Appeal to identify miners who lost their lives at Derbyshire colliery

This follows plans for a memorial for 106 men that died after three separate incidents at Markham Colliery in 1937, 1938 and 1973.

To honour the men, 106 life-size steel figures will be created and placed at a memorial which will stretch between the village of Duckmanton and the former pithead.

Each figure is part of a walking trail that symbolises a miner’s journey to the pit and back home again.

Currently there are 93 figures in place with Derbyshire County Council (DCC) continuing to work alongside partners to fundraise to see all the figures installed by the project’s 10th anniversary in autumn 2022.

The council are appealing for help to get in touch with any relatives of the last 13 men to be commemorated within the memorial.

If you are a relative of any of the miners or have any information, email [email protected]. The 13 men are listed below:

David Bann, 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

A grant of £17,830 has been awarded by Viridor Credits Environmental Company through the Landfill Communities Fund to support and install a further 8 figures.

A further grant of £38,950 has been awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to cover the cost of one figure and fund several activities including engagement workshops with the local community, a commemorative publication, Heritage walking tours of the site and more.

Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King, 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.

“The memorial is a permanent tribute to the 106 men who tragically lost their lives in three accidents at the site in 1937, 1938, and 1973. 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 that we don’t forget the site’s mining history and the incredibly brave men that worked there.”