Boon Hill Bear Myth or Legend?
Thank you to Paul Jepson who recommended this story...
On January the 12th 1918 two young miners from Bignall End were on their way to work in the Minnie Pit in Halmer End.
Their journey took them towards Boon Hill, as this was their quickest way to Halmer End. As they approached the summit of Boon Hill they came across a clump of bushes and trees. They could not believe their eyes as they looked towards the trees, for a large Bear appeared from behind the trees.
Their thoughts of work at Halmer End soon vanished from their minds, as they turned to run for safety. Dropping their lunchboxes on the ground they ran for their lives never looking back until they reached Bignall End which was where home and safety lay.
Later that day the news came through of the terrible mining disaster at the Minnie Pit, in Halmer End where 155 Men and Boys perished. If the two young men had not encountered the Bear, the number would likely have been 157!
The news of the Boon Hill Bear was soon heard around the villages and the remarkable escape for the two young men.
It was decided that a search of the area was needed to see if they could find any traces of where the Bear had gone to, but after a number of searches there was no sign of the Bear to be seen.
Enquiries were made throughout the area to see if a Bear had escaped from a circus or travelling fair, without any success… No bear was ever found.
It appeared that in the twelfth century Lord Hugh de Audley* was on a hunting trip to this area from Heighly Castle. During the afternoon of the hunt the young Lord was approaching the summit of Boon Hill, where he saw a Bear in a clearing.
As he prepared to take aim with his bow his squire informed Hugh that it was a female Bear with her cub. Hugh was known to be a kind man despite appearing to have a hard exterior, put away his bow and returned to the castle ending hunting for the day.
It has been thought, could the two young men who saw the Bear have been descendants of Hugh de Audley and the Bear or its apparition had re-appeared that day to save the miners from that terrible mining disaster, thus paying back an ancient debt.
* Lord Hugh de Audley Wasn’t born until the 13th Century. Henry de Aldithley (c.1175-1246) (later "de Audley" Would fit the time frame mentioned in the story… However, I don’t know if the mix up is with the name or date so left the story as is.