b. ? 1870 Wicklow, Ireland. d. ? 1939 Whitehaven, Cumberland.
DATE OF EM ACTION: 22/07/1918 Margaret Iron Ore Mine, Frizington, Cumberland.
John Joseph was born in Wicklow, Ireland in 1870, the son of John and Ann Nevin. It is not known when the Nevin family emigrated to the North West of England. John married Ellen Fitzgerald in 1901 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, and they had at least four children. John worked as an iron ore miner at the Margaret Iron Ore Mine in Frizington, where he would be awarded the Edward Medal for the rescue on 22nd July 1918. Little is known about John’s later life. He died in Whitehaven in 1939, aged 69.
EM CITATION:
On the 22nd July, 1918, two miners were buried by a fall of ground in the Margaret Iron Ore Mine, Frizington, Cumberland. The fall swept out all the timber and left exposed a dangerous roof, in parts 20 feet high and fully 20 feet wide, from which masses of rock were liable to fall at any moment. As the place could not be made safe by means of timber in any reasonable time, several men took the risk of working under the exposed and dangerous roof in order to release the two imprisoned miners who were buried amongst a mixed mass of timber, stone and iron ore, while others stood on the fall and watched the roof, thereby inspiring confidence amongst the men engaged immediately underneath. The actual danger the rescuers ran was that of being trapped by a fall of ground from what was known to be a dangerous roof. Fortunately no fall took place during the work, which lasted about 1¾ hours, or the rescuers could hardly have escaped injury. One of the men rescued succumbed afterwards to his injuries. Eight men were engaged in the work of rescue. Horn and Nevin specially distinguished themselves.
BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
