Railway Death – 26 Jun 1868 – John Gould

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Key information:

Name and age of DeceasedJohn Edward Gould, 33
Marital status / no of childrenMarried with 6 children 1
Occupation / EmployerBreaksman with London & North Western Railway
Date & Time of AccidentFriday 26 June 1868 – shortly after 1.00pm
Location of AccidentOxenholme Station Siding
Brief summary of eventsDeceased appears to have lost balance and fallen from break van on to permanent way and been immediately run over resulting in instant death
Date and location of InquestFriday 26 June 1868 at Oxenholme Station Inn
Verdict of inquest juryAccidental death

Newspaper reports:

Fatal Accident at Oxenholme

On Friday a shocking accident occurred at the above station, whereby a man named John Gould, who a few months since was severely injured at Carlisle station, lost his life. The particulars having just come to hand as we are proceeding to press, we must omit details. He leaves a wife and six children.

Kendal Mercury, Saturday 27 June 1868

Coroner’s Inquest

On Friday last an inquest was held before C. G. Thompson, Esq., coroner, at the Oxenholme Station Inn, on the body of John Edward Gould, a railway servant in the employ of the London and North Western Company, who met with his death, of which we gave a brief notice last week, under circumstances detailed in the subjoined evidence:-

Joseph Troughton, of Kendal, in the County of Westmorland, comb maker, sworn and examined, said – I identify the body of the deceased as being that of John Edward Gould, a breaksman in the London and North Western Railway Company. The deceased is my brother-in-law. He was 33 years of age.

John Park, of Lound, near Kendal, pointsman, sworn and examined said – I am employed by the London and North Western Railway Company at Oxenholme Station. About one o’clock this afternoon deceased arrived at Oxenholme Station by the permanent way stores train. He was acting as breaksman of that train. The train came from the south and was about to proceed north. The train consisted of about 13 wagons. The deceased was upon the wagon next to the engine. The train was shunting at the time, and the wagon upon which the deceased was riding was uncoupled from the engine. Deceased was sitting outside the wagon upon the break. His face was to the south (the direction in which the wagon was running). He had hold of the break with his left hand. The train was not running fast, but very slowly into the siding. About 10 yards before deceased reached where I was standing, he appeared to lose his balance and fell on his left side across the rails and both wheels of the wagon passed over deceased’s chest. I did not observe any sudden jerk when deceased fell. The break upon which the deceased was riding had no guard and shook about a good deal. Deceased was not applying the break in the usual way – he was wrong side before. I have known deceased as a breaksman for about a year. I can only account for deceased losing his balance by reason of the break shaking about. After the wagon had gone over deceased. I called assistance and went to deceased. He was quite dead. No one was blameable for the accident. It could not have been prevented.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, and at the same time both the coroner and the jury expressed a very strong opinion that all break vans should have the protection of a guard to prevent the shaking of the handle of the break. Mr. Robinson, (Inspector) who attended on behalf of the Railway Company stated that the van upon which the deceased was riding was not one of the London and North Western Company’s vans, and that he would convey the opinion of the coroner and jury to the company to which the van belonged.

The remains of the unfortunate deceased were interred in Castle Street Cemetery on Sunday, when a large company followed the hearse, and thronged the Cemetery. He leaves a wife and six children to mourn their loss.

Kendal Mercury, Saturday 4 July 1868

Further information about John Edward Gould & his family

John was born at Gayle, Yorkshire to yarn spinner Thomas Gould (1806-1864) and his wife Isabella Gould nee Patterson (1807-1848). John was baptised at Hawes, Yorkshire on 14 February 1836. 2 His elder brother William had been baptised there three years before on 3 February 1833. 3 The birth of his younger sister Margaret was registered at Askrigg, Yorkshire (around five miles from Hawes) in 1838. 4

Move to Kendal and death of sister

By the spring of 1840 the family had moved from Yorkshire to Westmorland. Sadly John’s sister Margaret died at Kendal on 10 May 1840 aged just 2. 5 In June 1841 the family comprising Thomas, Isabella, William aged 8 and John aged 5 were living at Highgate, Kendal. 6

Deaths of mother

On 27 March 1848 John’s mother Isabella died aged 40, John was 12 years old at the time. 7 Three years later in March 1851, Thomas 45, William 18 and John 15 were living in Finkle Street along with John’s cousin Sarah Cooper 28.

Deaths of brother

Four years later, on 15 November 1855, John’s brother William died aged 22. 8

Assault charge

On Friday 24 October 1856, John along with John Imrie was charged with assaulting Joseph Udall in Finkle Street. The three men had previously met at the Nag’s Head. The two accused were each fined 15s including costs. 9

Marriage and birth of son

John, a wool comber, married Ann Troughton at Kendal Parish Church on 27 June 1859. 10 Their son Thomas was born in 1860. 11

On 7 April 1861 John, a wool comber aged 25, was living with his wife Ann aged 24 and son Thomas aged 1 at Angel Yard, Kendal. 12 John’s father was still at Finkle Street with John’s cousin Sarah Cooper.

Death of son and father

John’s son William was born in 1862 but died shortly after. 13 John’s father Thomas died at Finkle Street on 15 February 1864 aged 59 years. 14 By April 1864, advertisements placed by John stated that he had taken over his late father’s Hosiery business in Finkle Street and would take on all of his father’s debts.

Further assault charge and bankruptcy

On Friday 16 March 1866, John appeared at Kendal Town Hall on a charge of assaulting P.C. Currie while the officer was on duty in plain clothes. John had knocked the officer’s hat into the dirt and contended it was done purely as a joke. He expressed his regret along with a willingness to make any reparation and the case was dismissed. 15 On 31 May 1866 John Gould, hosier of 31 Finkle Street was declared bankrupt. 16

1867: New job and accident at Carlisle

After being declared bankrupt John managed to secure a job with the London & North Western Railway Company. 17

SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR CARLISLE – A man named John Gould, in the employ of the London and North-Western Railway company, met with a serious accident, near the Upperby junction on Thursday morning [28 March 1867]. He was crossing the main line when he was struck by the down train, and thrown forward about eleven yards, between the rails on which the mail was running, so that the whole train passed over him, but none of the wheels. He fell upon his head, and also upon his shoulder, which were badly injured. His recovery is very uncertain. We understand that Gould is a Kendal man and had not been long in this district. 18

ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY – An accident occurred on Thursday morning on the main line between the Citadel Station and Upperby Junction, opposite Hasel-street, to a man named John Gould, in the employ of the London and North-Western Railway Company. He went with the intention of putting out the signal gas, and was crossing the main line, when he was struck by the down mail, due at 6.20 a.m., which he had not observed in time. Gould was caught about the shoulders and thrown forward about eleven yards, and, strange to say, his body remained inside the rails over which the mail was passing, so that the whole train, but none of the wheels, passed over him. From the knock of the engine buffer the poor fellow was thrown on his head, and this was sadly injured, leaving a plain mark in the gravel where his head had struck. His shoulder was also injured a good deal. He was conveyed at once to the Infirmary, and was quite sensible. The severity of his injuries makes his recovery very uncertain. – Carlisle Patriot. – John Gould, who met with this serious accident, is a son of the late Mr. Gould, hosier, of this town. 19

1868: Railway accident resulting in death at Oxenholme

SHOCKING ACCIDENT – On Friday evening [26 June 1868], at Oxenholme railway station, a breaksman, named John Edward Gould, was engaged in tending a luggage train, when the break slipped, and he fell upon the line with his body falling across on e of the metals. The moving train passed over him, literally crushing in his chest. Of course death was instantaneous. 20

More about John’s family after his death

Two newspaper reports at the time of his death indicated John and Ann had six children and in another that they had five children. So far we have identified just four alive at the time:

  • Thomas Gould (1860-1895) – Thomas married Mary Jane Murdoch – they had three sons (one named John Edward Gould) and a daughter
  • William Gould (1862-1862) – William died shortly after birth
  • James Gould (1863-?)– no trace as yet after 1881 census
  • Isabel Gould (1865-1936) – married William Atkinson and they had two sons and two daughters
  • John Edward Gould (1867-1937) – John, born at Carlisle, became a rural postman, he married Mary Jane Tallon (1868-1963) and they had three sons (one named John Edward Gould) and two daughters

In April 1871 John’s widow Ann was living at 6 Kent Street, Kendal. She was shown as a general dealer aged 33, along with Thomas 10, James 7, Isabella 6 and John Edward 3.

On 16 August 1874 Ann gave birth to a daughter:

  • Jane Ann Gould (1874-1956) – Jane married Elijah Hardisty (1867-1910) and they had a daughter and two sons – Jane later married William Henry Vickers

It is not known who Jane’s father was.

On Friday 29 June 1877, Ann appeared at Kendal County Court where she sued Christopher Belman, a middle aged man under a promise to marry her. He and his daughter had moved in to Ann’s property some weeks before but then broke the promise. The case was struck out. 21

On 23 July 1878 Ann married William Thompson at the Wesleyan Chapel, Kendal. 22 By April 1881 William and Ann were living at Kirkby Lonsdale where William was innkeeper at the Sun Inn. John was innkeeper there until his death on 10 January 1893. 23

Ann later lived with her daughter Jane at Barrow-in-Furness. Ann died at Barrow in 1902 aged 66. 24

Page last updated: 31 December 2022

  1. Kendal Mercury, 4 July 1868[↩]
  2. Hawes Baptism Register, page 113, entry 899[↩]
  3. Hawes Baptism Register, page 97, entry 770[↩]
  4. GRO Births, June quarter 1838, OF Askrigg, volume 24, page 295[↩]
  5. Inscription on Mother’s gravestone: “also Margaret Ann Gould daughter to the above who died on the 10th of May 1840 aged 2” & GRO Death, June quarter 1840, Kendal Union, volume 25, page 320[↩]
  6. 1841 Census, Class: HO107; Piece: 1163; Book: 4; Civil Parish: Kendal; County: Westmorland; Enumeration District: 18; Folio: 41; Page: 4; Line: 25; GSU roll: 464191[↩]
  7. Gravestone inscription: Sacred to the memory of Isabella the beloved wife of Thomas Gould who departed this life on the 27th of March 1848 aged 40 years[↩]
  8. Kendal Mercury, 17 November 1855[↩]
  9. Westmorland Gazette, Saturday 25 October 1856[↩]
  10. Westmorland Gazette, 2 July 1859[↩]
  11. GRO Births, September Quarter 1860, Kendal, , volume 10b, page 569[↩]
  12. 1861 Census, RG 9; Piece 3969; Folio 66; Page 22[↩]
  13. GRO Births, March quarter 1862, Kendal, volume 10b, page 597 & GRO Deaths, June quarter 1862, Kendal, volume 10b, page 430[↩]
  14. Westmorland Gazette, 27 February 1864[↩]
  15. Westmorland Gazette, 17 March 1866[↩]
  16. Westmorland Gazette, 4 August 1866[↩]
  17. Westmorland Gazette, 30 March 1867[↩]
  18. Penrith Observer, 2 April 1867[↩]
  19. Westmorland Gazette, Saturday 30 March 1867[↩]
  20. Penrith Observer, Tuesday 30 June 1868[↩]
  21. Westmorland Gazette, 30 June 1877[↩]
  22. Kendal Mercury, 27 July 1878[↩]
  23. Probate Calendar[↩]
  24. GRO Deaths, September Quarter 1902, Barrow-in-Furness, volume 08e, page 479[↩]

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