Staveley Markham Rescue Team

The Staveley Coal and Iron Company first sank shafts at Markham Colliery in 1882. The colliery eventually became the largest in North Derbyshire, finally closing in 1994. There were three major disasters at Markham Colliery in the years 1937, 1938 and 1973. Rescue teams like the one in this photograph were integral to the safety of miners working underground.