Rodbourne Man Killed – Fatal Accident in the GWR Works

How we like to moan about good old ‘health and safety’ regulations. What a nuisance it all is – well this is how life was before we had such protection.

When John Parkinson went to work that Tuesday in October 1901 it was just another day in the railway factory. By eight o’clock that evening he lay dead in the Medical Fund Hospital, his wife Kate a widow and his four young sons Ernest 8, George 6, Percy 4 and 2 year old Wilfred without their father.

The Fatal Accident in the GWR Works

A Rodbourne Man Killed

A terrible accident occurred in the GWR Works, Swindon, on Tuesday, which, unhappily, terminated fatally. A man named J.E. Parkinson, of 46, Linslade-street, Rodbourne, and engaged in the boiler shop of the GWR Works, was the victim, a large boiler falling on his back, and inflicting such injuries that his life was despaired of from the first. The accident happened about four o’clock on Tuesday last, and the unfortunate fellow, who was 31 years of age, was conveyed to the GWR Medical Fund Hospital, where Drs. Rodway and Astley Swinhoe attended to his injuries. The injuries to the back and sides were so terrible that it was utterly impossible to do anything more for the unfortunate man than give him stimulants and keep him warm. He only lingered four hours, passing away soon after eight o’clock in the evening. He leaves a widow, who is prostrated with grief, and four children.

GWR Boiler Shop c1886 – image published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

The Inquest

Was held yesterday (Thursday) afternoon in the Council Chamber of the Mechanics’ Institution, by Mr Coroner W.E.N. Browne, and a jury, of which Mr. Thos. Tranter was chosen foreman. There were also present J.S. Maitland, Esq., H.M. Inspector of Factories, and Mr. A.E. Withy, representing the widow of deceased.

The Jury having viewed the body, the first witness called was William Simpkins, employed in the GWR Works, who was working on the boiler at the time of the accident. His evidence went to show that the boiler was mounted on trestles outside the shop. It had been there about three weeks. It was an ordinary engine boiler, and the trestles were standing on the bare ground. He did not notice anything wrong until a minute before the accident happened, and then he saw the trestles were sinking at one end. He gave the alarm, and one man was got out from the smoke box end, but the deceased was too late, and the boiler caught him as it tilted over.

By the Coroner: Is it usual to do this kind of work with the boiler mounted on trestles? Sometimes they are mounted on bogies, but they are done as much one way as another. – Has there ever been any accident before? Not to my knowledge.

By the Inspector: since the accident iron plates have been put under the trestles. Is that any improvement? Yes, undoubtedly.

By Mr Withy: Was it impossible for the man to get away after the warning was given? Quite impossible.

At this point a desire was expressed on the part of the jury to see the spot where the accident happened, to which the Coroner agreed.

Upon returning, Charles Bray, who was also working on the same job, gave evidence. He said that when the boiler began to slip, he shouted, and the man in the smoke-box end was got out. He then shouted to the man in the fire-box end, who said “What’s up?” He (witness) said that the boiler would fall presently, as the trestles were giving way. Parkinson then tried to get out, when the boiler went, crushing him between it and the packing.

By the Coroner: How long had the packing been there? I couldn’t quite say. – Were the trestles good? They were when they were put up. – Was there anything under the trestles- plate or anything? No. – Is this usual? Yes. – Was the boiler empty at the time? No, full of water, and deceased was marking what tubes had to come out.

Mr Llewellyn Dyer, foreman of the B Shop, was the next witness. In answer to the Coroner, he said that the trestles were quite strong enough. – Is it usual to put boilers on trestles? Yes, it is done every day. When they had sufficient bogies they were used, and when not they were put on the ground. – Had deceased stopped in the boiler, would he had been safer? Yes, I think so.

By the Inspector: Whose duty was it to see the boiler put on the trestles? My own nominally, but necessarily I have to leave details to others. – Will precautions be taken to prevent similar accidents in the future? You my take it from me, sir, such an accident will never occur again. – Witness went on to state that the ground on which the boiler stood was new ground, and had not, previous to a month ago, been used for the purpose for the past 30 years.

Dr. G. Rodway Swinhoe gave evidence that he attended the deceased soon after the accident, and found him suffering from very severe shock. After examination he was put to bed, and stimulants were administered, but he was too bad to be moved about. Deceased never recovered from the shock, and this was undoubtedly the actual cause of death.

The Jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death,” caused by severe shock to the system, through the accident.

At the conclusion of the enquiry, Mr. Dyer stated that a communication would be sent to Mr. Maitland by the Manager of the Works stating what steps had been taken to prevent a recurrence of the unfortunate affair, at which the Inspector and Coroner expressed their satisfaction.

Swindon Advertiser, Friday, October, 18, 1901

The Fatal Accident in the GWR Works

Funeral of the Deceased

The body of John Ernest Parkinson, of Linslade Street, Rodbourne, who succumbed to injuries received in the GWR Works, Swindon, on Tuesday week, as already reported in our columns, was interred in the Swindon cemetery last Saturday morning. Nearly a hundred persons followed the coffin to the grave, the chief mourners being the deceased’s widow, his mother, and children. Mr. C. Hall and Mr F. Green, assistant foremen in the same shop that deceased worked in, followed many shop mates and others being present. The Rev. F.J. Murrell (Wesleyan) conducted the service, and the coffin, which was of elm with black fittings, was covered with floral tributes….

Mr Charles Dunn carried out the funeral arrangements.

Extracts from the Swindon Advertiser Friday October 25, 1901.

Linslade Street, Rodbourne c1920s image published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

When John Ernest Parkinson married Maud Mary Kate Clack at St. Mark’s Church, Swindon in 1892 he gave his occupation as Cheese Monger and an address in London. By the time of the census in 1901 he describes his occupation as a Locomotive Boiler Tuber in the GWR Works here in Swindon.

His funeral took place on October 19, 1901 and he was buried in grave plot C1979 where he lay alone for 74 years. In 1975 his son George Clement Parkinson was buried in the same plot and two years after that Kate Parkinson (most probably George’s wife) joined them.

Thomas Messenger – Fatal Accident in the GWR Works

On Friday December 14, 1894 Thomas Messenger was involved in a fatal accident in the Timber Yard at the GWR Works. Back home in Linslade Street his wife Emma went into labour. Thomas died two days later. He was 31 years old and according to the report made to the Great Western Railway Board he had been employed in the Company for 5 years and 5 months, his daily rate of pay was 3s 2d.

Fatal Accident in the GWR Works – On Tuesday morning, Mr. Coroner Browne and a jury, of whom Mr W.J. Deavin was foreman, held an inquest at the Cricketers’ Arms, New Swindon, on the body of Thomas Messenger, aged 31 years, a labourer, employed in the Great Western Railway Works timber yard department. Mr T.O. Hogarth and Mr H. Hayward were present to watch the case on behalf of the GWR Company.

From the evidence adduced, it appeared that deceased was on Friday morning employed with other men in stacking timber. A “skid” – a piece of timber weighing some 7 cwt. – was used for sliding the timber on to a stock in order to save labour. Deceased placed the skid too far over the corner and it rebounded and stuck him in the head, causing a fracture of the skull.

A verdict of accidental death was returned. The jury gave their fees to, and also made a subscription on behalf of deceased’s widow, who is left with three children, and was confined on the morning of the accident. The sum handed to the widow was £1.

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, Saturday, December 22, 1894.

Thomas was buried on December 19 in a public grave plot B2264. His father, also named Thomas, was buried with him in 1902. They share the grave with a baby and an elderly widow, both unrelated.

Thomas and Emma had been married less than two years. Emma had already been widowed once before, left with two little daughters Martha and Amelia. Now she was on her own again with another child. The baby was baptised at the parish church in Latton on January 27, 1895. She was named Thomasina Polly Strong Messenger. Emma went on to marry for a third time in 1901. She died in 1943, aged 82.

Thomasina married, raised two children and died in High Wycombe in 1973, aged 79.

No 1 Shop, Timber Yard pictured in 1928. Image published courtesy of STEAM Museum.

The Boucher family paperwork

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The last serious act of vandalism to take place in Radnor Street Cemetery happened across one weekend several years ago.

A break-in at the chapel saw windows smashed, including the rose window above the door. The intruders lit a fire in the vestry, the small room off the chapel, using a box of documents stored there.

The documents were ‘Form of application for permission to erect or restore a memorial’ and included the name and address of the owner of the grave and how much the memorial cost, invaluable information lost in the fire. One rare, surviving document includes the details of the Boucher family grave, naming the stonemason, the dimensions of the memorial and the inscription.

Boucher family

‘In loving memory of George Boucher died 8th July 1915 aged 61 years also Mary Boucher died 25th February 1943 aged 88 also Alice and Ethel their beloved daughters.

The owner of the grave was Annie Elizabeth Boucher who lived at 30 Swindon Road. The grave plot is C484 and the memorial cost in total £3 10s. Alice died in 1897 aged 16. Ethel died in 1956 aged 70.

George and Mary Anne were originally from Herefordshire where they married in 1877. They both came from farming families and were neighbours living in Cublington.

By 1881 they had moved to Swindon and lived in 19 Thomas Street, Rodbourne. George worked as a Machine Man in E & M Shop in the Works.

Ten years later and George was working as a machine manager in the Iron Works. The couple had seven children and were still living in Rodbourne at 54 Linslade Street.

By 1901 the family were living at 111 Linslade Street and the elder children had left home. Emily, aged 22 was working as a parlour maid while Ethel, 15 was a machinist in the shirt factory round the corner from Linslade Street.

At the time of the 1911 census the couple had just two children living at home in Linslade Street. William had followed his father into the Works as an engine fitter while Ethel remained employed at the Cellular Clothing Company in Rodbourne.

George died on July 8, 1915 and Mary Anne in 1943. Ethel was still living at 111 Linslade Street when she died in 1956, more than 50 years after the family originally moved there.

A 1917 Trade Directory lists Annie as a shopkeeper living at 30 Swindon Road, which was her last home in the 1960s. She died at the Cheriton Nursing Home on December 31, 1962. She is not buried in this family plot and does not appear to be buried elsewhere in Radnor Street Cemetery. She never married and left effects valued at more than £5,000 to the administration of two solicitors.