Memorial to George Cooke by Peter Mee

George Cooke

On Friday 21st June 1935 George Cooke aged 22 years old was killed at Hanley Deep Pit. Mr Cooke was employed as haulage worker at the bottom of Adams dip in the fives levels. As a �dogger on� he was responsible for coupling and uncoupling wagons from the haulage rope.

At the inquest held on Monday 24th June in Hanley Town Hall, it was suggested that the cause of death was that a Brake Pin (tension pin) in the Haulage Engine had snapped while lowering eight full loads down the dip. The wagons then ran away crushing the unfortunate man. .

Evidence was given by Fireman Mr Fredrick George Beech who said �I have never seen a pin break before�. The witness also stated that the engine had been examined by a colliery fitter at the start of the shift and found to be in order. The verdict of the inquest was that �Accidentally hit by a runaway train in a coalmine�. The coroner Mr W M Huntbach said �he did not think that anyone could have expected to foresee that such an accident would happen�. .

At the time of the accident Georges father and brothers, were also working at the pit and saw his body being removed, but did not realise that the body was his. .

Mr Cooke was a prominent scout leader at the old �tin church� of St Mathews in Birches Head, so named because of its corrugated iron construction. Money was raised by donations from his family, friends and scouts for a memorial and this can still be seen in the new church of St. Matthews, which was built on the site of the previous church. .

A photograph of George also accompanied the memorial.