Edwin Leech.       1889 - ?

Andrew Murray’s brother inlaw Edwin Leech worked for the West Cannock Company all his working life. Born in 1889 he went down the mine in 1901 at the age of 12 and could have been employed at any of their 3 mines (No.1, 3 & 4) working at that time on Greenheath Common.

In 1914-16 on the completion of the sinking of West Cannock’s No.5 mine at Tackeroo Hednesford, he was transferred to that pit, were he would stay until his retirement in 1959 at the age of 70.

He worked on the night shift for most of his time at West Cannock No.5 the jobs he did were timbering the coal face and rock heading. His final job in his old age was as an underground haulage engine driver, he would on a bell signal start the haulage engine to haul the journey of tubs out of the coal getting district and up a step incline on its way to the shaft bottom.

For his efforts he was on retirement awarded a certificate for 50 years service underground (figures do not tally due to records of the private companies being badly kept).