Mexborough and Swinton Times, January 28,  1938

Obituary

Mr. Firth
Self-Educated Wombwell Veteran

One of the few remaining employees of the old pottery at Darfield Main Colliery was lost to Wombwell on Friday by the death of Mr. John Firth, aged 84, of 37, Stonyford Road, Wombwell, where he had lived with his married daughter, Mrs. G. Eames.

Mr. Firth was born at Hatfield Woodhouse, near Doncaster,  and worked on the land before he was ten years of age. After that he was employed as a “boots” in a boys’ school.

At eleven years of age he came with his parents into the Wombwell district and went to work at the pits. In 1875 his brother William Firth, a boy of fourteen, was killed at Darfield Main, and from that time onwards Mr. John Firth never went into the mines again. His next employment was at the pottery in the pit yard at Darfield Main, where he remained until he went into the old brick yard at New Scarborough making bricks by hand.

Thirty-six years ago Mr. Firth went into business as a dealer in yeast, which he carried on until the death of his wife six years ago. He was a brother of the late Mr. Frank Firth and the late Mr. Tom Firth, and all three were active members at the Methodist Church at Low Valley for many years.

Although he had no schooling, Mr. John Firth learned to read the Scriptures through teaching in the Sunday School, using extra large print for the purpose. In 1919 he was awarded a diploma for 25 years’ work in the Sunday School.