Wigan Album

My Grandad, Richard Roughley, was below, but in another area, when it happened. He was able to use a walkway to get out & then went straight back down as a rescuer. In the book about the disaster, he is one of the rescuers in the photograph of 3 of them

The middle one (billy doran) is my ex-husband's grandad. He has a son still living, he's 85. His oldest son also billy died in 1995 and is buried in beech hill cemetary. my daughter and i attended the 100 years anniversary

A coal mines a tunnel that runs under ground.
it has black dusty walls and ominous sounds .
Moaning and creaking and seeming to move,
but stillness and darkness are worst of all.
It has no windows or ornate doors, and there
are thick clouds of dust that menace the throat.
The light is so poor,the ceiling so low,
you pity the men who work here below.
Now the miner himself, has hopes and fears ,
and ponders the plight of those he loves dear ,
If that that he dreads,as all miners must ,
when the floor meets the ceiling with a sickening thud .
Crushing like beetles the bodys of men,covered with
rock,coal, and grime, battered and bleeding unaware of time.
No clean sheets or a Parsons prayer,
Not the benefit of family there.
When the corpse is brought to the top,
cries of shame from ever sphere,
"the lad only in his thirtyfirst year".
The Union there to see justice done ,
A weekly pension and a lump sum ,
but what price of a man who knew fear ,
who had hopes and dreams ,
but is no longer here. T.W.






if that the dreads,as all mine

My Great Grandfather was Edward Farrell on the left in this picture. He went on to have a loving family within St Patrick's parish in Hardybutts Wigan.