosion occurred at the Maypole Colliery, in Abram, near Wigan, then in the historic county of Lancashire, in North West England. [4], Many of the victims of the disaster were buried at St John the Evangelist's Church, Abram. The local heritage group here would be interested in doing something, many of those who died came from this area. |

The deaths altered lives for hundreds of Wigan people and some of the first detailed reports were carried in the Wigan Observer just four days after Hell happened in No 1 Pit at the Maypole.

It was five o'clock in the afternoon of Tuesday the 18th of August 1908, when an explosion ripped the heart out of the Cannel mine, No one Pit, at Maypole Colliery, Abram, killing seventy-six men. Once again, my thanks for an excellent site, Here, Joe Mullarkey describes that disaster, and the moves being made to commemorate those who lost their lives. It was situated several hundred yards to the left of Warrington Road, Abram and is about midway between Wigan and Leigh. Postcard honouring the 76 men who lost their lives in the disaster. Recovery of the bodies was delayed because the pit had to be flooded to quell the underground fire started by the explosion.

They need to be scanned at 200dpi. © 2020, wiganworld.co.uk, All Rights Reserved. A specially-adapted room at the hugely-impressive centre in the parish of Killasser will serve as a reminder of that fateful day of August 18, 1908 when 75 people died in what became known as the Maypole Colliery Disaster.

Acage was ascending the shaft with tubs of coal and this was dashed to the bottom in consequence of the winding rope breaking. PAT CARROL, WiganJ MORAN, WiganM GALLAGHER, ScholesT GROARK, ScholesM CAFFERTY, ScholesE CAFFERTY, ScholesT DONLAN, GolborneJ FLANNERY, LeighF McGUCKIEN, WiganW McCABE, no addressJ GROGHEGAN, WiganJ CONWAY, WiganG ALLEN, Platt BridgeM BANKS, WiganT HARRISON, AbramALFRED MONKS, AbramJ TAYLOR, AbramF McMALLOY, ScholesP MULLIGAN, ScholesJ BENNETT, ScholesP McGOWAN, WiganP CULLEN, WiganH KILLORAN, AbramT KILLORAN, AbramP SLOGAN, ScholesJ BURNE, Platt BridgeJ McGRATH, ScholesP CULLEN, AbramJ DOYLE, AbramM McBOYLE, ScholesP FISHWICK, AbramS EVANS, GolborneJ PENNINGTON, no addressR WILDING, no addressH PIMBLETT, Dover, near WiganJ WALKDEN, HindleyJ DAVIES, AbramJOHN HANNAN, Plank LaneH TAYLOR, AbramLEVI RUSHTON, AbramW MONKS, AbramT GASKELL, AbramP SIMM, Platt BridgeJ HODGSON, no addressH NELSON, Platt BridgeJ DONELLY, GolborneT MURPHY, Platt BridgeJ CASSIDY, GolborneA DEVANEY, Platt BridgeJ WALSH, Platt BridgeJ McDONALD, Lower InceT McELLEN, GolborneP CHARNOCK, AbramP DUFFEY, WiganA HENDERSON, GolborneM HOUSE, ScholesA HUGHES, GolborneO ROBINSON, AbramP CAULFIELD, Platt BridgeJ ROBINSON, AbramR McDONOUGH, no addressE FRANCE, InceA DRAPER, Platt BridgeT LLOYD, Platt BridgeJ DAWSON, HindleyG HOLCROFT, LeighJ HOLCROFT, LeighR PIMBLETT, AbramT CROSS, Platt BridgeTOM JENNINGS, Golborne. Adams highlights importance of republished Greaves classic, British army torture tactics are nothing new, says Adams, The Abbey and the genius of Irish theatre, Anti-national revision is 'alive and kicking', Born in a stable? On the Sunday following the disaster, Canon Sommer sang a solemn Requiem Mass for the dead, which was attended by people from all the Catholic churches in Wigan. For hours after the fireball had ripped its killing way through the pit, yellow smoke poured from the shaft - a stark aftermath of the horror underground but it was not until November of the following year that most of the victims were brought to the surface. A stark aftermath of the horror underground. An inquest on the seventy-six victims, listed below, was opened on the 21 August 1908 and concluded on the 8th.of July 1909. The inquests started three days after the explosion and concluded on July 8 the following year. My name is John Sloyan and Yet gas had been reported on the day before the tragedy. The rest of the victims, including many with west-of-Ireland surnames, were: J Bennett, T McDonald, Pat Cullen, J Cassidy, T Gaskell, J Holcroft, John Hammons, Tom Jennings, T Cross, T Kearns, H Pimblett, M McGreal, T Fishwick, P Duffy, J Donnelley, M House, A Hughes, P Caulfield, J Robinson. John Lumsdon: Eamonn Connor Commemoration of Maypole Pit Disaster We are hoping to become involved in a commemorative event being planned for August 2008. The coroner concluded that the cause of death had been an explosion of firedamp and coal dust ignited by permitted explosives. For a considerable time after the explosion, clouds of smoke rose over the shaft and in the immediate vicinity of the engine house and it was not until this had been cleared somewhat that an idea could be obtained as to what had occurred. Debris was scattered in all directions and a man who was working close by had a narrow escape of being struck. Its organised by a local heritage group here who are interested in making contact with a group in Wigan to commemerate the centenary of the disaster in 1908. COLLIERY MAYPOLE (incl. The explosion happened in the area known as the Four Feet mine. Maypole Colliery disaster; Postcard published in 1908 to raise funds for the victims of the disaster . The head gear was largely destroyed and the fan house, which provided ventilation, was badly damaged. [2], It was initially reported that 75 men had been working in the pit at the time. The colliery was on the Lancashire Coalfield which contained numerous coal mines. The explosion happened in the area known as the Four Feet mine. IT WAS five o’clock in the afternoon on Tuesday 18 August 1908 when an explosion ripped the heart out of the Cannel mine, Number One pit, at the Maypole Colliery, Abram, near Wigan, killing seventy-six men. But the Coroner heard that the shot firers themselves had died in the blast. Mayor of Wigan, Wilf Brogan - Irish descent with a name like that - is in hospital the last I heard. © 2019 Mayo Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. It was a disaster that shook the Lancashire coalfield, a tragedy unprecedented in the Wigan area. [2] The miners were mainly drawn from the local area but also included a large number of workers who had moved to the area from County Mayo in Ireland. [5], The inquests started three days after the explosion, but were adjourned as more bodies were recovered and were not completed until 8 July the following year. But first, there are descriptions of the underground explosion which brought tea time to a standstill in Abram. There were four victims from the Charlestown, Co. Mayo area, namely: Pat Mulligan, J McGrath, M Cafferty and E Cafferty.

There were four victims from the Charlestown area, namely: Pat Mulligan, J McGrath, M Cafferty and E Cafferty. The last bodies were not recovered until 1917.

View all tagged images - In Browser. Robbed children of fathers. It was then discovered that, the headgear was damaged; the roof of the fan drift completely blown off; steam pipes broken and the ventilation from the fan house was stopped. It was a disaster that shook the Lancashire coalfield, a tragedy unprecedented in the Wigan area. [4], King Edward VII sent a telegram expressing his sympathy towards those who suffered as a result of the disaster.

All the victims of the Maypole were buried beneath a specially commissioned monument in Abram Parish Churchyard. The ceremony was organised by a local heritage group in Charlestown who are interested in making contact with a similar group in Wigan to commemorate the centenary of the disaster in 2008. / MAYPOLE PIT DISASTER CENTENARY Photo: Frank Orrell Views: 323 Item #: 32695 Sir Patrick Duffy lays a wreath at the memorial bearing his relatives name, Patrick Duffy, in Abram Parish Church yard during the Maypole Pit disaster centenary memorial day on Sunday 17th of August 2008. It was five o'clock on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 18, 1908 when an explosion ripped the heart out of the Cannel Mine (No 1 Pit) at Abram's Maypole Colliery. Does anyone have photos of the memorial erected in their memory? Recently my Aunt was presented with a plaque from the Mayor of Wigan who was visiting Co. Mayo to plant a tree in remembrance of all those who lost their lives.

Fundraising postcard issued after the Maypole Colliery disaster. The explosion happened in the area known as the Four Feet mine. [4], Rescue parties were organised immediately and led by the general manager John Knowles. << The Coroner heard many stories that the explosion had been caused by gas, but mine officials argued that Wigan pits were free of gas.

Mrs Mary Harrington, Cashel, Charlestown receiving Researchers over the years have concluded that pressure on the miners themselves played an important part. The explosion destroyed the ventilation drift and blew the cage, rope and other accessories away. Seventy six men were killed in Wigan's biggest mining disaster. Patrick Sloyan, also listed as having lost his life in that terrible tragedy, was from Kilgarriff, Charlestown.

Leave a comment? Features Memories of the Maypole disaster, On Pavlov, pavlova, Eric Cantona and drugs, Learning the lessons of Féile an Phobail, New challenge to Hart's Kilmichael account, Irish Self-Determination League of Great Britain, 1919-24, Iceland - a country of distinctive modernity, 'One of a kind' Welshman and friend of Ireland, A constitution to destroy Irish republicanism, De Valera's betrayal of the women of 1916, Sinn Fein set out need for all-Ireland health strategy, Seizing the GPO in 1916 made military sense, Sean Moylan: soldier, politician and independent spirit. Week after week, edition after edition, the pages are full of the tragedy and its many offshoots, including the setting up of the Fund to help the widows and orphans. John T Sloyan. Ian Winstanley. It was a disaster that shook the Lancashire coalfield, a tragedy unprecedented in the Wigan area. For hours after the explosion, yellow smoke poured from the No one shaft, a stark aftermath of the horror underground. And on that Tuesday, the people in the pit village didn't have to be told.