Story
Charles Houfton was the Peckfield Colliery Manager, appointed by the Owner, Joseph Cliff. In fact, Charles was responsible for planning out the pit layout and design in 1874, and was Colliery Manager from the opening of the colliery around 1876. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire in 1830, and was the son of a gardener, John Houfton (1791-1847) and Sarah (1806-1884). One of Charles’ early jobs was with his younger brother Elijah Houfton (1832-1908, pictured below) when they were employed in management capacities by Messrs. Carrington at the Wingerworth Ironworks in Chesterfield.
Charles married Phoebe Plowright (1829-1923) in 1852 in Basford, Nottingham. Many of their five sons (pictured below) would also work in the mining industry. Charles passed away on 18th November 1908, and his obituary in the press summarises much of his life:
“From pit lad to colliery manager. Death of Mr. Charles Houfton of Mansfield
We regret to record the death which took place early on Wednesday morning of Mr. Charles Houfton at his residence, Park House, the Park, Mansfield, in his 79th year. For some time he has been in very feeble health, and he succumbed to heart failure. The career of the late Mr. Houfton makes a most interesting story. He was a shining example of the value of “self help,” for by his own natural ability, backed up by untiring industry and perseverance, he rose from the position of pit lad to that of manager of some of the most important collieries in the North Midland coal field. Mr. Houfton was born in 1830 near Mansfield, and he went to the pit at the age of 10 years, at a time when lads had to work many hours in the mine, and when during the winter time they only saw daylight on Sundays. Not content with this status Mr. Houfton turned his attention to improving his mind, and strove to better himself. He never had the opportunity of attending a day school, but every evening after a working day of 11 hours he walked 3 miles to gain knowledge at evening classes. At length he rose to be a deputy at the Cinder Hill colliery, near Nottingham, and his next upward step was his appointment as manager of the Ironstone mines, near Chesterfield, belonging to the Wingerworth Iron Company. After being manager there for several years he was appointed manager of the High Park Colliery belonging to Messrs. Barber, Walker, and Co. of Eastwood, and during his management the output was increased to 1,000 [tonnes of coal] per day, this being the first colliery in the country at that time to reach this quantity a day. Mr. Houfton remained here for 12 years, after which he acted as manager for a short time of the Holmewood colliery near Chesterfield, which is now worked by the Hardwick colliery company. A few months later he became manager of the Brampton colliery, which is now worked out, and upon the site of which the Chesterfield Corporation Electricity works now stands. In 1874 or 1875 he was appointed to the management of the Micklefield colliery, in West Yorkshire, 9 miles east of Leeds. He sank and developed this pit, and remained its manager until he retired in 1901. Subsequent to this he came to Mansfield to live amongst his friends.
Many people still remember the disastrous explosion which occurred in Micklefield in 1896, when 63 lives were lost, and the shock of losing so many old officials and workmen was one from the effects of which the deceased gentleman never thoroughly recovered. Mr. Houfton, who was always a great reader, took an active part in religious work during his life. Originally he was a Congregationalist, but on taking up his residence in Yorkshire he identified himself with the Wesleyan Methodists, amongst which body he was a lay preacher for many years, and in connection with which he occupied almost every official position. He leaves a widow, five sons, and two daughters. One of the sons, Mr. J.P. Houfton, J.P. is general manager of the Bolsover Colliery company, and has recently taken up his residence at Carr Bank, Mansfield.”
On the day of the Peckfield Colliery Disaster, Charles was 65 years-old, but still went into the pit several times each week. He lived at Garforth Villa, and was quickly on the scene. Robert Routledge, the manager of Garforth Colliery, arrived at Peckfield colliery at 8:50am, and wrote afterwards: “I found Mr C Houfton and Clough the engineer on the top of the no.2 or upcast shaft. The covering of this had been very much damaged; also the steam pipes which brought the steam from the boilers to the fan engine, consequent the fan was standing. Joseph Lillyman the night deputy and two men descended the upcast or No.2 and found they could not get within 18 feet of the bottom as the wrought iron pipes which carried the compressed air down had been partly blown across the pit. Mr C Houfton and Clough the engineer went down and with a little manoeuvring they got the cage past this obstruction and got down to the Beeston Seam. Here they found several men who were brought up at once, three badly injured and were attended to. Mr C Houfton then asked me to accompany him down. We first went to the cabin and found Radford and Wallace [Wallis] lying dead, the cabin a complete wreck, and a great many of the papers burnt.”
Leaving the pit on the 30th April, Charles reported that he had encountered several falls of roof, but hoped to find men still alive when he returned on the following day, stating: “Where there is life, there is hope.” His daughter, and the daughter of Charles Shepherd, were both members of trained nurses’ institutions, and were at the pit disaster to give any assistance they could.
Charles was part of the rescue parties on 1st May, along with his son John Plowright Houfton who had come up from Nottinghamshire to assist. In March 1897, Charles was interviewed by the Yorkshire Evening Post about a short-lived strike at Peckfield Colliery. In it Charles disputed his workforce’s protest that being forced to use safety lamps made them less efficient, and was costing them money:
Charles, his wife Phoebe and their grandson Charles Morley Houfton, who was killed in the First World War are remembered on a window in the Bridge Street Methodist Church, Mansfield (below):
“TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF CHARLES HOUFTON WHO DIED 18TH NOVEMBER 1908 AND OF PHEBE HOUFTON, WIFE OF CHARLES HOUFTON DIED 13TH DECR 1923, AND OF CHARLES MORLEY HOUFTON KILLED IN THE GREAT WAR NOVR 1915 “AND THERE SHALL BE ONE FOLD AND ONE SHEPHERD.”
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 