Story
William Richard Wood Stead was born at 2 Tamworth Terrace, Leeds on 7th July 1871. His father Thomas Stead (1839-1894) was a Carter, originally from Aberford, and his mother Elizabeth Scholes (1842-1910) was originally from Barwick-in-Elmet. William’s parents married in Burmantofts on 13th July 1861. William was part of a large family, and moved back to 2 Main Street, Aberford to live with his aunt Ann, who had married Joseph Johnson (no relation of the Joseph Johnson who was killed in the Colliery Disaster), and he was still living with them in 1891 at 25 Main Street, Aberford. In 1893, he married Alice Walton (1871-1913) who also lived in Aberford, and was one of 20 children born to James Walton (1847-1920) and Sarah Herron (1851-1925), and like William, she was sent out to work at a young age, including being housemaid to John Edward Ellerton, Aberford’s Doctor and Surgeon.
William was 24 years-old when he set off to work at Peckfield Colliery from his home in Aberford, where he left his wife Alice in bed. She estimated William had set off between 5am and 5:30am. On arrival, William descended in the lift, and made his way to their district, along with 39 years-old William Barker of 15 Station Row, Micklefield. The men passed William Radford’s Office, and the Stables, then walked down the No.2 Dip for around 800 metres until they reached the coal face, so they were at the very bottom of the No.2 Dip when the explosion happened. The fire from the explosion came down the No.2 Dip, but Stead and Barker were so far down, much of the ferocity has disapated by the time it reached them. Their bodies were found the following day by William Mills. He described William Barker being on his hands and knees with his shirt on, and William Stead was found also with his shirt on, lying full length, face down, towards the coal face. One of their jackets had been burnt, but otherwise they appeared relatively uninjured. They may have been knocked unconscious by the force of the blast, and then succumbed to after-damp poisoning. William Mills stated that the two men had managed to do a lot of ripping, but they hadn’t carried out any firing.
The body of William Richard Wood Stead was brought out of the pit at 3am on 1st May, and was identified in the Joiner’s shed during the afternoon, and later at the inquest by his widow, Alice. The newspaper coverage said she noticed a slight scar on her husband’s face.
Alice and William did not have any children, so Alice returned to Aberford, and lived with one of her younger sisters, Minne Walton. Alice’s parents had another son on 12th November 1896, and named him William Stead Walton into tribute to their son-in-law. William Stead Walton later served in the First World War, and died of tuberculosis in Aberford in 1923. Alice re-married a coal miner, William Richardson on 3rd August 1901, and they remained on Aberford High Street. Alice never had children, and passed away at the age of 42.
30th April 1896. The Peckfield Colliery Disaster at Micklefield 