Story
William’s father was George Frederick Dean (1826-1906) was originally from Marylebone, Middlesex, but moved North to Muston, Leicestershire after marrying Alice Emma Gibson (1829-1877) in 1850 in Lincolnshire, where she was born. They began their married life lodging with George’s uncle, Francis Dean, and his wife Ann. They had several children, including a son George Dean in 1857, and William Francis Dean in 1859. After William was born, the family moved to Codner and Ripley in Derbyshire
By the age of 12, William was working down coal mines, and married Hephzibah Elizabeth Herring (1859-1937) in Belper, Derbyshire on 21st July 1879, and they moved to Micklefield to start work at the new pit. After Hephzibah’s younger brother William Herring got married in 1891, he also made the move to Micklefield.
William Francis Dean joined the Tadcaster Rural District Council in 1893, and represented Micklefield on the council. He was also a local preacher, and by the time of the disaster, he and Hephzibah had 4 young children.
On 30th April 1896, William left his home of 18 Crescent at 6:20am, and met up with his brother-in-law, William Herring. They descended together in the lift, and made their way to the No.1 South Bord, and then to No.2 South Nord, and would have been approaching the No.3 South Bord when the explosion occurred. There were several other miners nearby. William Naylor Whitaker and George Benson remained in a well-ventilated area at the No.3 South Bord, whilst William Varey, Charles Noble, John Meakin, and both William Francis Dean and William Herring all tried to retrace their steps to escape the mine which was filling with afterdamp gas. None managed to escape. William Francis Dean and his brother-in-law William Herring fell together at the bottom of the No.2 return airway, whilst making their way towards No.1 South Bord. William Francis Dean was a few yards ahead of William Herring. His body was found by his older brother, George Dean, who had lived in Micklefield, worked at Peckfield, but had recently moved to Hemsworth. When he heard his brother was in the mine, he joined the rescue teams, and was with John Plowright Houfton’s party when he discovered his brother, who was laying on his back. George reported at the Inquest that his brother showed no sign of injury or discolouration. Despite their discovery, they had to leave the bodies for 8 hours, before they could be recovered.
After the disaster, William Dean’s widow Hephzibah remarried William Taylor (1859-1908) from Altofts, who was brought in to Peckfield Colliery as an Engineman. They had two children together before William Taylor passed away. Hephzibah continued to live at 18 Crescent, and had Thomas Benson living with her as a lodger in 1911.
As an illustration of how much the disaster permeated into the community, the son of William Francis Dean, William Henry Dean, (1887-1957, pictured below), who, like his father, would go on to work at Peckfield Colliery and be a local councillor and superintendent at the chapel, married Mary Shillito (1888-1982). Her paternal grandfather was George Shillito who was killed in the disaster. Her maternal grandfather, Josiah Godber survived the disaster, whilst her cousin Samuel Godber was killed.
Another of William Francis Dean’s children was Sarah Jane Dean (1891-1975, pictured below) who married Henry Robertshaw in 1912. His father, George Robertshaw, was also heavily involved in the rescue efforts, and had previously lodged with another victim of the disaster, Amos Whitaker. Another of George Robertson’s sons Edgar (1898-1967) married Martha Moakes (1901-1991). Her father Thomas Moakes was also involved in the rescue efforts, as were her uncles George and Frederick Moakes. Frederick Moakes married Bertha Mary Winfield, who had three brothers killed in the disaster, with one surviving. The families had the 1896 disaster woven into their past and their relationships for decades to come.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 