Story
Thomas Longdon was born in 1853 in Sandiacre, Derbyshire, and was one of at least 10 children born to Thomas Longdon (1824-1895) and his wife Eliza Wall (1822-1892). Thomas London snr. brought his family up to Micklefield once Peckfield Colliery opened, and had a domestic servant, living with them in 1881, Mary Dexter from Codnor, Derbyshire. Thomas jnr. was 10 years older than Mary Dexter, but they married in Whitwood on 2nd February 1883, a year after they had their first son Thomas Dexter. The couple had a further 6 children: Eliza, 1884, John 1886, Martha 1889, Sarah 1892, and Maria 1895.
Thomas’s parents had lived at 3 Quarry View, until their deaths, whilst Thomas and Mary were raising their children at 35 Cresent, Micklefield. Thomas was 43 years-old on the day of the disaster, and left the house at 5:50am. He was working with Henry Edward Tallett near the top of New North Road, so they were only 80 metres from John Goodall Gate, where the explosion occurred. Their bodies were found by Robert Routledge’s rescue party, as they made their way up New North Road, Routledge recorded his findings:
“We went forward up the North bord and found a pony and boy just past crossgate to the left. The boy, [John] Simpson, and his horse, being badly burnt. The horse had evidently been driven inbye with the force. The horse’s body was struck against a prop the boy laid, with his head outbye. Going forward the next bodies we discovered were H Tallett and Tom Longdon who were in their own gate and 35 yards from the face. A hole had been drilled in the ripping, but evidently not fired.”
Thomas’ body was brought out and identified at the inquest by his widow Mary, who stated the back of one of Thomas’ hands was bleeding and his throat was scratched. Although Tallett’s body was marked as being burnt, Thomas’ body was not, despite them being found so close to each other. He is likely to have been killed by the roof-fall. Thomas was buried in Micklefield at 4pm on 4th May. His younger sister Eliza (1861) had married Samuel Clark who also worked at Peckfield Colliery, and Samuel survived the disaster.
Thomas’ widow Mary left Micklefield and moved to 15 Carlton Street, Castleford. She re-married a coal miner from Staffordshire, Joseph Cliff on 13th July 1897 in Whitwood. Jane Noble, widow of Charles Noble, who was also killed in the disaster was a witness at the wedding. At 50 years of age, Joseph Cliff was 13 years older than Mary, and had been living close by at 9 Carlton Street. The couple moved back to 11 Sunnybank, Micklefield, and had a further two children: Elsie Cliff (1898) and Joseph (1900). By 1911, Joseph was lodging at 16 West View, Micklefield, and had stated he was a widower, but Mary’s death does not appear to have been registered in this period, so their marriage may have just failed.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 