The Rosekillys Malton Colliery

A Memory of Malton.

My mother was Ellen Rosekilly, she was born at Malton Colliery in May 1906, she was one of a large family. Her brothers worked down the pit. One by one they left and moved on. My Aunt Louisa continued to live there right up until the pit was closed and she was rehoused in Lanchester.I as child during the Second World War was evacuated from London to my aunts in Malton to escape the bombings. I went to the little school at the colliery with its two classrooms and small playground and spent many months there. I was able to look at the cornfield behind the school and be in a peaceful place.
I can remember the big coke ovens, how we as children used to sit and watch the men empty the big coke ovens and hose the red hot coke to cool it. We used after school wander around and when the blackberries were ripe we would go up the Whinney as it was known and pick them. I can remember the long walk to the bus if you wanted to go to Lanchester or Langley Park.

In those days there were no flush toilets, only the outside loos which were emptied by the midden man as he was known who came regulary.

We used to get our milk from Farmer Gray, he would come around and measure out how much we needed, if not we would walk up through the hayfield to his farm with the milk can and buy it from him direct.
I had many happy times at Malton Colliery as a child. The last time I came up to Lanchester where my cousin lives. I went down to Malton and of course many of the things I had known have gone, the new houses as they were called are still there, so is the Brownie, the river I had paddled in many a time. I noticed they had a picnic area now. I hope to visit again next year, all being well, as I am now almost 77 years old and live near the New Forest in southern England. Should I find anything which I think may be of interest I will let you know.