bodies that had been recovered were interred in Ardsley churchyard, where 35 were buried in a mass grave, at Monk Bretton and in the new municipal cemetery. Families Major disasters had a devastating impact on local communities and Hoyle Mill and nearby settlements lost most of their young and adult males leaving scores of widows and even more dependent children. The Oaks disaster happened at a time of multiple catastrophes in coal mines. Around Barnsley there had been several major disasters including 73 deaths at Oaks in 1847, 75 at Darley Main in Worsborough in 1849 and 198 at Lundhill in 1857. In 1866 nearly all the males in Hoyle Mill perished, some families lost not only the breadwinner but three or four sons. The disaster left 167 widows and 366 children under twelve. It was a national disaster and funds were raised immediately to support the families. Queen Victoria subscribed £200 and the Lord Mayor of London opened a fund. Money was raised in many parts of the country and small sums were donated by individuals. The Oaks Colliery Relief Fund was established in Barnsley and in total £48,747 was raised of which £11,695 came from the Lord Mayor's Mansion House fund. Altogether 690 individuals were eligible for relief, but although £27,000 remained in the fund in 1908, families were inadequately supported. Some miners subscribed to accident insurance clubs which could not cope with the cost of such sudden high demands. Some local friendly societies paid their members grants towards funeral costs and colliery owners provided a small amount of temporary aid and allowed the families to stay rent free in the pit houses. The union, still in its infancy, paid £8 in funeral costs, 5 shillings per week to widows and a shilling for children under twelve. Five shillings is . and two shillings and sixpence for each child under the age of thirteen was paid from the public relief fund. Should a widow remarry she received a bonus of £20 (), but all further benefit ceased. Inquest The inquest opened on 14 December at the Old White Bear public house in Hoyle Mill. The Coroner was Major Thomas Taylor (1823-1900) 15 jurors were sworn in and 16 bodies were identified. The proceedings moved to Barnsley Court House on 20 December. The inquest lasted for 13 days, but despite the evidence given by several miners and the evidence