Job Millership was born in 1844 in Greasley, Nottinghamshire. His parents were Job Millership (1805-1863) and Eliza Carrington (1908-1858), who married in Greasley on 25th May 1828. Job spent his early years working as a domestic servant, and after his parents passed away, he lodged with his older brothers, and worked at Newstead Colliery, Basford, Nottinghamshire (pictured below).
Job was unmarried when he moved to Micklefield in 1893, and starting lodging with Wright Wallis at 7 Station Row. In December 1893, he took out a Life Insurance policy with the Prudential. On 30th April 1896, Wright Wallis saw Job getting his breakfast at 6am, and then watched him set off for work. Wright’s older brother was John Thomas Wallis, who was also killed in the disaster.
Job made his way to the pit bottom, walked along the West Level, turned up New North Road, and had just walked passed John Goodall’s gate when the explosion happened. He was 120 metres away. Although the blast was strong enough at the source to burn George Henry Whitaker, John Simpson, Henry Edward Tallett and James Wilson, it actually grew in intensity as more coal dust became dislodged, and the fire reacted to the increased oxygen in the West Level. So although Job was injured in the blast, because he was quite close to the explosion, he actually survived it. However, Job and the other surviving miners in this area were either killed by roof falls or due to afterdamp poisoning. These men close to Job were Thomas Longdon, William Sheldon, David Shillito, George Daniel Edwin Taylor, Edward Goodall, Samuel James, Joseph Wilson and Herbert Winfield.
Job’s landlord, Wright Wallis, joined Robert Routledge’s rescue party at 7am on 2nd May, and again at 2pm. On the second occasion, he found Job’s body on top of some fallen props and broken stones and tubs. Job was lying on his right side, slightly burnt, with his cap in his left hand, holding it against his mouth in an effort to reduce the afterdamp poisoning. He was still holding a lamp in his right hand. Wright Wallis helped carry his lodger to the bottom of the shaft, and then to the Joiner’s shed, where he identified Job at the Inquest. Job was unmarried, and had no children. He was buried in Micklefield as part of the third batch on 3rd May.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 