Henry Slade (1862 – 1900)

Henry Slade

Born: 1862, Oldbury, Staffordshire, United Kingdom

Marriage: Rose Marion Goddard 14 Apr 1892, Greymouth

Died: 29 Mar 1900, Blackball Mine, New Zealand, at age 38

BIRTH

Henry Slade was born on 15 February 1862, Titford, Cakemore, Staffordshire, England. His father Henry John Slade was a coal miner, he worked in the Ramrod Hall mine near Rowley Regis. On the 5th February 1862 a large piece of coal accidentally tumbled against him and injured his leg. He died on the 9th February 1862, six day before Henry was born. His mother remarried two years later to Henry Denison. So he was known as Henry Denison also.

IMMIGRATION

On 6th June 1874 Henry and Elizabeth Denson immigrated to New Zealand aboard the ship "Otago".

Diary of the ship "Otago"
Captain - Captain Leslie:

June 6th Left Gravesend, England, July 4th - Equator, July 26th - Cape of Good Hope, August 8th - Severe Gales, August 14th - Cape Leeuwin, Australia, August 26th - Snares Island, New Zealand, August 28th - Otago Heads, August 29th - arrived in Port Chalmers, Otago, 83 Days.

Shipping Records:
Ship: Otago Date: June - August 1874 Henry Denson 32,

Elizabeth 35, Henry 12, George 7, Phoebe 3 & Elizabeth 1/12

The family first settled in Kaitangata, then the following year they moved to Kyeburn Diggings (near Naseby) where Henry Denison Snr worked as gold miner independently. That year Henry's mother (Elizabeth) died during childbirth of Isaac Denston. According to the local paper Henry got sued for not paying his wetnurse Mrs Drysdale. Henry Denston remarried in Caroline Beadsmore in 17 Jun 1879, Balclutha, Otago.

Henry Slade's School Record from Kyeburn Diggings

Henry Denison remarried on 17 June 1879, Balclutha, Otago to Caroline Beardsmore whose first husband was killed in the Kaitangata disaster (21 February 1879). According to the wise directory Henry Denison move to Kaitangata and lived there from 1879 - 1884. I am not sure when Henry moved to the West Coast. According to the Dobson (near greymouth) School Records, both Elizabeth & Isaac Denison were enrolled on 16 August 1887. Also records showed that the two children had been previously enrolled at the Taylorville School, a township just across the river from Dobson. However I am not sure if Henry Slade was living with his stepfather at the time.

MARRIAGE

Henry married Rose Marion Goddard, daughter of Augustus Frederick Goddard and Rose Mary Ann Cox, on 14 Apr 1892 in Greymouth. According to the electrol roll, the first years of marriage were spent in Denniston, where their first children were born - Henry Ralph Larson (1893), and Grace Dempster (1896). In 1898 they moved to Seddonville where Elise May Elizabeth (1898) and Leslie George Haywood (1899) were born.

DEATH

While living in Seddonvile he work at the local coal mine. However due to strikes he was black listed from all mines in the area. As result in March 1900 he left his family and moved to Blackball for work, 170 kilometers south of Seddonville. Ten days after moving (30th March, 1900) a diseatrous thing happen, while on his shift in the Blackball mine, a round, large bounder fell from the roof and landed on his adobmen, he died a few hours later from his injuries.

INQUEST INTO DEATH

An Inquisition indented taken for our Sovereign Lady the Queen, at the house of Thomas Jolliffer known by the name of Jolliffers Hotel at Blackball County of Grey in the said Colony, on the 30th day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred before John William Jones o ne of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace .... when, where and by what means Henry Slade came to his death, do upon their oaths say - that the said Henry Slade on the twenty ninth day of March 1900 while working as a coal miner in the Blackball Mine by and in consequence of injury to his haunch bones through a fall of coal pinning him to a prop; collapse consequent of rupture of some of the abdominal organs accidentally, casually, and by misfortune; caused by his death and not otherwise.

Caroline Denson being sworn, saith that: "I am a widow and reside at Reefton. I have seen the body here being dead and I recognize it as the body of my stepson Henry Slade. I last saw him alive about four years ago. Deceased was a native of Staffordshire, England and had been about 21 years in New Zealand working as a coal miner. Deceased was married and had 4 children. The wife resides at Mohikinui. I believe that his family are left unprovided for. I do not know whether deceased's life was insured."

John Eagar being sworn, saith " I am a coal miner residing at Blackbal l. Have seen the body here lying dead and recognise it as that of Henry Slade. I was working mate with deceased in the Blackball Mine on Thursday t he 29 March 1900 at 6 o'clock in the morning. Both of us had been at work about half an hour together- I had occasion to turn away from the deceased for a moment or two when I heard a rumble of coal falling. The next thing I heard was the deceased calling out "Jack". I might be about 6 yards away from where the deceased was at the time, I ran up to the deceased. I found the deceased leaning against a prop.

He was alive and spoke to me. Deceased could not walk or stand on his feet. So a man named Thomas Moore and others carried him away. On the way out deceased spoke to us several times and complained of pain in his loins putting his hand to indicate where. I noticed where the fall of coal came from. It did not come direct from the roof on to deceased. It came sliding from the face, and in my opinion must have thrown deceased with force up against a prop. A prop had been knocked out by the fall of coal. The props are one on each side of the tramway in the same position towards the face. The heaviest fall of coal must have come against the prop, knocked down. I have known the deceased seven years. Had worked with him and at all times found him a thoroughly competent coal miner. I have been a coal miner for the last 14 years. I believe that every precaution had been taken inside the coalmine before deceased and myself tried . .. I believe it was a purely unforseen accident.

James Howard being sworn saith " I am a duly qualified medical practitioner residing and practising at Blackball. On Thursday the 29th March 1900 about 8 in the morning I was sent for to attend a man who was injured in the mine and who was at Jolliffe's Hotel. I have viewed the body here lying dead. I recognise it as that of Henry Slade the person I was called up on to attend. I have made an examination of the body and found a small bruise in the left loin. Deceased was not dead when I first saw him. He was suffering much from shock. I gave orders as to what was necessary to be done for him. I returned to my surgery and forwarded some medicine to relieve. I saw him again in 20 minutes after and found him in a comatose condition and died a few minutes later in my presence. I attribute death to result from injury to the haunch bones and to collapse from rapture of some of the abdominal organs".

The jury through its foreman Mr Walter Heley desired to add the followi ng Rider to the verdict, which was unanimously agreed to:
"That the jury desire to place upon record that there was no cause attributable to any official connected with Blackball mine, the evidence showing that it has been exceptionally and carefully worked" Blackball 30 March 1900, JW Jones JP, Acting Coroner.