William FLINT 1863-1905
William Flint born 1863 marr Gwenillian Sprake
dau of Edwin Sprake Blaenavon South Wales ..They stayed at a house in Middleton
at the foot of Chapel lane owned by the Axe family...and it was here
in 1884 that William and Gwenllian met and married.... William was a
Steam Engine Driver at Killers Quarry Middleton.. On Dec 5th 1905
William went to work as usual down at "the firm" He lit the boiler
to get up steam, then made his way up the cut to the face. Killers
prided themselves on cutting out great blocks of Hopton Woodstone
rather than using explosives, which is why they employed masons and
stonecutters...At the face he tranferred to the Steam Crane which
was used to pull out the blocks and then loaded onto the wagons for
transportation down to Cromford Wharf bound south to Nottingham
London..or to the north Whaley Bridge and the docks at Liverpool or
Manchester. He had only just climbed into the crane which was built
on a wooden tripod foundation, when a fault gave way, and the whole
face descended with a terrible force.....As the dust settled..Williams
body was found crushed beyond repair..He died soon after..His grave in
Middleton Parish Church yard was marked by a memorial stone the masonary
work fashioned by his kin ...The irony to me is that the stone was one
of the blocks which crushed out his life..and was a reason why...when
my father died, days before he made me promise.".no stones over my
resting place". We adhered to his wish and he lies near his mother at
Middleton Congregational Church in a flat lawned piece of ground with
just a simple vase to mark his resting place. Dates:1863-1905
Photo taken:c1898
Size:
Source:Stuart Flint, 6 Oat Hill, Wirksworth
Click on photo for enlargement (on CD only)
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Dates:1863-1905
Photo taken:c1898
Size:
Source:Stuart Flint, 6 Oat Hill, Wirksworth
Click on photo for enlargement (on CD only)
Have any more information about this photo? Please e-mail
the author on: