A Stretton woman will be laying a wreath to mark Workers Memorial Day in memory of her great, great grandfather who died following an underground mining tragedy nearly 120 years ago.

Workers Memorial Day 2018 will be held at the National Memorial Arboretum on Saturday, April 28, organised and hosted by East Staffordshire Trades Union Council, to remember people who lost their lives in the workplace.

Scores of people are expected to turn out, including workers and trade unionists. Among them will be Elaine Pritchard, a Burton businesswoman who owns Caittom Publishing, a freelance writing service provider in Goodwood Close.

Mrs Pritchard will be marking the occasion to remember her great, great grandfather, a former miner who lost his life while on a shift at Reservoir Colliery, in Moira.

Elaine Pritchard will be remembering her great, great grandfather
Elaine Pritchard will be remembering her great, great grandfather

Aged 66 at the time of his death, Mrs Pritchard has spoken of her disappointment that he was working in such a dangerous environment at an advanced age. The colliery was a working pit for nearly 100 years, finally closing in 1947.

She said: "As a child I heard that my grandma's grandad, William Dennis, had died down the pit and I always thought it was so sad that he was still working underground at such an age.

"When I got older I became interested in family history and found a picture of my great, great grandad, taken at a photography studio not long before he died in 1902."

To learn more, Mrs Pritchard did some researching of her own at The Magic Attic in West Street, Swadlincote, a large historical archive of newspapers, maps, artefacts and more.

It was here where alongside a number of volunteers, she found clippings of past newspapers about the accident, the subsequent inquest and her ancestor's funeral.

Mrs Pritchard added: "There was a lot of detail in the inquest report, which said that William had been working underground when there was a fall of coal on top of him and he died soon afterwards from shock as a result of his injuries.

"The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death and said no-one was to blame for the accident, which happened at the Reservoir Colliery.

"It was very sad to read that one of William's sons, Henry, was working on the same shift but was unable to save his father."

From newspaper reports Mrs Pritchard found that William had worked for the Moira Colliery Company for a number of years and was highly spoken of, as a 'reliable and energetic workman.'

He was a popular miner in the village and had also been a lay preacher for a number of years.

"These days, many workplaces and procedures are much safer than in the early 1900s," Mrs Pritchard continued, "But it's sobering to learn that across the world, 6,000 workers still die every day, meaning that more people die whilst at work than those fighting wars.

Picture of William Dennis taken shortly before his death in 1902
Picture of William Dennis taken shortly before his death in 1902

"William's gravestone at Donisthorpe Cemetery describes him as 'a martyr of labour'. In laying a wreath at this month's service at Alrewas, I will remember my ancestor and all the others who have died while working in the mining industry."

The service is being hosted by East Staffordshire Trades Union Council and supported by the Midlands Trades Union Council to remember those who have died and campaign for better health and safety at work.

William Walker, the secretary of East Staffordshire Trade Union Council, said: "Two years ago we were very proud to unveil the first memorial at the Arboretum commemorating the workplace struggle for health and safety and all those who have died through industrial accidents or illness.

"'Remember the dead and fight for the living' is the purpose of the day because there is still a major struggle for health and safety at work. This year’s focus is on the fact that unionised workplaces are safer workplaces.

"There are endless academic studies that have highlighted the positive impact unions have on health and safety."

Mr Walker said 70 per cent of new trade union members saw health and safety as an important union issue.

"Health and safety representatives are workers from the shopfloor educated through union learning programmes to spot health and safety irregularities.

"Workers Memorial Day is there as a symbol to remember the past but also as a reminder that the fight for healthier, safer workplaces is there and in a town like Burton where the number of unrecognised workplaces is high, the day is more and more significant."

The day is recognised across the world, with this year’s theme concentrating on the benefits of working in a unionised workplace.

For those attending the service at the National Memorial Arboretum visitor centre, it will begin at 2.45pm ahead of a service at the designated memorial at 3.30pm, which will last around 30 minutes.