1900 - 1994

Silverwood Mine

Hollings Lane

Thrybergh

Facts, Stories and Features

THE HARTLES OF SILVERWOOD

A PRESENTATION BY STEVIE MARSH AND THE HARTLE FAMILY

Pictured above a gathering of the family after Dunkirk left to right

Scott Harris, who married Madge Hartle, Fred Hartle,  unknown, Thomas Hartle [ Father ]
Alf Hartle, and Walter Bygate who married Mary Hartle,  Alf is wearing Fred's Glengarry

Foreword by Stevie Marsh

 My Mother and my Uncle, have excellent memories, wonderful stories of the General Strike etc.  They were from a family of twelve.  Born in Dalton - when it was a new estate, moved up to Sunnyside and all stayed around here except us.  When my father died, prematurely, and had previously been manager of several coal mines.  When I was born he was a coal hewer  in Silverwood.  My grandfather was a contractor down the pit and helped sink the shaft at Silverwood.  All my male relatives worked down the pit and were well known.  My dad became overman down there, and my Mother's brother was one until he retired.  What stories they told!

Stephanie Marsh nee Cawthorne

After World War II, in 1919, Tom Hartle born 1878 went to work down the pit. He'd been in the trenches in the war in his forties. My mum remembers running down the road to meet him when he came home. He was a face worker.  who worked into his seventies.
 

His oldest son, Enoch Hartle, worked with him and became the Senior Overman/Safety Officer for many years. He won a very special award for a brave act in the pit' Enoch was very well known and worked at Silverwood  from the age of 15 until retirement, 1919 to 1966. His son,  Cliff Hartle also was a face worker at Silverwood for some time.'

Fred Hartle Miner, war hero and Deputy at Silverwood, 2002 Chairman of local Veterans Club

Alf Hartle born in 1915 became an overman at Silverwood
Billy Hartle worked on haulage at Silverwood
Brian Hartle - electrician (Alf's son) born 1944 later ran Sunnyside post office with Dale. Her parents ran the post office from the 1940's. Post office closed when they had a dreadful violent robbery at the post office about six years ago [ 1999 ] . Held at gunpoint overnight and their son injured. It was heard on the BBC National News. They've never opened the post office up since and now everyone at Sunnyside has to use either Ravenfield or Wickersley Post Office.
Craig Hartle Alf's son and Tom's grandson  became an electrician at Silverwood
Sam Spencer born circa 1910 Ethel Hartle's husband  worked in the lamp cabin
Fred Spencer  Sam's son started work at Silverwood, later he became a Detective Inspector in the Police Force. Hobby painting and done some interesting water colours of the pit head at Silverwood and written several poems about it.
Walt Bygate born circa 1909 Mary Hartle's brother became a coal hewer at Silverwood
Scott Harris born circa 1917 Madge Hartle's husband became a  deputy at Silverwood
Jock Turtle born circa 1917 Muriel Hartle's husband became a shot-firer at Silverwood

Warnford Cawthorne born 1915 Doris Hartle's husband was a Coal Hewer, Overman, then Manager, an Area Method Study Engineer, and also a Charted Mining Engineer.

Copyright

Stephanie 'Stevie' Marsh who has kindly sent in the photos and information regarding the Hartles and her father Warneford Cawthorne has also supplied information for the Ravenfield pages. Stephanie is quite an achiever in her own right, and is now a retired School teacher living in sunny [ ahem!] Lancashire.  On behalf of everyone I would like to say thanks for sharing your family with us Stevie, it is much appreciated..

John