Missing death registrations for Maypole Colliery disaster

[andrewalston]

I am going through the list of victims of the Maypole Colliery disaster of 18th August 1908, trying to get proper names rather than just initials. There's a list on Wigan World - http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/past3.php?opt=past

Surprisingly few of the people appear to have death registrations, either on FreeBMD or LancashireBMD, which has excellent coverage for Wigan in the period.

I know that the inquests dragged on until well into the following year, so I've checked 1910 as well. Levi Rushton seems to have his death registered in the last quarter of 1909, for example, but there are many surnames with nothing mentioned, even though they seem less prone to mistranscription.

Even if the bereaved could organise their affairs with a certificate issued early on by the coroner, the deaths ought to have been registered?


Surely the deaths were registered?

[PaulineJ]

Well it does say that the last body was recovered in 1917.
I'd go much later than 1910 in the death indexes.

[andrewalston]

Even if you do stretch the period, it doesn't reveal many extra possibilities. "A Devaney" might well be John, registered in 1911.

For example, there ought to be a couple of Killoran deaths, but still none.

[scotmum]

A few forenames are listed on http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/Mining.html,that only appear as initials on the Wigan link in your first post. Also, this list provides street addresses.

[scotmum]

Even better is this list on an Irish based site:

http://hennigansheritage.com/Maypole.html#menwhodied

towards bottom of page, albeit read disclaimer as to how it was arrived at, which states:

In the list below, the first names are my best transcription of the 77 name on the postcard. They are followed in block capitals by names I have verified by other means, in particular from the memorial in the churchyard.

The postcard in question, with pictures of some of those who died, can be seen at:

http://hennigansheritage.com/Images/maypole_pcB.jpg

[scotmum]

Another list with transcribed list of full names and photograph of part of the actual memorial on which first names are clearly recorded:

http://healeyhero.co.uk/rescue/reminise/maypoleD.htm

It seems many of the bodies were never recovered.

What is clear across the various sites, is that some names, even on the memorial, are not entirely accurate.

[stanmapstone]

Well it does say that the last body was recovered in 1917.
I'd go much later than 1910 in the death indexes.

An inquest on the unidentified skeleton of a victim of the explosion found in the colliery, was held on the 7th March 1922. It was stated that 37 of the victims were still unrecovered.

Stan

[Radcliff]

Levi was buried
on he 2nd December 1909
so perhaps he died later from his injuries