Midsomer mining history : The Story of Alex Hann and the Koncap

Hello again, I hope you are keeping well. In this month's article I would like to tell you about an incredible man who had a huge involvement in the Radstock Museum.

And the impact he had on not only Somerset, but the whole country.

Alex Hann was a name that was immediately mentioned as soon as I teamed up with the Radstock Museum. So of course, it didn't take me long to do some digging and see what I could find out, trust me I wasn't disappointed.

We've talked about the miners' lamps from all those centuries ago and how they not only changed mining in the UK, but the world.

Well, this one man alone made a contribution so fantastic I wish I'd had the opportunity to meet him myself.

On the 18th July 1924 Alex Hann was born into a Somerset mining family. During the early 1920's times were difficult socially and economically. Many were on strike, and were falling

Whilst Alex was still a young lad, a majority of the Somerset pits had begun to close. As we came into the 1930's, the people were becoming concerned of an approaching Second World War and by the time Alex had finished schooling he immediately enlisted himself into the Royal Airforce.

This landed him in places like India, Malaya and Indonesia. After peace was won in 1945, Alex returned home and decided to join his father back in Radstock, to head underground.

By 1953, he was married to one Audrey Presley (no relation to the king of Rock'n Roll!) They settled down in a family home at one of the manager's cottages in Old Pit Road, Westfield, (where Sun Chemical is now located).

The cottage was in need of desperate repairs and eventually in the next few years they welcomed two sons, Jeremy and Simon.

Now that Alex was settled with his own family and home, he was keen to give back to society. With some hard studying and research, he became a certified mine manager.

Leading him, like his predecessors, to join the Mine Rescue Service.

Coincidentally, his home was adjacent to the Service Headquarters, and by 1961 he became the fifth and final Superintendent of the Mines Rescue Service. Becoming a regular lecturer, he also introduced his invention into the mining institution, the Koncap.

We have talked about firedamp in my previous articles and the dangers that they have caused miners over the decades. In many of the lectures he would show students the dangers of firedamp and demonstrate the effects on a flame by using this device.

Previously a Clowes Cupboard had been used to demonstrate the dangers but the process was slow, difficult and only one