George Griffiths

         Number 3 airshaft, Totley Bents


When Jack Burrows died in Perth, Western Australia last year at the fine old age of 100 years, a scrap of paper found in his belongings led to his long time neighbour, friend and administrator, Trevor Lawton contacting Totley History Group to try to obtain some information about Jack's family history.

 

Trevor is no stranger to family history himself having been a member of Saddleworth Historical Society many years ago. That scrap of paper in Jack's own handwriting gave his mother's maiden name as Maud Griffiths and said that her father had been "killed in a tunnel accident in Dore and Totley tunnel". There is no mention of an accident to a miner called Griffiths in Brian Edwards's book Totley and the Tunnel but from online newspaper archives and genealogy databases in England, Scotland and Ireland, we have been able to put together the story behind Jack's note.


        Jack Burrows' handwritten note


On Monday, 18 February 1889 an evening of entertainment took place in the school room, Totley under the patronage of William Aldam Milner of Totley Hall and Joshua Tyzack of Beauchief in aid of the widow and children of the late George Griffiths, a miner who had been killed in the construction of the Totley Tunnel on 13 December the previous year. Nearly three hundred people paid for admission, a large number of whom were navvies and their wives and others who had come from Dore, Beauchief, Norton, Bradway, and Holmesfield. 

 

Rev. J. T. F. Aldred, vicar of Dore, was chairman and at the opening of the entertainment he welcomed the navvies to Totley and said that the school room would be placed at their disposal any time they would like to put on their own entertainment. The programme commenced with a magic lantern show and was followed by an evening of music and song, featuring amongst others The Dore and Totley Christy Minstrels. At the close of the programme, William Milner proposed a very hearty vote of thanks to all those who had come forward to assist in making the evening a success. Thomas Oxenham seconded the vote of thanks on behalf of the navvies on the Dore and Chinley Railway.


                     Totley Church School


George Griffiths died following an explosion during the sinking of number 3 airshaft at Totley Bents. George was one of two men whose job it was to prepare and set the charges in a series of six holes about an inch and a half in diameter and two and a half feet deep bored in the rock. Each charge was made up of a cartridge of gelignite and a primer, a part cartridge into which was embedded a detonator to which was attached a fuse. When all six charges were in place, the holes were filled with water and sealed with clay and the fuses lit by means of a candle. The shaft was already between 120 and 150 feet deep and the fuses were sufficient to give the men between three and four minutes to be drawn up to the surface and to retire to safety. Three successful blastings had taken place in the morning. 

 

In the afternoon, James Bembridge was getting the candles ready whilst George was setting the charges. He put cartridges in two of the holes which dropped to the bottom but the third one got stuck in the hole. As was the usual practice, he stood up to press the cartridge down with a long stick when there was an explosion. A team of men was sent down the shaft and both injured miners were speedily brought to the surface and medical attention summoned but George died about an hour later. He had been struck on the forehead by the full force of the flying rock as well as suffering a broken right arm and injuries to his left leg. Although standing only a yard and a half away, James suffered very minor cuts and bruises. 

 

The inquest opened at the Cricket Inn on 15 September for identification purposes only and was continued at the Crown Inn on 20 December when Major Cundall, one of H.M. Inspectors of explosives was present. It was concluded that the explosion occurred when George was attempting to force a second piece of gelignite side by side with a first piece which had become stuck fast in the hole. The inspector explained that whilst gelignite is malleable under normal temperatures, it becomes quite hard when cold. It was likely that the cartridge had become affected by frost, making it much more sensitive to explosion. A verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned.


        Steam rising from number 3 airshaft, Totley Bents.


George Griffiths was aged 35 and lived in Chapel Street, Whittington, Derbyshire. He was buried on 17 December 1888 at St. John the Evangelist, Newbold. Little has been found out about the man himself. According to his brother James, who was in charge of the airshaft at the time of the accident, George was an experienced miner who had worked in many places across Yorkshire and had been used to similar explosives for about twelve years. George had married Florence Woodward in 1885 at Chesterfield Register Office. Florence was born on 31 August 1861 in Chesterfield, the first of seven children of John Woodward, a furnace labourer, and his wife Ann Hall, who married on 4 March 1861 in North Wingfield, Derbyshire. George and Florence had two daughters: Maud, born on 16 October 1885 in Newbold; and Annie, born on 5 November 1887 in Whittington. 

 

The year after George was killed, Florence remarried to Frederick Hall at St. Bartholomew, Whittington on 5 August. Frederick was a bachelor and a furnace labourer by trade who was born about 1862 in Derby. The family continued to live in Chapel Street, Whittington and Maud and Annie attended the Whittington Moor Junior School. Sadly, their mother died on 16 October 1892 at the age of 31 and was buried at Newbold three days later. By April 1896 Frederick, Maud and Annie were living at Court 4, House 8, Walker Lane, Derby. Maud and Annie attended the Orchard Street School. 

 

What became of Frederick Hall we do not know but by the time of next census on 31 March 1901, Maud and Annie were living in Swinton, near Mexborough, having been adopted separately. Maud, aged 15, was the adopted daughter of Susannah and Arthur Earl, a coal miner, of 82 Queen Street. Annie, aged 13, was the adopted daughter of Alice and Charles Oliver, a greengrocer, of 24 Albert Street. 


Annie Griffiths lived in Swinton for the rest of her life. She gave her address as the Don Hotel, on Bridge Street, when she married Fred Law, a coal miner, at St. Margaret's Church on 3 June 1908. Fred was born about 1880 in Swinton, the son of Alfred Law, a labourer. Annie and Fred lived at 28 Fitzwilliam Street where they had five children; Mary Kate born on 12 December 1908, Walter born 28 September 1910, Ernest born 5 April 1918, Alfred born on 15 December 1924 and Betsy born about 1931. 


As if the mining accident which killed her father were not enough, a second mining accident was to result in the death of Annie's husband. Fred Law was working at the Manvers Main Colliery on 4 April 1932 when he suffered a head injury which resulted in a loss of sight in the left eye and severe pain. 

                                                                          Bridge Street, Swinton, Yorkshire


When he didn't return, Annie, together with her son Walter and son-in-law went to search for him but found only his hat and coat on the side of the canal, close to Green Lane Bridge. They went to fetch the police and searched for a while but finding nothing they abandoned their search until daybreak. The next morning, the police began dragging the canal and found Fred's body. 

 

An open verdict of "Found Drowned" was returned by the coroner who added that there was no evidence to show how the deceased got into the water. At Doncaster County Court, on 31 October 1932, Annie Law was awarded compensation of £600 against Manvers Main Collieries Limited for the death of her husband. After considering all the medical evidence, the colliery company agreed that Fred had taken his own life whilst temporarily insane as a direct result of the injuries he had suffered in the pit. Annie never remarried and died in Montague Hospital, Mexborough in November 1946 at the age of 59.


Maud Griffiths was living at Liversage Street, Derby when she married John Burrows, an iron moulder, on 4 June 1906 at Holy Trinity Church, London Road. At the time of his marriage John was living in Bradford, Yorkshire but he had been born in Belfast, Northern Ireland around 1879, the second of six children of Stephen Burrows, an iron moulder, and his wife Margaret Greenlaw who had married on 31 December 1875 in Maryhill, Lanarkshire. Maud and John made their home in Lapage Street, Bradford where their first child, Margaret, was born on 2 April 1907. Their second child, John Burrows junior, known as Jack, was not born until 3 February 1920 when the family were living in Rhyl, Flintshire. In 1922 John Burrows accepted a job offer from the Forwood Down Engineering Company in Western Australia and the family emigrated to Perth. John embarked aboard the Commonwealth Government Line steamship Moreton Bay at the Port of London on 29 August 1922 bound for Freemantle. The following year, Maud, Margaret and Jack followed aboard the Hobson's Bay which left London on 13 March and arrived at Freemantle on 13 April 1923.

London Road and Holy Trinity Church, Derby


Maud Griffiths was living at Liversage Street, Derby when she married John Burrows, an iron moulder, on 4 June 1906 at Holy Trinity Church, London Road. At the time of his marriage John was living in Bradford, Yorkshire but he had been born in Belfast, Northern Ireland around 1879, the second of six children of Stephen Burrows, an iron moulder, and his wife Margaret Greenlaw who had married on 31 December 1875 in Maryhill, Lanarkshire. Maud and John made their home in Lapage Street, Bradford where their first child, Margaret, was born on 2 April 1907. Their second child, John Burrows junior, known as Jack, was not born until 3 February 1920 when the family were living in Rhyl, Flintshire. 

 

In 1922 John Burrows accepted a job offer from the Forwood Down Engineering Company in Western Australia and the family emigrated to Perth. John embarked aboard the Commonwealth Government Line steamship Moreton Bay at the Port of London on 29 August 1922 bound for Freemantle. The following year, Maud, Margaret and Jack followed aboard the Hobson's Bay which left London on 13 March and arrived at Freemantle on 13 April 1923


        Murray Street, Perth in the 1920s


For many years the Burrows family lived at 626 Murray Street and later at 149 Cambridge Street in the Leederville district. Jack went to the Thomas Street State School and later Perth Boys School in James Street. His father arranged an apprenticeship at Forwood Downs where he became a fitter and turner. By the time of the Second World War, Jack's engineering skills meant that he was exempt from military service. He was sent to Hendon in South Australia to learn the manufacture of .303 ammunition. He returned to work at a munitions factory that was built at Adams Drive in Welshpool, a southeastern suburb of Perth. The factory expanded to include the manufacture of igniters for the Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns. 


         Jack and Mary Burrows, Perth 11 March 1950


During this time Jack met his future wife, Mary Henderson Boyack Ritchie, who also worked at the factories in Hendon and Welshpool. Mary had been born in Grants Place, Kennoway Road, Windygates, Fife on 21 September 1917, the daughter of William Ritchie, a coal miner, and his wife Agnes Boyack who married on 31 December 1910 in Dundee. The Ritchies had emigrated to Western Australia aboard the Hobson's Bay in January 1927. Jack and Mary married in 1944. They had no children but enjoyed 71 years of marriage before Mary died on 28 July 2015 aged 97. Jack Burrows, grandson of Totley tunneller George Griffiths, died on 20 November 2020.

 

We wish to thank Trevor Lawton for his help in writing this article.

 

January 2021 


Share by: