Story
Alfred was born 6th June 1878, and was the son of Charles Wilson (1834-1919) and Rebecca Mollitt (1839-1896), who married 8th November 1868 in Sherburn. The family lived in Aberford. Charles was a colliery labourer.
Alfred was christened Charles Alfred Wilson, but was known as Alfred, and he was 17 years-old when he set off to work at Peckfield Colliery with his friend Arthur Howson, who was a year older than him, and also from Aberford. They were both pony drivers. At 6:30am, the two boys passed Arthur Howson’s father and brother, who were just making their way back home to Aberford after completing the night shift.
As it was a ‘laik day’ there were fewer pony drivers at work, so Alfred and Arthur had the pick of the ponies in the stable. They opted to take another lad’s pony for hurrying, as they thought it better than their own.
Alfred and Arthur made their way South down No.1 Dip. They passed the Air Crossing, and another set of doors, and were making their way to the coal face, close to where another Aberford miner, William Richard Wood Stead was working with his mate William Barker, when the explosion occurred. The explosion travelled down the No.1 Dip, killing Richard Shepherd, then George Edwin Dunnington, but the fire did not travel as far as Arthur and Alfred, because when it reached the Air Crossing, it made its way back up the No.2 Dip on the return. Alfred and Arthur had time to consider what they should do, and decided to leave their pony with its food and water and make a run for it back up the No.1 Dip. Although the fire hadn’t reached them, there was still a lot of damage to the walls and roof, and they failed to even reach the Air Crossing. They met hurrier George Hayes, and all three were overcome by afterdamp and died. The pony which Arthur and Alfred left behind was later discovered over a fortnight later on the 15th May by William Atack. It was weak, but still alive, and was brought out to be well looked after, as the miners had a great regard for it.
Arthur’s body was brought out at 3am on Friday 1st May. He was identified at the inquest by his older brother William Wilson, who was 24 years-old. William was a market garden labourer, and had married two years earlier and then left Aberford to move to Gawthorpe, Selby. He stated that his brother did not appear to have been injured. Alfred’s mother Rebecca died a few months after her son.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 