Story
George was born in 1872 in Micklefield. His parents were Miles Whitaker (1849-1939) and Ann Elizabeth Chafer (1853-1927, pictured left in mourning below) who married on 27th November 1871 in Bubwith, East Yorkshire. Both Miles and Ann were from East Yorkshire, and met whilst working in the same house as domestic servants in Aughton. Miles and Ann moved to Micklefield and Miles started work at the new Peckfield Colliery. However, Miles lost his job after being charged with cruelty against an aged pit pony on 22nd June 1888. He left mining, and became a Greengrocer.
The family lived at 11 Bland’s Row, Micklefield. George worked at the colliery as a Trammer. He wasn’t due to work on Thursday 30th April 1896, but since miners were not being paid that day, his brother Tom Edwin Whitaker (1876-1967, pictured above right) who had permission to work that day, asked whether George wanted to take his place instead on Thursday and Friday. George agreed, and took his brother’s place. George set off to work before his father Miles was awake, and walked along the West Level, before turning up New North Road. He was working with John Simpson. At 7:20am, George needed a comfort break, so left his pony in New North Road Gate One, and turned left into John Goodall’s Gate. John Simpson waited outside for him with his own pony in New North Road. George was 943 yards from the Downcast shaft, and would have seen the Night Deputy, Joseph Lillyman’s chalk mark with the date 30/04/1896 on the entrance to John Goodall’s Gate to state that he had inspected it during the early hours, and found it to be safe. By stepping into the Gate, George moved out of the air current. He was holding his candle in his right hand, and holding it up to the right side of his face. As John Goodall’s Gate had experienced a roof fall between the time it was inspected by Joseph Lillyman and the time it was entered by George, the area had filled with Firedamp gas. This reacted to the naked flame of George’s candle, and blew the right side of his head away, killing him outright. The force of the blast was strong enough to lift his pony and dash it against the wall of New North Road. The blast also killed John Simpson and his pony who were waiting in New North Road for George to return. This was the initial explosion which then dislodged and ignited coal dust throughout the mine, and caused the entire disaster.
George’s body was recovered by Robert Routledge, and identified by his father Miles, who understated that his son’s face and chest had been burnt, and that his head was cut. Robert Routledge more graphically confirmed that George had had half his head blown away. George was 23 years-old and hadn’t married. He is buried in Micklefield Churchyard.
George’s brother, Tom Edwin Whitaker, was spoken to by Samuel Cheesbrough, who had been a two-month old baby in attendance at the pit-head on the day of the disaster, and wrote afterwards: “A man who died a few years ago at the age of ninety [Tom Edwin Whitaker] always felt that he could have been killed on explosion day. He had asked permission to work on the fatal day and then passed the option on to his brother. The brother [George Henry Whitaker] was killed. “
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 