Daniel Campbell McBeath Walker was born on October 5, 1834 according to his GWR employment records. The sister with whom he lived, Charlotte Hartford Walker, was born in 1825 in Edinburgh, the daughter of Duncan Walker and Elizabeth McBeath so it is probably safe to assume similar facts apply to Daniel.
He first joined the Great Western Railway as a clerk on July 19, 1870 and in 1871 he was boarding with the Brooks family at 3 Eastcott Lane. However, ten years later he was living at 7 Hill Street, Bedminster with his two sisters Charlotte Hartford Walker, an upholsteress and Sarah McIntyre Walker, a Lady’s Maid.
Returning to the GWR employment records, Daniel re-entered the company on January 2, 1882. He was 48 years old. In 1895 he was living with his sisters at 16 Eastcott Lane.
The following inquest was held to establish the events of his traumatic death on May 30, 1895, some of the details are too distressing to be published here and have been omitted.
On Thursday morning Mr W.E. Nicholson Browne, County Coroner, held two inquests at Swindon. The first was held at the “Globe” Tavern, Old Swindon, touching the death of Daniel Campbell Walker, a clerk in the GWR Works, residing in Eastcott Hill.
Charlotte Hertford Walker was the first witness called. She said deceased was her brother, and his age was 60 years. He was a clerk in the GWR Works but had not been to work since Tuesday week. He had a fall in the Quarries about ten days ago, which shook him up a great deal, and he went to Clevedon with witness, and returned on Tuesday last. He had suffered from fits some 12 years ago. About 5 years since he was confined in Dr Iles’ private lunatic asylum at Fairford for some thirteen weeks. The witness also said that his (deceased’s) second brother committed suicide in the same manner. Deceased had a religious mania. He went to bed about 10 o’clock on Wednesday night, when he was very calm and collected. She (witness) looked into his bedroom about seven o’clock Thursday morning, when he seemed to be asleep.
The jury, of whom Mr Job Day was foreman, returned a verdict of “Suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity.”
Extracts from The Swindon Advertiser, Saturday, June 1, 1895
Daniel Campbell Walker of 16 Eastcott Lane was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery on June 1, 1895. He is buried in grave plot B2407, a public grave. His sisters remained living in Swindon until 1903 when Sarah died and was buried in grave plot B2409, another public grave and close to her brother. Charlotte returned to Bristol where she died in 1907 and was buried in Ridgeway Park Cemetery.
Radnor Street Cemetery 