Appeal to trace families of 13 miners who died in accidents at colliery with memorial almost completed

Derbyshire Council wishes to contact relatives of the men who are set to be commemorated with a life-size steel figure as part of the ‘Walking Together’ mining memorial.

The memorial, led by the council and the Markham Vale Heritage Group, will eventually feature 106 life-size steel figures stretching between the village of Duckmanton and the former Markham Colliery pithead – now Markham Vale Business Park.

Each figure is part of a walking trail which symbolises a miner’s journey to the pit and back home again – and represents the 106 men who lost their lives across three separate accidents at the site in 1937, 1938 and 1973.

There are now 93 figures in place, with the council continuing to work alongside partners to fundraise to see all 106 figures installed by the project’s 10th anniversary in autumn 2022.

The miners whose families the council wishes to trace are:

David Bann, aged 54, contractor;

Alfred Garland, 52, timber drawer;

Robert Gregson, 36, contractor;

John William Hadley, 31, contractor;

Joseph Hibbard, 51, timber drawer;

Joseph Lilley, 30, road repairer;

Felix Linathan, 48, contractor;

Mark Richards, 31, ripper;

Samuel Edward Salt, 41, deputy;

Clarence Silcock, 42, ripper;

Fred Taylor, 53, contractor;

Redvers Baden-Whitehead, 37, shot-firer;

Matthew Williams, 36, contractor.

Coun Tony King, council cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, said: “We would really like to trace the relatives of the 13 remaining men we will be commemorating as part of our Walking Together mining memorial.

“We have now commemorated 93 out of the 106 men with a life-size figure and we’re hoping to install the remaining 13 by the project’s 10th anniversary in autumn 2022.

“The site is now home to 70 businesses and many new jobs have been created, but it’s important we don’t forget the site’s mining history and the brave men that worked there.”

If you are a relative of any of the miners or have any information, contact [email protected]