Story
John Parkin was born in 1850 in Darlington, Durham, and was the son of a Woodsman, James Parkin (1824-1899) and Elizabeth Noddings (1831-1905) who married 12th June 1849 in Darlington. The family had moved to Brampton Bierlow, Rotherham by 1861. John married Martha Ann Crossley (1848-1921) in Rotherham in 1870, and John worked as a coal miner. By 1881, they had moved to 69 Wombwell Junction, Wombwell, and John was now the underground viewer. They were living in Ardsley in 1891, and John was the Colliery Manager. He then managed Foxholes Colliery, Methley, which belonged to Mr William Wood of Oulton, and was also at Kippax Colliery (below)
John attended the Peckfield Colliery Disaster, and was in charge of several of the rescue parties. He recovered the bodies of John Wallis and William Radford from the office. In recognition of his efforts, he had a clock made and presented to him (below):
After the disaster, he moved to Glasshoughton Colliery, and was the manager there. On 24th March 1899, John was involved in a ‘near-miss’ colliery accident during pit sinking operations (see report below). John joined the Amphibious Lodge of the Freemasons on 10th January 1906, and passed away in 1909, aged 69. His widow Martha moved to Wakefield. They had 8 children, 5 of whom were still alive in 1911.
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30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 