Story
Henry Firth Rawnsley was born in Crossgates in 1871. He was the son of William Henry Rawnsley (1843-1922) and Harriet Mosby (1843-1927) who married 16th May 1863 in Sherburn. William was originally from Hunslet and Harriet was from Micklefield, and they lived at 8 Bland’s Terrace. Both their mothers had maiden names of Firth, which was carried down into their son Henry’s middle name. In addition to their son Henry, William and Harriet also had Nathaniel Rawnsley (1864-1938) who married Eliza Moakes, brother of Frederick, who was a rescuer at the 1896 disaster; Elizabeth Rawnsley (1867-1916); Ann Rawnsley (1866-1944); James Rawnsley (1875-1940); and Naomi Rawnsley (1879-1958).
In 1892, Henry married Margaret Whitaker (1873-1950) who was from Garforth. Margaret’s aunt was Ann Elizabeth Whitaker (née Chafer, 1853-1927), mother of George Henry Whitaker who was the first man killed in the disaster. On the 30th April 1896, Henry and Margaret were living at 11 Crescent. Henry was 24 years-old, and played cricket for Micklefield. He had a daughter Clara (1895-1968).
Henry was named as a survivor of the disaster but the circumstances of his escape were not documented.
Henry and Margaret went on to have two other daughters: Annie on 30th July 1896 and Mary (1898-1970), and later moved to Garforth. They had two further children who died in infancy. Henry was killed at Peckfield Colliery on 11th June 1910. He had been holing some coal near the gate-end when a large piece of coal broke off the face, displaced a sprag, and pinned his head to the floor, killing him instantly. He was 38 years-old. His widow Margaret re-married Fred Myers in Leeds on 12th April 1914, and they continued to live in Garforth.
Henry was not the only survivor of the Peckfield Colliery Disaster to be killed later at the same Colliery, as Robert Henry Nevins died 20th February 1914 as a result an accident he had at Peckfield Colliery on 6th January 1914.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 