b. 03/01/1857 Creaton, Northamptonshire. d. 25/03/1947 Basford, Nottinghamshire.
DATE OF EM ACTION: 28/11/1916 Pye Hill Colliery, Jacksdale, Nottingham.
James was born on 3rd January 1857 in Creaton, Northamptonshire, the third of four sons born to Daniel and Sarah Haddon (nee Webb). He was baptised on 24th May 1857 in Great Creaton Church. He married Elizabeth Sarah Ball in 1881 and they spent the early part of their married life lodging with the Hibble family in Greasley, near Basford, close to the Pye Hill Colliery, where James gained employment as a labourer. They went on to have six children. By 1911, James was now a Colliery Deputy, the position he held during the roof fall on 28th November 1916. Little is known about his life after the incident, though he continued to live in Basford. In the 1939 Register, he was a widower, and had retired from his position as Colliery Under Manager. James died in Basford in 1947 aged 89.
EM CITATION:
On the 28th November, 1916, at about 12.30 a.m., a heavy fall of roof occurred at the Pye Hill Colliery, Nottinghamshire, by which three men were buried. Foulds, Haddon, Heathcote, Short and Smith quickly arrived, and attempted to rescue the buried men by digging out the fallen roof and setting props as they progressed. The roof was still extremely dangerous and stones were constantly falling. Three times heavy falls occurred breaking the props which had been set up, but, on each of these occasions, the rescuers were fortunate in having sufficient warning to enable them to escape. They remained at work for seven hours until all three buried men were reached and taken out; unfortunately all were found to be dead.
During the entire period the rescuers were in continuous danger of serious injury or death from a further sudden fall.
BURIAL LOCATION: WILFORD HILL CREMATORIUM, NOTTINGHAM.
ASHES INTERRED AT ST JAMES THE GREAT CHURCHYARD, BRINSLEY, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
