Story
John was better known by his second name, Sidney. He was born in Kippax on 8th October 1876, and was the youngest child of James Revis (1833-1897), a bricklayer, and Hannah Glover (1836-1912) who had married in Leeds on 25th October 1857. Sidney was brought up at Mount Pleasant, Kippax, and by the 1891, he was working as a young coal miner.
On the day of the disaster, Sidney walked to Peckfield Colliery, along with 6 other Kippax villagers: Alfred Norton, Fred and Harry Bellerby, Fielding and Louis Pickard, and James Wilson. Sidney was 19 years-old, and made his way to the Black Bed seam, which was 240 yards from the surface. The majority of miners were 175 yards below the surface in the Beeston Bed, as that had been in use longer, and was more profitable. Sidney was being supervised by the Black Bed Deputy, Robert Henry Nevins when the explosion took place in the Beeston Bed.
Despite the blast occurring on the other side of the mine, and on a higher level, the eleven men and boys in the Black Bed were hit by the force and heard a noise like a clap of thunder. The explosion knocked Fred Atkinson off a platform, Joe Wilson was sent sprawling by a flying trap door, and the wind blew out all the lamps and candles. The eleven had just managed to find each other in the darkness, when a wave of after-damp gas rendered them all unconscious for about an hour. They were only revived when they felt fresh air from the upcast shaft. Sidney Revis managed to locate his deputy’s lamp, which Nevins lit to give them some light. Many of the boys in the Black Bed were in training and were inexperienced miners: Fred Nutton was only 10 years-old, his brother Thomas was 17, Joe Wilson was 19, same age as Sidney, and they panicked at the thought they would never see home and their families again. They asked Nevins to pray for them, which he did, and then the group of 11 began their incredible escape. With the lift out of action, they climbed up the stone ventilation drift which linked the Black Bed to the Beeston Bed. On arrival in the Beeston Bed, they were hit by afterdamp again, and could barely crawl their way to the shaft, where they were helped by Charles Ball’s group of survivors.
After his escape, John moved to Castleford and lived with his older brother’s family (James Edgar Revis, 1872-1953), where he continued to work as a coal miner all his life. He married Sarah Smith (1874-1957) in Castleford on 17th May 1902, and was living at 100 Pottery Street, Castleford whilst serving as an ARP Warden during the Second World War. Sidney and Sarah did not have any children, and Sidney passed away in 1951 at the age of 74.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 