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John Speakman & Sons

The Leigh colliery family that sank and ran Bedford Colliery. John Speakman began the shafts on Wood End Farm land about 1874; his father already owned the Priestners, Bankfield and Broadoak collieries in Westleigh, and his son Harry helped lead the rescue party after the 1886 explosion. The family held the colliery until it was amalgamated into Manchester Collieries in 1929.

Mines operated

MineRegionYears
Bedford Colliery Greater Manchester 1874–1929
Priestners Colliery Greater Manchester 1870–1873

Record created: 3 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 September 2026

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