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| Death on the Railway |
| This request appeared to be quite straightforward. I was supplied with the details of a death certificate giving the location of the death, date of death and the name of the deceased. Martin Kilfoyle died after being struck by a train near Runcorn with the inquest being held on Monday 3rd March 1862. All I had to do was visit Colindale and select the newspaper for the period and the location. |
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| A quick check of the Colindale computer provided the perfect source, the Runcorn Observer and Weekly Advertiser. The orderslip came back marked with "Conservation". The volume had been sent for conservation and would not be available for a at least a few months. It can happen but there were other newspapers. Next I tried the Warrington Guardian and the Warrington Index. Both theese came back marked "Conservation". I was running out of newspapers published in the region and for the period so I decided to try Railway Journals. The Railway Times and The Railway Journal were published during the period. Unfortunatley both journals were only interested in the owners and stockholders; the last thing they would be doing was reporting accidents on the railway. |
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| So I had to cast my net wider. Colindale have a very good reference library and I was able towns near to Runcorn. The first I tried was the Northwich Guardian , which is some 20 miles from Runcorn. This newspaper was available but still on the Conservation Table. This meant that the volume was not in good condition and if I did discover an article I would not be able to get it copied, I would have to do a transcription. |
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| It took a few pages to find the article, in fact the announcement was in the supplement for 5th March 1862, page 2 column f. |
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| Fatal Accident at Moore |
| On Monday last, an inquest was held at the "Lion," Moore, before H.B. White, Esq., Deputy Coroner, on the body of Martin Kilfoile, who was killed on Saturday night. Mr John Smith, farmer, Keckwick, said: On Saturday evening about six o'clock, I was coming out of one my fields at Keckwick, adjoining the London and North Western Railway, and saw some person walking along the line. He passed me, and soon afterwards a goods train came from Moore. |
| I heard some person on the engine say "Look out; there is a train coming." This train passed him and met another going towards Moore; some one on the goods train said to the driver of the other train, £mind that man" and the drier whistled. The man on the line was hid from my view by a hedge. When the train had gone by I heard groans, and got over the hedge to see what was the matter, and I saw the man whom I had before observed upon the line with his face towards the hedge, and in a crouching position - quite doubled up. |
| I spoke to him and said, "This is the fruits of going on the line - I suppose you are almost shaken to pieces." He said his arm was broken. He was quiet sensible. He had a shovel and two posts across his shoulder, and I think the train must have struck the posts first, and so knocked him down. |
| I did not recognise the man at the time, but I know now that it was Martin Kilfoile. Some persons came up and took him home. - The widow of the deceased stated that he was 56 years old, and formally a private in the 18th regiment of Foot (Irish Guards). |
He was insensible when taken home on Saturday night, but afterwards recovered. He died about ten minutes to eight.
Verdict - "Accidentally killed." |
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| The person who had commisioned me was very pleased with the result. Not only had I obtained the deatils of the death but I had uncovered a new source of research; the Irish Guards, ans a possible origin of this ancestor.. |
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