Update of the Past NEWS .......... 2nd May 1885

 

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

*Mr Fox of Bakewell –

Mr Fox was the cause of much gossip and speculation in Bakewell after he took his own life. 

The full identity of “Mr Fox” was that of Mr James Fox, quarryman of Ashford In The Water.  He was around 50 years old when he committed suicide.

At the inquest which was held at the Kings Arms, Mill Street, Bakewell his son Matthew Fox was present to confirm that the deceased was James.  Matthew was a farm labourer and also lived at Ashford In The Water. 

On the day of the inquest the Jury had the gruesome task of walking to the quarry where they were to witness first-hand the body of James.  Matthew stated that his father had been acting strangely in the days passed.  Witnesses were called to decipher the events of the tragic day –

John Bond a quarryman from Bakewell told how he saw James at around 7.20am that morning and they had exchanged small talk, James had said “Well Jack” and John had replied “Well Jim”.  John did not see James alive again after that.

George Hawkesworth also a quarryman at Chert Quarries told how around 11am he was alerted by John Bond that James was missing.  He went to Bottom Quarry, an unworked quarry and about 150 yards from the entrance he found the body of James Fox; he was lying in a pool of blood.  About 2 feet away from James lay a razor which was wide open.  P C Keeley was called to scene immediately.

James’s fellow colleagues at the quarry told how James had not been himself for some time, he had been short tempered and in low spirits as though something was troubling him. 

The Deputy Coroner at the inquest gave a verdict of “suicide whilst temporarily insane”.

James was born in Monyash, Derbyshire around 1834; he was married to Elizabeth who died at some time in-between the 1871 census and the 1881 census when James was described as a widower.  The couple had at least the following children; Matthew, David, Elizabeth, Jane and Adam.  Was the death of his wife the reason for poor James’s woes? Does anyone know any more about this family?

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ X ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

*Harry Booker –

 

Harry was the name of the child who was tragically run over by the coach of Dr Rooth at Barlow.

 

An inquest was held at the Peacock Inn at Barlow and the boy’s parents gave evidence along with Gervase Margereson and John Spindley; the coachman.  After hearing all of the statements the jury decided upon a verdict of “accidental death”. 

 

Harry’s birth was registered in the March quarter of 1884.

 

John Spindley the coach driver had been in the employ of the Rooth family for many years, in 1871 he was aged 21 years old and working for them as a servant.  He was born in Osgodby, Lincolnshire.  On the 1881 census John is still living in Dronfield but is now married to Frances and they have a young daughter named Edith.  John must have been devastated when he accidentally killed young Harry as his daughter Edith would only have been a few years older than him.

 

In 1891 John is still employed as a coachman so hopefully he was able to move on with his life after the tragedy.  He has another daughter named Dora Musgrove.  A few years later another daughter arrives; baby Ida.  John and family are living on Callywhite Lane in Dronfield in 1901 and he is now employed as a domestic groom. 

 

Were John’s driving days over?  It looks like it as the 1911 census shows John as a hotel keeper.  He is now 61 years old and is running the Midland Hotel on Chesterfield Road in Dronfield.  France his wife and his youngest daughter Ida Isobel are living at the hotel.  John and Frances were lucky as they are recorded on the census return as only having had three children, but all were still living. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ X ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 



 



Echoes of our Past NEWS ...... 2nd May 1885

 

Read all about it……. Echoes of our past NEWS

What was in the local news this weekend in 1885?

MAIN NEWS –

*Suicide at Bakewell –

A man named Mr Fox was the news which was causing shock in the village of Bakewell this week.  Mr Fox was employed by Mr Noton at the Holme Bank Chert Quarries on the outskirts of Bakewell.

He had apparently been behaving “noticeably peculiar” for a while and on the Monday he arrived at work to commence his shift in the usual manner.  By 10 o’clock he was missing from his duties and the men began looking for him. 

Sadly his body was found in a disused quarry, Mr Fox had taken his own life by a “fatal cut” which “commenced under his right ear, and extended round to the other side of the neck”.  It was described as “one clean determined cut”.

Mr Fox was removed to a shed to await an inquest.  The reasons for the tragic death were unknown, but gossips were saying that he had “domestic troubles of an extra-ordinary kind”.

OTHER ITEMS –

*Fatal incident at Barlow –

A very sad incident resulted in the death of an 18 month old child at Barlow on Thursday 30^th April.  The only details given of the child’s name in the local newspaper was that the surname was Booker.

On the afternoon in question Dr Rooth from Dronfield was passing through the village of Barlow in his carriage.  The carriage was driven by John Spindle a coachman and at the helm were two horses.  As they rode along the lanes and began to ride away from the village towards Bole Hill they came across a group of children walking along.  There were also two men with close by; James Margerrison and Herbert Needham.

On passing the group the carriage heard shouts and the two men were calling them back to the roadside.  Dr Rooth quickly ran back and found that the carriage wheel had run over the poor child’s forehead.

The coachman John Spindle stated that he thought that he was driving well away from the side of the road where the children were and that he did feel a bump but assumed it was simply the stones underneath the wheels.

*Accident at Staveley Coal and Iron Company –

A young lad named George Clarke was fatally wounded when a large metal box which was being lowered with a chain fell on to him in the pipe shops.  It was found at the inquest that the chain had broken and thus the box had severely crushed poor George.

George was 23 years of age and lived at New Brimington, Chesterfield.  He was transferred to hospital but it was seen that the situation was terrible and “his recovery hopeless”.

A verdict of Accidental Death was recorded.

*Swine Fever –

There was cause for concern after several outbreaks of swine fever had occurred in the borough of Chesterfield.  The veterinary inspector for the borough Mr James Martin told the board how there had been four infected areas within the borough and fourteen or fifteen in the surrounding areas. 

Mr Martin had investigated each of the cases and found that the pigs had all been purchased from Sheffield Market.  This market has now been closed and he hoped that this would stop the spread of the infection.

It was estimated that the total costs of the pigs which had been slaughtered would be around £10.  Half of this amount would be paid for by the local Corporation.

*Stealing a cap –

A labourer named Peter Smith was found guilty of stealing a cloth cap from the shop of John Smith a hatter of Burlington Street.  The cap was worth 6d.  Peter of Silk Mill Yard was sentenced to 14 days gaol.

*Dangerous dog –

Not what we would expect to be named as a dangerous dog, but a St Bernard valued at £30 was the cause of a case against Mr B Slack of Ripley.  It appears that the dog bit Mr Frederick Albert Done on 7^th April. 

Frederick was a porter at the Midland Railway Station at Ripley.  The dog was said to belong to the sister of Mr Slack.  The dog had since been shot.

Mr Slack was made to pay the costs only and no penalty was indicted.

*Chimney sweep troubles –

Enoch Gascoyne was found guilty of being drunk and disorderly on the highway whilst in charge of a horse and cart.  Enoch was from Mosborough and he was charged 10s for his unruly behaviour.

MARRIAGES –

*Mr William Joseph Picker BA to Maude Fanny Tildesley on 30^th April at Trinity Church.  William resided at The Priory, Pontefract.  Maude was the daughter of the late George F Tildesley of Willenhall, Staffordshire.  Her mother now lived at The Oaks, Chesterfield.

DEATHS –

*William Humphrey Goodwin aged 47 years, on 24^th April at Newcastle Under Lyme, formerly of Chesterfield

*Ann Brown aged 74 years at Somersal Lodge, Brampton on 29^th April

*Elizabeth Greatorex of Morton aged 65 years at Alfreton on 28^th April

*Edith Hall aged 1 year at Worksop on 26^th April

*Annie Elizabeth Smith aged 15 months at Brampton on 26^th April

*Mary Ann Platts aged 79 years at the workhouse, Bakewell on 29^th April

AND FINALLY…

*Emigration calls –

This was the time to up sticks and start a new life in a faraway country.  Calls for persons to take the plunge and give it ago were plentiful and the temptation must have been great for many local people.

Canada wanted labour and assisted passengers were all to be offered amounts of money if they were prepared to emigrate.  £3 for those employed in agriculture, labourers and female domestic servants; £4 for general labourers and mechanics. They would travel to Liverpool and then board the steamships to Quebec.