Blackwell Colliery Explosion 1895..those who lost their lives
James Fryer
James Fryer was born in 1847 in Swanwick and married Mary Calladine, also of Swanwick in 1866. A coal miner following employment, James and family, moved to Ling Row, North Wingfield after the birth of their first daughter, then to Shirland, and to Unstone before settling in Blackwell in about 1884. By this time, they had eight children and a further 2 were born in Blackwell. At an unknown date an eleventh child was born but did not survive.
Following the death of James in 1895, Mary continued to live at the Colliery Rows until her death, believed to have been in 1926, aged 81 years.
First born Mary (1867) married John William Longmate in 1893. They lived in South Normanton, moving on to New Houghton, Pleasley. They had 14 children, but by 1911 only 8 were still living.
Mary’s sister Hannah ( 1870) married John Thomas Wileman in 1894 and they moved to Attercliffe, Sheffield in about 1897. They had 4 children, 3 of whom had survived to 1911.
James and Mary appear to have had twins in 1872: Alice and Annie.
Alice married Joseph Wilson inn 1894 and remained living in Blackwell and South Normanton until her death in 1950, being buried at Blackwell. By 1911 they had had 10 children, 9 of whom were living with them at 46 Colliery Row.
Annie married Theo Walters in 1892, and staying in Blackwell and St Thomas Row Tibshelf, they brought up 8 children by 1911, having lost 2 previously.
Next born to James and Mary was Elizabeth, baptised at Shirland in 1876. She married Thomas Mosley at Blackwell in 1894, and living in Meden Bank Stanton Hill had a son and 5 daughters by 1911.
At last a boy..Joseph, born Shirland 1878, who married Henrietta Wainwright in 1898. They had 4 children by 1911 and were living in South Normanton, having moved from 24 Colliery Row after 1901.
And a second son followed..James, born 1880 at Unstone, Chesterfield. He married Martha Hannah Fletcher in 1910 at Alfreton. With a daughter Maggie aged six months , they were living at no 9 the Colliery Row. But tragedy struck again in 1813 when at the age of 33, James died. Having lost her husband, Martha sailed to the USA with Maggie to join siblings and passed away in San Mateo California in 1964, apparently never remarrying.