John Welsby

John Welsby (c.1875-5 March 1908) was an Altofts minor and rescue team worker.

Death
In 4 March 1908 the Hamstead Colliery in Staffordshire suffered an underground fire, with only six of the thirty-one miners escaping from the fumes. Welsby arrived with an Altofts rescue team, reinforcing the Hamstead and Tankersley teams. Welsby was killed on the 5th when he ventured into unsafe tunnels on his own in search of more miners to save.

Legacy
In honour of his efforts, the West Riding Colliery paid for his funeral service and a monument at the Altofts Cemetery. In 2008, a memorial was also constructed at Hamstead village, paid for by the Hamstead Miners Memorial Trust to remember the 100th anniversary of the disaster; Welsby's name was included on the list.