Oh yes, definitely 13 July now I look at it on Ancestry. Previously I'd only looked at it on microfilm at the Lancashire Records Office, I think before Ancestry copied and cleaned up their films. (That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!)
I know Ancestry come in for some stick, but they have done a great job at digitising these microfilms and making them so much more readable than the films themselves. If only Ancestry would now do all the parish registers held on microfiche at LRO, as I hate microfiche!
Here's the full text of the Preston Chronicle 13 September 1862, p. 4 col. 5
SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT
Early on Sunday morning a pointsman in the employ of the North Union Railway Company, named James Norris, who resided at Penwortham, met with his death in a very shocking manner. An inquest was held over the body, on Monday, before Mr. M. Myres. The following evidence, which will explain the nature of the accident, was adduced:- Henry Edge, of Farington, engineman, deposed: On Sunday morning last, about a quarter past two o'clock, I found the body of the deceased near the outside signal of the North Union Railway at Penwortham, on the down line. He was dead. Both his legs were taken off. I did not examine his body. I was walking on the line at the time, off duty. The deceased was in the habit of walking from Preston to Penwortham along the line. He would be on duty at Preston until four o'clock on Saturday afternoon.
Moses Ormerod, pointsman, of Preston, said: I am pointsman at the Ribble Bridge. On Sunday morning last the deceased passed me at twenty minutes to one o'clock. He was on the line going up the "six-foot" from Preston to Penwortham, and was alone. He did not appear to be any worse for drink. He used sometimes to go to Penwortham, and came to his work on the line. The first engine that came down the line after he went by would be about twenty minutes past one o'clock - an empty engine with the tender first. The moon was overcase at the time. The men have been told not to go on the line, but they continue to do so. The deceased would know that he was breaking one of the rules; but it was nearer for him to go home that way. The express train passed about four minutes to two o'clock. The empty engine was what is called a bank engine, and it was used to help the goods train up the incline. John Occleston was the driver of it. There is no public crossing at the place where the deceased was found.
John Occleston, engine driver on the London and North-Western Railway Company's line, said: On Saturday night and Sunday morning I was on the line assisting the goods trains with the bank engine. We left Preston at twelve o'clock on Sunday morning. We had to go from Coppul to Preston. When coming towards Preston we had the tender of the engine first. I felt nothing unusual in passing through Penwortham. We looked out for signals, but we cannot see anything on the line at night time. The distance from the station to where the body was found will be a mile. After the deceased was discovered I examined the wheels of the engine, and found some hair on the safeguard of the tender wheel, which corresponded in colour to that of deceased's. I also found marks of corduroy trousers on the tender wheel next to the safeguard. I did not find any blood either upon the tender or the wheels. It was the wheel next to the "six foot" that I found the hair and marks upon.
The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." The deceased, who was thirty-five years of age, has left a widow and five little children.
