Story
The exact identity of William Dobson is uncertain. The most likely fit is that he was the son of Aaron Dobson (1844-1933) and Annie Elizabeth Smith (1849-1914) who married in Hull in 1867. William was born on Stockholm Road, Thorngumbald, Hull in 1874, but the family moved to Selby after William was born. By 1891, William was working as a servant on Redmoor House Farm, in Skipwith. Whilst working in Skipwith, he met Caroline Smales (1872-1930) whom he eventually married in 1899.
William’s time in mining looks to have been short-lived. On the morning of the disaster, he would have walked 800 yards down the No.1 Dip, and turned off. There were about 15 miners working in this area who survived, although seven were killed in the blast which travelled down the No.1 Dip. William would have just started working when explosion blew out the candle lights, and plunged him into darkness. The men got their clothes back on and re-entered the No.1 Dip roadway, which had been severely damaged in the blast. The men saw that roads had fallen in, tubs were piled on top of each other, and trap doors were blown to pieces. From the account of Thomas Crosthwaite, the survivors sensed the strong build-up of afterdamp gas, so they retreated from the No.1 Dip, and sat down for around a quarter of an hour to debate their next moves. However, as the build-up of after-damp continued to grow stronger, it was clear they needed to escape. William and Thomas volunteered to return to the No.1 Dip and clear the way back to the shaft. They had to climb over broken tubs and rubble to clear the way, and then return to get the other miners. They found the body of George Dunnington holding his pit pony, and saw another body which may have been Richard Shepherd. After crawling 400 yards further, the survivors found the Pit Manager Charles Houfton and George Robertshaw who were part of the rescue team. William escaped the pit around noon.
After the disaster, William looks to have left mining. In 1901, he was working as a Farm Bailiff in Oxton, Tadcaster, and was a farm labourer in Eggborough in 1911. After the First World War, William, his wife Caroline, and their children: Florence Anne (1899-1966); Hilda (1901-1951); Ethel (1902-1971); William (1905-1961) and Albert (1907-1961) moved back to Limekiln Cottage, Peckfield, where William and Caroline remained. William passed away in February 1936, at the age of 61, and was buried in Kippax.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 