Death on railway at Whiston, 1839

[mps397]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could point us to some more information about a railway death on the 12th of July 1849 at Whiston.

We have a death certificate for a Lydia Saunders, date of death 12.07.1849 at Whiston, cause of death - Killed by a Locomotive Engine on the Railway. There is also a 'Wikipedia' entry on railway accidents listing an accident on the 12th of July, 1849, in which two people died. But of course it has no linked reference.

The Railway Archive for accidents list one at Whiston in which two people died on the 13th November 1838, but has no further details.

It would be great if anyone has an idea how we could go about finding anymore information about the 1839 accident (and the 1838 - if only to rule it out)

Regards, mps397

[JDGen]

North Wales Chronicle, Tuesday 16th July 1839:

RAILWAY ACCIDENT: Mrs Yates and her daughter, Lydia Saunders, the landlady of the George and Dragon Inn, at Whiston Lane End, were run over by the Bolton engine on Friday morning on the Whiston incline on the Liverpool and Manchester railway and killed instantaneously.

Jean

[mps397]

Thank you so much  , it also confirms her maiden name which we suspected.

Mark (mps397)

[Henry7]

The book 'The Liverpool & Manchester Railway' by R H G Thomas (1980) mentions this accident - presumably the author got his information from the L&MR records (minute-books etc) now held at Kew.

He says two women trespassers were killed by one of the Bolton & Leigh Railway's engines on Whiston Incline in July 1839, after which bills were posted along the line cautioning the public against trespass, and all the railway police and gatemen were ordered to "prohibit and prevent persons walking along the line ... at the risk of incurring the serious displeasure of the directors."

[ksh1974]

This website provides a newspaper article into the accident

http://www.myfamilyhistory.me/2019/01/death-on-railroad.html