More memories and details emerge on town’s 104 men
Last updated 10:30, Thursday, 17 April 2008
THE author of a book about the lives of many of the victims of Whitehaven’s William Pit disaster has uncovered more details.
Now Amanda Garraway is seeking more help from The Whitehaven News readers
On August 12, last year – the day of the 60th anniversary memorial service of the William Pit disaster – Amanda went with her husband to Moresby Churchyard to lay two wreaths at the graves of brothers Joseph and Ronald Hewer when she noticed the resting places of other William Pit miners nearby.
“We reflected at each one , and then I began to dismantle the two bunches of flowers in order to at least lay one flower at each man’s headstone.
“Just a few feet down from the Hewer graves, I read an inscription that really caused me to stop and ponder – it was the memorial stone of disaster victim Mr William Pickering. It looked quite forlorn, and I was saddened to discover in reading the engraving that Bill’s wife had passed away in 1950, only a few years after her husband.
“I wondered what had become of their little girl and I assumed she had grown up and moved away from Whitehaven. My first impression was that it had been a long time since anyone had been to the site, but that first impression was going to prove vastly incorrect.
“Much to my surprise, two days later, I received a telephone call from the niece of William Pickering asking if it was okay to put her brother in touch with me as he had some details to add to the life story of William Pickering which had not made the pages of the book 104 Men.
“John Pickering and I had a wonderful conversation about his Uncle Bill (aka Slim), his loves and interests, one of which was photography. We even solved the small mystery of who had laid the flower at Bill’s grave. We agreed to stay in touch, and so we have.
“A few weeks after I returned to Canada, John sent me several photographs of “Slim”, as well as some details of the Pickering family history. I was delighted to be able to put a face (with a big dimpled grin) to the name William Pickering.”
One of the photos had been placed in an album by Bill Pickering’s brother John (who died in 1972). He had indicated on the back that the photo had been taken two weeks before the disaster, and that the other two men in the picture with his brother had also been killed. No names were given, and for over 60 years their identities have remained a mystery.
“For a little while, John Pickering, his wife Eve, and I, attempted to figure out who the men were, and sent a copy of the photo to several people – the first being the niece of coal miner Richard Cartmell. She confirmed that neither of the men was her uncle. We have also been able to discount John Milburn, Edward McAllister and so on. We do have suspicions about one of the men, but hesitate to state without confirmation.
“With the generations passing swiftly, and memories fading, we would like to appeal to Whitehaven News readers in the hope of laying to rest the mystery of the miners' identities.”
Amanda has received other photographs of men killed in the 1947 disaster, that were not received in time to make publication of the 104 Men book.
“One was given to me at the 60th anniversary service by a tearful child of one of the men. Since August 2007, two people connected with the William Pit disaster have died – Mrs. Margaret Murtagh, widow of Patrick, and Stephen Ferguson, a deputy who had worked a shift that fateful day.”
People can either write to John Pickering, Windham, Bransty Road, Whitehaven Cumbria CA28 6HD; or email manda Garraway at dampnr@golden.net.
