b. 04/08/1834 Walsall, Staffordshire. d. 23/02/1900 Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
DATE OF AM ACTION: 01/05/1882 Baddesley, Warwickshire.
Reuben Smallman AM
He was born on 4th August 1834 in Walsall, Staffordshire, one of eleven children of James and Elizabeth Smallman (nee Caddick). In 1861 he married Rhoda Elizabeth Harris who was the daughter of another mining engineer. They had two sons and three daughters. In 1871 he became a founder director of the Stockingford Colliery Company. In his time he was also a General Manager of Oakthorpe, Church Gresley and Reservoir collieries. He was appointed consulting engineer at Baddesley colliery when it reopened after the explosion and later at Bedworth Charity Colliery. For many years he lived at Camp Hill Grange, which was where the present public house “The Camp” now stands on Camp Hill Road, Nuneaton. He also took an interest in local affairs. In 1889 he became one of the first Aldermen of Warwickshire County Council and was manager for some years at both Hartshill and Stockingford schools. He also helped to organise the celebrations at Hartshill for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. He died in 1900 after a long and illustrious career in coal mining. His eldest son, James, founded a company specialising in mining haulage clips “the Smallman clip”. No doubt Reuben was able to give help and advice to his son in this business.
AM CITATION:
THE Queen has been graciously pleased to confer “The Albert Medal” on the following persons, for conspicuous gallantry displayed on the occasion of the Fire and Explosion at the Baddesley Colliery in May last:— ” The Albert Medal of the First Class.” Mr. Reuben Smallman, Mining Engineer. Mr. Arthur Henry Stokes, Inspector of Mines. Charles Day, Collier. Charles Chetwynd, Collier. « The Albert Medal of the Second Class.” Mr. Samuel Spruce, Mining Engineer. Mr. Frederick Samuel Marsh, Certified Colliery Manager. Mr. Thomas Harry Mottram, Certified CollieryManager. William Morris, Collier. William Pickering, Collier. Joseph Chetwynd, Collier.
BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: NUNEATON MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY, NUNEATON.
