Story
Edward Simpson was born on 25th July 1846 in Micklefield, and was the son of Edward Simpson (1813-1900) and Sarah Steels (1818-1891) who married in Leeds on 5th August 1839. Edward snr. was from York, and Sarah was from Church Fenton, and they settled in Micklefield, with Edward snr. working as a coal miner at Micklefield Pit, which was operating long before Peckfield Colliery. Edward Jnr. was also working at Micklefield Pit on the 1861 census at the age of 14, and so was one of the few miners who worked at both the Micklefield and Peckfield Collieries, as the majority of miners only came up to Micklefield from the Midlands when the Peckfield Colliery opened in 1876. On 9th June 1867, Edward married Phoebe Harrison (1842-1871) and had two daughters before her death, after which he married Sarah Ann Thackray (1845-1933) in 1871. They lived at 24 Crescent. The Simpsons were closely linked to the Whitakers. Edward’s sister Keziah had married George Whitaker in 1877, whose brother Joseph was killed in the same disaster, and Edward’s daughter Mary Simpson (1883-1969) went on to marry William Arthur Whitaker in 1902, and his brother George Henry Whitaker inadvertently and unwittingly triggered the explosion, which also killed him.
Edward was a 49 years-old fitter on the day of the disaster. He was working in the lower seam, the Black Bed, 240 yards below the surface. He was 50 yards from the bottom of No.2 pit lift shaft when he heard a clap of thunder and felt the stoppage of air. He was “hurled down” by a blast of air, and along with the other miners in the Black Bed, he fell unconscious for about an hour due to after damp gas released after the explosion. When they revived and regroup, Edward said he had felt very concerned for the young boys who were working there, but with the encouragement of the elders, particularly the Black Bed Deputy, Robert Henry Nevins, they crawled up the stone ventilation shaft, and despite struggling throughout with afterdamp gas poisoning, they reached the No.2 lift shaft at the bottom of the Beeston Bed, and were helped by many survivors from that level. Edward in particular had to be helped, and was almost unconscious when he was brought out on a stretcher in the first group to be rescued. Once at the surface, Edward had to be carried home. He was described by journalists as being badly hurt, but this impression is likely to be the result of being carried out on a stretcher suffering from after-damp poisoning. At 1pm, he was in bed being attended to by a party of women (likely his wife and 5 daughters), recounting his tale. His brother William was involved in the rescue efforts.
Edward had seven children in total, who all lived into adulthood. He continued working at Peckfield Colliery, and moved to 12 Prospect Terrace. Edward passed away in 1918, aged 71.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 