I am writing to you from Charlestown County Mayo Ireland. Many of the men who died in the Maypole pit disaster came from Charlestown and we would like to mark the tragedy in 2008 with a number of events and we would also like to make contact with like minded people and organisations and people in Wigan.

Regards
Gerry Murray

My name is Eamonn Connor and I am the chairman of a local community group called Abram Community Link. Along with our local councillors, we are hoping to become involved in a commemorative event being planned for August 2008. I know Revd Steventon and will be speaking with her but would be very interested in contacting anyone else who wishes to become involved.

Eamonn Connor

Hi I have discovered this weekend that my great uncle James Gloghegan was one of those that perished in the Wigan Maypole disaster of August 18th 1908.

I am building up my family history, so any contact or information is welcome. Allthough it was obviously a horrific family tragedy at the time, to forget, not talk about it and let it fade away with time is a bigger tragedy.

I have also discovered that two great uncles on the other side of family were killed at the Somme, this was also kept quiet, and almost forgotten.

All the very best……
Gary Keegan..
Essex.... England...born and bred.

When I was a young girl early 60’s, I was told by my granddad John Davies about the Maypole Colliery Disaster of Tuesday 18 th August 1908.

He had just left work having finished his shift at the Maypole No1 colliery coalface.  He lived on Warrington Road Abram; a mere stones throw from the pit, so he had just arrived home when the explosion occurred. 

He went back to the colliery and was one of the crew sent down to try to investigate/retrieve bodies as he had had some first aid and fire training. 

When I looked at the Internet list of men killed, I saw a John Davies.  There must have been 2 John Davies’ at that pit, unless a mistake was made with names.  Granddad didn’t say anything about what he saw, but I know he and others risked their lives in a lost cause and lost 75 mates that day.  He was 28 years old then with a young family.

He never went down a mine again after that day.  He told me that, but I think he was unemployed for a time, as my grandma took in washing and sewing for people to help feed the family.  He eventually found work and the family moved house about 20 miles away, where he worked in a foundry in Irlam, Manchester. 

He lived to be 87, loved his garden and used to “show” Dahlias and Chrysanthemums at Southport Show every year after he retired: he won several prizes.  He died of Pneumoconiosis (Miner’s lung disease) in 1967.

Cath Salmon

PS When my husband, Bob, and I were in Los Christianos in Tenerife, we walked into a bar called "The Miners Retreat"