Lynskey Terry

Terry Lynskey

When he stood for the Communist Party as a candidate in the Thorne Ward for the Urban District Council in 1964, Lynskey was 27 years of age. He was born in Moorends and had been educated Thorne Grammar School before working Thorne Colliery. Extraordinarily, he had packed in great deal in his short life so far to this point. A football and judo player, he was a qualified teacher in physical education, and for several years was employed by Vermuyden Institute of Further Education.

Lynskey had won fame as one of the country’s leading winners of the National Coal Board First Aid Team competitions. He transferred to Hickleton Pit and then moved to Askern to take the post of Ventilation Officer. He later worked on the coal face for a while before becoming a member of the elite and highly-regarded, if exceedingly dangerous, Mines Rescue Brigade.

When Thorne miners working at Askern were threatened with redundancy, Terry Lynskey organised a deputation to Yorkshire NUM headquarter to demand no close-downs or redundancy at Askern of the then Yorkshire NUM President, Alwyn Machen, who helped to bring this about. An active member of Askern branch NUM, Lynskey played a key role in negotiating Maco Moore Agreement for machine workers. He had left the pits in 1962 to work as a coal merchant.

Source: Communist Party election leaflet