Stories from Dore Churchyard - The Tragedy of the LOWE Family

Sometimes when walking around a churchyard your eye is caught by an ornate gravestone or an unusual name or a very young child but sometimes the monumental inscription makes you wonder what had happened to a family. This was the case when I spotted the gravestone for the LOWE family whose three sons had all died young, with two of them dying on the same day.

In Affectionate Remembrance of HENRY LOWE who died July 22^nd 1879 aged 17 years also of SAMUEL LOWE who died Oct^r 6^th 1882 aged 28 years also of EDWARD LOWE who died Oct^r 6^th 1882 aged 16 years sons of HENRY & MARY LOWE also of HENRY the beloved husband of MARY LOWE who died Dec^r 5^th 1903, aged 71 years also of MARY the beloved wife of the above HENRY LOWE who died Sep^r 14^th 1912 aged 79 years

This gravestone remembers Henry and Mary Lowe and three of their five sons. Henry and Mary and their family lived on Townhead in Dore. Henry was a saw handle maker and also worked as a labourer at Dore Moor Brickyard. They had eight children the youngest of whom, Mary Alice, died at just three weeks old. Their eldest daughter, Maria, married George Parker in 1877 and in 1881 they were living on Brick Houses, Dore. Henry and Mary's second son, Leonard, moved to County Durham to work as a coal miner and in 1880 married Rose Hannah Partridge.

Fatal Accident at Dore

In 1879 both Henry and his eldest son, Samuel, were working at Mr Sykes' brickyard. On the 22nd July 1879 Henry's son, also called Henry, who was seventeen years old, took his father's and Samuel's dinner to the brickyard. He was in the engine shed where Samuel was working when the driving band came off the wheels. While Samuel was putting the strap on one wheel young Henry tried to put it onto the other. It is not clear how, but Henry was caught and dragged into "the race" which was partly under the floor. The engine was stopped and Henry taken out, his chest having been crushed. He died later that night in hospital.

The Inquest

The inquest, which was held at the hospital on West Street in Sheffield, was reported in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph on the 26th July. At the inquest, Mr Sykes stated that the band was 2½ inches wide and was nearly new and that he had not examined the place or the band since the accident. He told the inquest that there was a Government Inspector of Factories approved rail around the driving wheel to prevent someone inadvertently walking into it but there was no requirement to fence it off. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Samuel and Edward Lowe and Henry Broomhead

Samuel had married Catherine REANEY in Dore Church on the 6th of July 1879 just two weeks before the death of young Henry. Their son, John Henry, was born the following year and baptised on 24th of March 1880 and early in 1882 Catherine gave birth to another son named Arnold who died in 1883.

In 1881 Edward LOWE, aged 15, was still living at home with Henry and Mary together with their two younger children - Ketura who was ten years old and William who was five.

The census of 1881 shows Henry BROOMHEAD was living in Dore with his widowed mother Amelia together with his two older brothers. All three were colliers. Henry had been born in Attercliffe. His mother died in July 1881 and was buried in Dore. It appears that, after her death, Henry stayed in Dore lodging with a file cutter. His brothers, John and Robert returned to their wives in Sheffield.

Shocking Accident at Mickley Colliery

In October 1882 Samuel and Edward LOWE and Henry BROOMHEAD went to work at the newly opened Mickley Colliery near Dronfield. The colliery consisted of an engine house, weigh-house, an office and one shaft. The shaft was about 150 feet deep with about 25 feet of sump water in the bottom which had been boarded over. There was a 'lurry' on rails that was pushed by a banksman over the top of the shaft so that men could step out safely once the tub had been brought up to the surface.

Coal had been dug for the first time on the evening of the 5th of October which provided just enough room for three men to work. On Friday 6th October 1882 Samuel, Edward and Henry were working the afternoon shift from 2pm and 10pm. At 6pm they were due to return to the surface for a meal break. During the afternoon the manager, Mr Maskery, had been up and down the shaft and since the men had driven a short distance underneath he suggested they stayed below to eat but Henry said he was wet and they decided to come to the surface and signalled to be brought up.

Their ascent was being made in the sinking bucket. The banksman who had come on duty at 6 o'clock was ready to push the lurry but, just a few feet from the top, the tub became detached from the pit rope. The heavy tub fell down the shaft and broke through the boarding into the water taking Samuel, Edward and Henry to their deaths.

Their bodies were recovered later that evening and taken to the Heart of Oak in Dronfield where identification took place.

The Inquest

The inquest was opened on the following Monday and Henry LOWE confirmed the identities of the bodies of his two sons. Henry BROOMHEAD was identified by the man in whose house he lodged in Dore. It was thought that the three men failed to check that clivey hook was properly secured. The clivey was a means of connecting the sinking bucket with the winding rope and was provided with a lock to prevent inadvertent detachment of the bucket. Certificates for burial were issued by the deputy coroner who adjourned the inquest until the government inspector could visit the colliery to inspect the gearing.

Reports of the accident appeared in many national newspapers. The Derbyshire Courier of October 18th provided a comprehensive report.

The Village Mourns

Samuel, Edward and Henry were buried at Dore on 10th of October 1882. The following appeared in the Sheffield Independent on 14th October.

...The deceased men were much respected and their remains were followed to the grave by a large number of mourners. A procession was formed in centre of the village, and on its arrival at the entrance to the churchyard, it was met by the Vicar, the Rev J T F Aldred. As the mourners were entering the church, the Dead March from Saul was played by Mr Christian Aldred. The service in the church was read by the vicar. After the internment a sister of Samuel Lowe fainted, and was taken home in an unconscious state. The mournful ceremony was witnessed by a large number of spectators, and the utmost sympathy was expressed for the relatives.