Burntisland death 1850 - newspaper report?

[PrueM]

Hello everyone 

My g-g-g-grandfather Robert Campbell SWAN (AKA "Campbell SWAN") died after falling into the Firth of Forth in 1850.  He was apparently a crewman on the rail ferry which ran between Burntisland and Granton, and fell off one day. 

Would anyone know what newspapers I could look in, for possible reports of the accident? 

Thanks for any help 

Prue

[whiteout7]

Hi Prue

http://archive.scotsman.com/search.cfm?keywords=Leviathan+ferry&match=boolean&exclusions=&yearFrom=1849&monthFrom=1&dayFrom=1&yearTo=1851&monthTo=12&dayTo=31&sort=Score%2Cdesc&entityType=all

This looks hopefull to be your article:
"Melancholy accident at Bruntisland on Saturday.  In order to understand the nature of the accident may be understood we may state the Edinburgh Perth and Dundee Railway"
30th Jan 1850.

I hope the link works! It is from the Scotsman's digital Newspaper Archive.
You have to register to use the Archive and pay a small fee in pounds, from memory, to read the whole article.
Don't know if a Library in Scotland would have a free copy?
I can't be exactly sure it is what you want but it does have the word Leviathan, ferry, Bruntisland and rail in it!
It also happened in 1850 

Melissa

[PrueM]

That's great Melissa!  Thank you for that - the article doesn't mention him by name but I'm sure it must refer to him.  He didn't fall off the ferry, he was crushed during testing of the mechanism that was to take the railway carriages from the dock to the ferry.   
Now that I have a date and description, I can try to find out more about the incident.

Thank you so much for your help!    Now I have 23 and a bit hours of Scotsman subscription to use up - better get cracking 

Prue

[whiteout7]

A huge shiver just went up my back (I work around large ships), poor man  .

Since you got all those credits you could try a death notice search too for him and maybe any other family bdm notices.  I found my Gr.grandfather on the WW1 Lists of wounded here! (by using his reg. no. and name togeather.)

I hope it didn't cost to much!
Goodluck.
Melissa

[PrueM]

Hi Melissa,
Yes, doesn't sound a very nice way to go, poor bloke   
His second child born 1819 is my g-g-grandfather.
I will have a look for bdm notices, although as they seem to have been a fairly poor family, I might not find them in a national paper - but you never know till you try!
The subscription for 24 hours only cost 8 pounds...as I'm in Australia I doubt whether I could have got the article any other way, so to me it's money well spent.  Thanks for pointing me in the right direction 
Prue

[Thrall]

Hi all, there is an interesting site with photographs dedicated to the Granton Burntisland ferry service - the first rail ferry ever was unfortunately the culprit involved in Prue´s g-g-g-grandfather´s demise. See:    http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_a/0_around_edinburgh_-_firth_of_forth_-_ferry_boats_granton.htm

Good hunting,

Thrall
 

[PrueM]

Thanks for the link, Thrall    I will be having a good long look at that later (when I'm at work...shhhh!)
 
Prue

[nwp]

Hello Prue - I wonder if you are still there!
I am researching descendents of William HENDERSON and Margaret Johnstone SWAN (dau of David SWAN) married 14 Jan 1837 (Inveresk with Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland). David (b.1792) was a brother of Robert Campbell SWAN (b.1795). Somewhere in the wider family there is an Elizabeth SWAN (b.c1822) who died as a spinster in 1901 in Christchurch, New Zealand - she emigrated in 1855.  A daughter of William and Margaret emigrated in 1859, married soon after, and Elizabeth became very close to their family. Would you possibly know who she may be - or have any suggestions?
Concerning Campbell SWAN, there is a different newspaper article (compared to that mentioned in an earlier comment) in the Fife Herald, and I think he died 1 April 1850.
Neville (in New Zealand)