John Wardle Allinson was born in Durham in 1851, to John Allinson (1823-1902), who was a Parish Clerk, Joiner, and Landlord of the Mason’s Arms in Coxhoe, County Durham, and Ann Simpson (1830-1891), who had married in 1848. John jnr. initially followed his father’s career, and was working as a joiner in 1871. He married Mary Ann Bulmer (1853-1888) in Kelloe, and moved to Coxhoe, Durham by 1881, where he had begun working in the Coal Industry, starting as a Coal Miner. The family moved to Moor Garforth late in 1883, and John was a Pit Wright and Shaftsman at Garforth Colliery (below):
Shortly after starting, John was called to testify at the inquest into the death of two miners (John Maskell and Samuel Backhouse) who had slid off a platform over the pit shaft, and fallen down the shaft to their deaths. John Gerrard was also in attendance at this inquest, and would be again at the Peckfield Colliery Disaster. The Leeds Mercury wrote: “John Allison, shaftman, said that he was called to the pit immediately after the accident occurred. He descended the shaft by means of a crab rope and “kibble,” and found the broken platform hanging about 46 yards from the top. The engine rope was fast to the water-pipe and he took it off the pipe, attached it to the “kibble,” and signalled to be drawn to bank. On reaching the bank he informed the manager what had occurred, and the manager and the engineer descended. Witness remained on the bank meanwhile. On his return the manager told him and other men that he had been as far down the shaft as he could get for the water, that he could not see anything of the bodies of the men, and that they would have to search for them. Witness and the other men accordingly provided themselves with grapnels and descended. They stood on a scaffold over the water, and after grappling for about two hours recovered the body of Maskell in about 12ft. Of water. His head was very much crushed. They did not find Backhouse until one o’clock in the day. He was lying in about 30ft. Of water. The back part of Backhouse’s head was cut, there was a cut over one of his eyes, and one of his arms was broken. The Coroner.- As a practical man, to what do you attribute the breaking of the platform? I think it has been caused by a drop, the platform may have rested on something going down the shaft, and when the rope was slackened it would suddenly drop. It might have rested on a stay .I have examined the platform since the accident, and consider that it was strong enough for its purpose. I found the broken platform about 14ft. Below the pipe the men had been engaged in fixing.”
After the death of his wife in 1888, on 20th November 1890 in Garforth John re-married Mary Lawley (1863-1925, née Bailey), who was the widow of William Lawley (1855-1889), and as both had young children of their own, the two families came together and continued to live in Moor Garforth. In September 1893, he was present at a miners’ protest in Garforth along with his Colliery Manager Robert Routledge. Both men were struck in the face by sticks brandished by miners.
As a shaftsman, John’s expertise would have been particularly useful at the Peckfield Colliery Disaster, as the rescue teams worked to clear the blockages in the shafts. When they were able to descend, he also joined the rescue parties. Sadly, John was killed soon after, at Garforth Colliery, on 14th August 1896, in an accident reminiscent of the one from 1884 in which he was invited to testify (reported below, along with his endeavours as a rescuer). John was buried in Garforth on 22nd August 1896. John’s widow re-married Henry Wilson, and they continued to live in Garforth.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 