Story
John’s parents were John Meakin (1827-1901) and Susannah Smith (1834-1920) who were from Kirkby-in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire and Winster, Derbyshire respectively. They married in Basford, Nottinghamshire in 1853, and John Meakin was their fourth child, born in 1860. John snr. was a coal miner, and by the age of 11, John jnr. was already working as a screener at the pit. They lived in Hasland, Chesterfield, before later moving to Tibshelf, Derbyshire.
In 1877, John’s older brother William married Sarah Ann Moakes in Mansfield, and they moved up to Micklefield to work at the new Peckfield Colliery. His younger brother Gregory joined him, and the three lodged together. By 1881, John had followed his two older brothers and moved to Micklefield, with all three brothers working at Peckfield Colliery. He was lodging with Maria Garforth, who had a child born out of wedlock: Harrison Taylor Garforth (1879-1957). Maria’s father James Garforth (1811-1876) had been present at the Peckfield Colliery opening ceremony in October 1874. He was the oldest collier in the district and had proposed a toast to “the health of the Chairman [Joseph Cliff] and all the members of his family.” John and Maria married later in 1881, and they lived at 5 Crescent. The couple went on to have eight children together by the time of the disaster, including Lewis Meakin (1889-1976, below left) and Olive Meakin 1893-1966, below right) who married Roland Shillito (1889-1934) whose uncle James Shillito was killed in the Disaster. Maria would have been about 4 weeks pregnant with her ninth child when her husband John was killed in the disaster.
John was making his way South East towards the Machine Face when the explosion occurred. There were six other men working in this District. William Varey, George Benson and Charles Noble were operating the coal cutting machinery, whilst William Naylor Whitaker, William Francis Dean, and William Herring were close to John Meakin. These men were at the opposite side of the mine to where the explosion occurred, so they were unaffected by the blast, which took place nearly two miles away from their position, but they knew afterdamp would be an issue, and the blast had created many roof falls. Two of the men, George Benson and William Naylor Whitaker, moved to No.3 South Bord, which was well ventilated and hoped to be rescued. A pony also remained in this area, and survived. The other five men took the Return, and followed the air current towards the No.2 South Bord. William Varey did not get far before afterdamp gas caught up with him, and he was the first to fall. He died 160 metres from where William Naylor Whitaker and George Benson were found. Of the other 4 men making their way to the exit, Charles Noble was next to fall at No.2 South Bord, with John Meakin collapsing a few yards in front of him. William Herring and William Francis Dean were a little further on, approaching the No.1 South Bord, but they too were overcome by the gas.
John’s body was recovered late on 1st May. His older brother Gregory Meakin had left Micklefield and coal mining and had returned to Tibshelf in Derbyshire to work as a general dealer, but once he learnt John was involved in the disaster, he travelled back to Micklefield, and arrived late on 1st May. He identified his brother’s body the same night when it was brought out, and stated at the inquest the following day that John was apparently uninjured in his appearance.
The Meakins came back up to Micklefield for John’s funeral. John’s widow, Maria (pictured above) was in attendance. Her husband was amongst the third group of funerals to be held on the 3rd May. Maria gave birth to John’s last son, Granville Meakin on 11th January 1897, and re-married Frank Morley in Micklefield on Christmas Day 1900. Frank was a coal miner from Derbyshire, who was 12 years her junior, Maria being born on 17th July 1858. They lived at 25 Sunnybank, and on 17th August 1901, Maria gave birth to her final child, Frank Morley jnr.
Further tragedy was to befall Maria, when her husband Frank Morley snr. went missing over the Christmas period in 1905. Four weeks later a Coroner’s inquest was held in Altofts on two legs. The left leg had been found in King’s Road lock on the Aire and Calder Canal by a lock-keeper, and the right leg was found by another lock-keeper in Birkwood’s lock, half a mile away from the left leg. They were judged to have belonged to a tall man and were matched by the stockings and a full shoe against a partial shoe. The verdict was “found drowned in the canal having probably been severed from the trunk of an unknown man, probably drowned and mutilated by passing screw boats.” The following week, Maria was able to identify her husband from the legs alone, which were brought back and buried in Micklefield on 20th January 1906.
In 1911, Maria was still living at 25 Sunnybank with her children and another coal miner lodger. Frank Morley jnr. would marry Lily Benson in 1925. Her father was Arthur Benson (1873-1948) who had identified his father James Benson, and two brothers George William and Fred Benson as victims in the 1896 disaster. Lily and Frank lived at 130 Garden Village, but Lily herself was only 34 when she passed away on 4th April 1937, and Frank Morley jnr. died in 1979.
By 1921, Maria lived with her son Granville Meakin at 22 Crescent, next door in fact to Lily Benson’s parents Arthur Benson and his wife Justina Copeland. Maria passed away in 1940, aged 82. Sadly, Granville passed away soon after on 19th May 1943, aged 46.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 