You may be aware of Unity Brook Mining disaster of 1878 when 43 miners perished. Most of the dead came from Kearsley. One of the victims was celebrating his 15th birthday, there were two 13-year-olds and the youngest boy only 12-years old.

Life was hard for a community brought up on cotton and coal and none was harder than digging and blasting for the black gold that had drawn pit owners to this part of Lancashire in search of a fortune.

Safety was in its infancy for miners working the coal seams of the Irwell Valley Fault, carrying naked lights and using gun powder for blasting their way through the coal seams.

Livelihood for Kearsley’s mining community rested on several seams two of which, Trencherbone and Cannel were worked at Unity Brook Colliery, commonly known as “Muck Pit” and opened 13 years earlier by James Scott and company.

We at “Remembering Unity Brook Miners of 1878” are planning a permanent memorial of the victims of this fateful disaster, along with a memorial service at St Stephens Church on 18th March 2018 at 2.00pm please visit our Facebook page to keep informed about this service www.facebook.com/UnityBrookCollieryDisaster. We have also approached local schools, pupils and staff are eager to get involved.

We require the support of local people and beyond to help with the funding of the project and particular the funding of the memorial which will be a coal tub similar to the photograph. This will be a permanent fixture in Kearsley for a continual reminder to the community and future generations. Any financial support would be appreciated.