Unusual causes of death

[Viktoria]

This is horrible and has probably gained in the telling but I can vaguely remember it----a lorry loaded with sheet metal had lost the warning cloth which had been fastened to the sheet metal to warn of the overhanging load .A motorcyclist came up too close at some speed and was decapitated- the motorcycle swerved and the lorry driver saw the  awful sight and suffered a heart attack or some sort of seizure, lost control and mounted the pavement and injured pedestrians. I really do hope the story has been exaggerated but I do remember it somewhat from  about 60 years ago. I would be pleased to find this was an exaggeration.How sad for all concerned. Viktoria.,

[dave the tyke]

I found these in the Northowram registers

Mr Tho. Brown Inkeeper in Kighley buried Oct 3. aged 64 had
   married a young woman left her all his Estate

Mr. Thos. Brooks, Minr in London died Aug. 1678 aged 72, had
   married a young wife a little before

Girls when you're young never wed an old man - unless he has oodles of money. 

Lads when you're old never wed a young lass - unless your heart is strong enough to take it 

[Viktoria]

As they would say in Manchester---" I wouldn`t mind betting she put soap on the stairs"and to quote Joan Collins when quetioned by the press about marrying a man very much younger than her-
  " If he dies- he dies!" ----Viktoria.

[Windsor87]

My greatx5 grandfather, John Bruce, was struck by lightening in 1864.

I have found a few newspaper reports giving a good description:

"The face of the dead man was changed to a dark blue, the hair and whiskers were singed. The watch-chain was melted about his neck, some of the clothes torn into shreds, and one of his shoes burned off; while large holes were made in the ground near the spot."

They Victorian's certainly liked the detail...

[chinakay]

My great grandfather's brother Henry was killed by lightning in Heswall church during a harvest festival service in 1875.

I googled the relevant words, and came across a mention of ghostly organ music which can still apparently be heard on stormy nights, and perhaps even the figure of a boy in the churchyard......for what it's worth
http://www.rootschat.com/links/06we/

Cheers,
China

[J.A.M.]

SADLY THERE ARE MANY GRUESOME ENDINGS FOR MY ANCESTORS, MOST BY DROWNING. I'VE GOT 7 OF THOSE BUT ALSO COUSIN JOHN WHO FELL FROM A HAY WAGON WHILE ROUNDING A BEND IN THE ROAD.

SAM, AGED 14, FELL OVER THE GOBBINS.
HUGH FELL ON HIS HEAD STRIKING A ROCK. THE HEIGHT OF THE FALL IS UNKNOWN.

COUSINS OF MINE WHO WERE FATHER & SON COMMITTED SUICIDE. ROBERT, WITH A BROKEN HEART AT THE DEATH OF HIS WIFE FROM CANCER, BY HANGING & THE SON, FRED, BY DRINKING FORMALDEHYDE.

I'VE ALSO GOT DEATHS FROM TUBERCULOSIS, CANCER, STROKE, HEART ATTACK & POISONING BY INGESTION OF BELLADONNA & ACONITE (ALTHOUGH RULED ACCIDENTAL THAT DOES SOUND SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE MURDER) & EVEN A FEW FROM OLD AGE.

AND OF COURSE THERE IS GRANDFATHER ALEXANDER WHO DIED IN WWI FOR KING & COUNTRY.

FORTUNATELY I'VE YET TO DISCOVER A DEATH FROM STARVATION THROUGHOUT THE FAMINE YEARS.

WITH ALL THESE SAD DEATHS IT'S AMAZING THAT THERE IS ANY FAMILY LEFT FOR ME TO RESEARCH.

I'M SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST 1 SUCH DEATH IN THE FAMILY. IT IS SAD BUT ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THE LACK OF HEALTH CARE IN THE PAST CENTURIES. WE COMPLAIN ABOUT WAIT TIMES AT HOSPITAL BUT SHOULD CONSIDER OURSELFS LUCKY TO HAVE THE MEDICAL CARE TO WAIT FOR.

J.A.M.

[stonechat]

In the more distant reaches of my tree I have killed in a train crash and killed in a earthquake

Bob

[Viktoria]

Chinakey, there is an old hall near where I live ,it was up for auction and we went for a nosey. My son`s friend lived in the farm cottages and it was well known that there could be heard ghostly hymn singing in the corner of the dining room of the hall. We could not afford the renovation work and forgot about it. Some years later there was a  local car boot sale and I like old books and there was a good selection. One in particular caught my eye, a small calfskin bound  volume about six inches by three with a criss-cross pattern tooled on the back and front. The pages were hand cut and the paper really thick.Printing  Gothic. Date1817, contents----HYMNS --composed by Rev. William Fawcett and yes he composed them at the old hall. It was in his preface to the book ,my copy being a reprint of a much earlier one.The book had belonged to one Abraham Nuttall and his wife. It did make me wonder if the hymns had been composed  actually in the dining room of the old hall!!!!I bought the book of course. Viktoria.

[Pippakit]

My great grandfather's brother Henry was killed by lightning in Heswall church during a harvest festival service in 1875.

I googled the relevant words, and came across a mention of ghostly organ music which can still apparently be heard on stormy nights, and perhaps even the figure of a boy in the churchyard......for what it's worth
http://www.rootschat.com/links/06we/

Cheers,
China

Thank you for that Chinakay, I hadn't heard that before!
Poor Henry, wandering round the churchyard, I wonder what he was looking for.