Story
George Shillito, pictured above, was the eldest child of John Shillito (1814-1895) and Sarah Metcalf (1818-1849), who married in Bilton in Ainsty on 15th December 1834. John was a Limeburner all his working life. George was their first child and was born in Sherburn in 1836. He married Jane Whincup (1842-1912) in Wetherby on 11th May 1861, and the couple had 5 children: Sarah in 1862, John in 1864, Samuel in 1867, Alfred in 1871 and Lucy in 1880. They lived at 19 Blands Cottages. By 1896, George was a deputy at Peckfield Colliery, and was the first man to arrive at the pit on the morning of the disaster. George was stood outside William Radford’s office at the top of No.1 Dip, close to the Brakesman Arthur Simpson when he was killed by the explosion. He was burnt and blown into the sump. As the explosion travelled up the main shaft, he was then buried under tonnes of falling debris. George was the last body to be recovered on the 13th May 1896. He was identified at 6:30am the same day, by his son John Shillito of 9 Quarry View. John had married Mary Matilda Godber in 1888, and she was the daughter of Josiah Godber who survived the disaster. John stated at the Inquest that his father’s hair had been singed, his whiskers had been burnt off and his hands were burnt. George was 59 years-old. One of George’s other sons, Fred, was amongst the survivors of the disaster, but was injured. George’s widow Jane did not re-marry, but managed to continue living at 19 Bland’s Cottages as her son Fred (1871-1943) supported her. Fred married Martha Hunt (1875-1908) in 1901, and after her death he re-married Lucy Smith (1889-1963) in 1910, who was the last beneficiary of the Peckfield Colliery Disaster Fund.
George’s younger brother, David Shillito was also killed in the disaster. David was born in Sherburn in 1842, and married Jane Ridsdale (1853-1931) in 1875, and the couple had 3 daughters: Sarah in 1875; Hetty in 1880; and Elizabeth in 1883. They were living at 14 Blands Cottages, Micklefield, and David had long been a coal miner at Peckfield Colliery.
On the day of the disaster, David made his way along the West Level, and turned up New North Road. He walked passed John Goodall’s Gate which, minutes later, was the scene of the explosion. He turned right and was 120 metres away from Goodall’s Gate when the explosion happened. The majority of the blast made its way back down New North Road and the West Level, but a section of the blast moved North, burning three miners, and killing four in roof falls. David survived the blast, but as a result of the extensive roof falls, he had no means of escape. The blast had destroyed New North Road, and Old North Road, cutting off both ways out. He was trapped with some experienced miners in Joseph Wilson, Samuel James and George Daniel Edwin Taylor, but they quickly succumbed to afterdamp poisoning.
On Saturday 2nd May, David’s body was found and recovered by Robert Routledge, who wrote in his diary: “I came out to report at 11 am. Saw Mr Wardell and Mr C Houfton and arranged with them for some more men to descend and help to carry the bodies out. Took Dr Griesbach down with us and left him at the bottom of the new bord. Going forward up the bord, found Mr J L Routledge, Halliday and F Wilson. Mr Routledge, Halliday and Wilson stayed at end of crossgate. Mr Wilson (Inspector) and I went on the crossgate and found five men at the bottom of James’ gate. Their names were Joseph Wilson 39, Dan Taylor 40, Sam James 41, David Shillito 42, and James Wilson 43.”
David’s body was identified at the Inquest by another of his brothers, Henry Shillito (1841-1906), who lived at 2 Bland’s Row, and worked as a labourer at the stone quarry. He stated that David’s body showed no sign of injury. The cousin of George and David, James Shillito, was also killed in the disaster.
Like George’s widow, David’s widow Jane did not remarry. She was supported after her first daughter Sarah (1875-1947) married John Frank Palfreeman in 1898, and her family moved in with Jane at 14 Bland’s Cottages. On the 1911 census, Sarah is in Sherburn, visiting her married cousin Lucy, who was George Shillito’s daughter, so the two families continued to keep in touch with each other.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 