Update of the past NEWS....... 11th May 1861...........

Catch up on the full story of last weeks NEWS.............

*William E Hull –

William was the hero in last week’s NEWS after he selflessly lost his own life whilst trying to save that of another.

William was born around 1838 at Leicestershire.  Only weeks earlier he was recorded on the 1861 census; he was lodging with Charles and Elizabeth Porter in Derby.  He was described as single, aged 23 years old and working as a railway porter.

William was the son of his namesake; William Eaglefield Hull and Ann Hull.  He was born at Market Harborough the son of a labourer.  Aged 13 years old William was working as an errand boy, the railways must have been a fantastic sight for a lad of his age.  The London and North West Railway opened a line in between Northamptonshire and Market Harborough on 16^th February 1859.  William would have been right in the middle of all the excitement and of course some opposition to the railway being built.  He probably thought himself a very lucky lad when he was given a job by the railways. 

William was returned to his home town of Market Harborough by train journey and he was buried at St Mary’s Church graveyard.

For more information on the LNWR line click this link

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*Two men killed at West Staveley Colliery –

The men killed at Staveley colliery were David Bann (not Band as incorrectly documented in the local newspaper) and Charles Day (not Mr Key as again incorrectly recorded in the local newspaper). 

The actual site of the incident was Stanhope Pit which belonged to the West Staveley Coal Company.  David Bann was aged 30 years old and employed as deputy viewer.  Charles Day was aged 40 years old and worked as a horse keeper.

David Bann was born in Worth, Cheshire.  He was married to Sarah Ann and they did have 4 children; Mary Emma aged 9 years, William Henry aged 7 years, Elizabeth aged 5 years and Leah aged just 1 year.  The family lived on South Street in New Whittington.

Charles Day was born in Wartham, Suffolk.  He was widowed at the time of his death and left two children; a son Thomas aged 16 years old and a daughter Emma aged 11 years old.  The family lived at West Street in New Whittington on the 1861 census but were documented as living at Peaches Row at the time of the incident.  Thomas Day, the son of Charles was called to the inquest and he told how he worked alongside his father as an assistant horse keeper. He and his father had been down the pit at 5am on the Sunday morning to look after the horses. 

At the end of the inquest the jury returned a verdict of “accidental death” but the words which followed were rather harsh “the opinion being that the unfortunate deceased were themselves only to blame”.

 

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