Actually, by an eerie coincidence, Robert, my GGGrandfather, was also killed in a railway accident in 1852.
Hi Cein had some time to do a lookup in the local paper for that time
this is the report fromthe Newspaper
Fifeshire Journal 16th september.1852
Dunfermline News Fatal Railway Accident
On Monday night an accident occurred on the Elgin Railway, in
Consequence of which the fireman of the engine lost his life under
The following distressing circumstances: - between nine and ten o’clock
The unfortunate man, along with the engine driver was proceeding up
The line from Charleston with a train of empty wagons, and had proceeded
as far as far as Gallowridge – Hill, a place about three quarters of a mile
to the south of Dunfermline, when the foremost axle of the truck, used as a
tender ( and which is always before the engine when coming up the line,
there being no turntable for turning the engine), broke and the other end
coming in contact with the engine, caused such a shock as to precipitated
the poor man on to the rails, right before the engine, which came over his
legs, and rested its whole weight upon the breast of the deceased, the result
of which was that death was almost instantaneous. The engine-driver on
seeing what had happened, ran up to the town for help ( no nearer aid being
procurable ), on returning with sufficient force extricated the remains of the
unfortunate man from below the wheels of the engine. The deceased has left
a wife and a young family to lament his untimely fate.
Also William Hetherton
Fifeshire Journal 13th Aug 1841
Dunfermline News Railway Accident
A few days ago, a man of the name of Hetherton a labourer on
Lord Elgins railway, met with a sudden death.
The railway runs along a deep artifical cut, which has on each side
A high built wall of defence. The unfortunate man, it is thought, had
ether fallen asleep on the verge of the cut, and so tumbled over, or
fallen over the wall accidently into the railway, and the next train of
wagons passed over his body and crushed him instantly to death---
the wagon driver not having perceived him.
What does it mean to be buried in "Common Ground"?
If the family were poor and could not afford to purchase ground for burial,
there was an area set aside in the cemetery called common ground,
This would mean that members of the family who died at various times were not buried in the same grave.
Headstones were not allowed to be erected in this area.
NorrieG