William pit Whithaven Cumbria On the 75th Anniversary of the 1947 Disaster 15th August 1947.

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Жыл бұрын

The William Pit in Whithaven Cumbria was often called the most dangerous pit in England. There were no fewer than 14 Explosions throughout the 150 year life of the pit but the one which occurred on 15th August 1947 was the worst and only 8 months after the nationalization of the British Coal industry.
The Whithaven coalfield was developed at the end of the 17th Centuary by the land owner Jeremy 'Jemmy' Lowther who was also the local MP. The Lowthers are today best known for their Penrith and Lake District estates.
The Whithaven area was home to some very valuable thick seams of coal but it was difficult to work due to adverse geology and the high quantities of Methane gas present. Multiple pits were sunk all over the town and particularly on the cliffs and around the harbor area. Lowther's skilled mining engineers. the Speddings, developed some of the countries first undersea collieries.
Though we don't delve too deep at present into the history of the coalfield it is planned to do so very soon as we look into the Engineers and some of the characters. In the meantime we take a look around the town on the eve of the anniversary of the disaster and give an overview of the tragic events that unfolded including a miraculous escape by three brave men.

Пікірлер: 9

@keithrimmer3 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for keeping the memories alive of all those that died Clive we must never forget their suffering and the hardships they had to endure 164,356 miners men boys and girls have died since working in the pits from 1700 - 2000 and countless others were maimed for life god bless them all

@650Max 11 күн бұрын

Mam's stepdad Tommy Iley was a member of the rescue team at William, he was a deputy at Solway and usually spent Tuesday (?) evenings training at Windscale rescue centre at Hunday manor.

@grahampartridge9335 Жыл бұрын

Lovely video

@nicholaskelly6375 Жыл бұрын

The William Pit has the dubious distinction of being the most serious post WW II mining disaster in the UK. It was also the most serious accident to occur under the NCB. I have a vague personal connection to William Pit. My paternal grandfather Arthur Kelly who had worked at William Pit prior to WW I (He joined the Enniskillen Fusiliers on the outbreak of war in 1914). He never went back to mining and by the time of the disaster he was a senior Customs Officer in Brighton (being responsible for Newhaven & Shoreham etc etc). He organised an appeal via the Brighton Evening Argus newspaper for the William Pit men and their dependents raising several thousand pounds. Later my father worked at Chislet Colliery in Kent. One weekend when grandad was visiting us Dad took him to Chislet and he was amazed by how modern it was compared to William Pit! One thing to remember is that the lives lost by the men Is the real price paid for coal. Again thank you very much for an excellent video.

@MakeAllThingsBeautiful Жыл бұрын

so much forgotten and undiscovered history, and seems the William Pit goes right back to around 1804? 150 years life until it closed around 1954, that is alot of stories right there, all the miners, generations of miners, disasters but also countless escapes and near misses and no doubt lots of characters around the town, maybe one peaceful day they may reappear, as the fella said 'God is good'