| Administrative History | John William Pearce was born in Langley Mill on 12 December 1892, the son of wagon builder John Pearce and his wife Phoebe. On the 1901 census the family is recorded as living at 3 Regent Street, Heanor. At the age of 12, Pearce started work in Shipley Kilburn pit. On 24 January 1907, Pearce was witness to a serious accident caused by a roof collapse at Woodside colliery which resulted in the death of a man named Arthur Cook from Cotmanhay. The memoir dates this incident to "about 1905" but the official record of the accident gives the date 24 January 1907. Pearce narrowly avoided another serious accident later in his career when working at Langley Pit. In 1925, he married Winifred Shaw. On the 1939 register, the couple’s address is given as 89 Carter Lane, Mansfield. Mr Pearce took an interest in history, politics, poetry and music hall entertainment. He died aged 87 in 1980. |
| Custodial History | This item was transferred to Derbyshire Record Office from the library service in November 2021 |