Boy Decapitated - Leaning Over Shafting To Turn Off Tap - Sheffield March 1925

 This report appeared in the Manchester Guardian dated 4th March 1925. It is an inquest into the death of 14 year old John Wilson at Vickers Steelworks in Sheffield

An horrendous end to such a young life. An accidental death was the verdict of the jury which the coroner concurred with but reading the report I get the impression that this accident could so easily have been prevented, If only the chief engineer had "considered earlier" John may not have been decapitated

It took a bit of finding but John is buried in Sheffield's Tinsley Park Cemetery

WILSON John 5 Mar 1925 14 son of James 51 Yarmouth St Sheffield KB50gp

The Smallpox epidemic in Sheffield 1887 - An update

 Many years ago I posted an article to the site relating to the the Smallpox epidemic in Sheffield 1887 

Since then I have added additional information. In January 2026 I was approached by a reporter from BBC Radio Sheffield asking if I would make a contribution to BBC Sounds  - Secret South Yorkshire.

They wanted the contribution to be centred on the smallpox epidemic in Sheffield in 1887. And so a cold Monday afternoon on Barber Place Sheffield the contribution was made 

Secrets of Sheffield's plague-struck past

  Barber Place Sheffield

Darnall Cricket Ground Sheffield - An Update

 Ten years ago I posted an article to the site concerning the cricket ground at Darnall and a tragedy that occurred there on 27th August 1822 when scaffolding collapsed injuring 23 people. 

Last week I received additional information in the form of newspaper reports including one for the sale of the land and facilities.

Sheffield Independent dated 8th March 1928

The notice of sale referred to the passing of Mr George Steer who occupied the premises and so I tried to find out what caused Mr Steers death. I did find out and such was the nature of his death and the aftermath I posted a separate article to the site under the title

The Strange Death of Mr George Steer Sheffield November 1827

Civilian War Dead - Crookes and Walkley (Sheffield) 1939-1945

 I have just posted an article to the site that I had "mislaid" for a number of years. It relates to the Civilian War Dead of Crookes and Walkley (Sheffield) 1939-1945 

A check through West Yorkshire Index of the Civilian War Dead reveals that both the districts of Crookes and Walkley did sustain casualties.  I have identified TWENTY fatalities in total, all of which occurred on the night of 12th-13th December 1940. Whilst it is thankfully low when compared to other areas of the city, it is still twenty deaths.

 

The Death of Leonard Tingle July 1955 Royal Ascot - An update

 I received an email this week from the reader of the site who had come across the article on the death of Leonard Tingle in July 1955.

I had not added any additional information to the article since 2018 and so I took the opportunity to update the content.

"My mum has recently passed, and before doing so (with the normal protracted decline of an 88 year old), she talked about how many times she should have died (aneurism in the early 90s and given a life expectancy of 2 days in March 2025 - she died 4th December 2025).  But she mentioned 3 occasions, so I questioned her.  She lived in Ascot at the time, attending Windsor Grammar school.  Because the race meets went across the road into the town/village, she and her friends were dropped outside the racecourse.  They went to watch and were holding onto the railings in the rain. waiting for the race to begin.  Just before the lightning struck they moved away from the railings and she recalled the lightning hitting the railings before travelling around the track and moving underneath the grass to strike those in the tea tent.  I have no idea how truthful this account is and I didn't really believe her until I looked it up.  

She was born in Welling, Kent, but spent her early years living on the outskirts of Sheffield, firstly as an evacuee and later with her parents and siblings, before moving back down South." 

Her mothers recollections tie in with a report in the Weather Eye section of The Times newspaper

"In the UK, one of the worst lightning strikes in a sports arena was at Royal Ascot on July 14, 1955. On a hot and muggy day, a thunderstorm broke during the afternoon and sent crowds rushing for shelter as rain pelted down. Soon afterwards lightning struck a metal fence and, even though no one was struck, the voltage gradient from the lightning ripped through the ground and scythed down crowds packed in and around a nearby marquee. The aftermath looked like a battlefield, as the injured lay on the ground and others wandered around dazed and shocked. Two spectators died and 48 others were injured." 

Manchester Evening News dated 18th July 1955

Sheffield Casualties "Greatly Exaggerated" - December 1940 Sheffield

This report is from The Scotsman dated 20th December 1940.  Bearing in mind That the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 was in full force, I still find this disconcerting.

It is riddled with falsehoods and is in effect, a propaganda exercise on behalf of the local and national authorities.

By the time the official statement was issued, the authorities would have had an accurate estimate of the casualties which were 602 fatalities, 513 seriously injured and 1058 minor injuries. The so called "fantastic rumours were not exaggerated - it was one of the worst air raids inn all of the Second World War and Sheffield suffered.

This report was purely for Nazi consumption but I wonder what effect this would have had on civilian morale now that 40000 people in the city were homeless. It may have been more appropriate not to have issued a statement that bore no relation to the facts.  

   

Brian Cawley - Winchester Hampshire 14th December 1959

 I was researching for some information relating to one of the many articles on my website and I came upon the murder of one Rupert Poole Steed in Basingstoke Hampshire on 2nd August 1959.,

4th August 1959

5th August 1959

21st August 1959

The trial took place on 14th December 1959 at the Winchester Assizes and was the the shortest murder trial in British legal history  - the proceedings take just 30 seconds.

Brian Cawley pleaded and was found guilty of the murder of Rupert Poole Steed and was later sentenced to life imprisonment

From the press reports Cawley, a 30-year-old council worker lived, along with his wife and three children, rent free in a house owned by Rupert Steed, in New Road, Basingstoke. Rupert Steed was a 67-year-old retired grocer’s manager and bachelor who had befriended the family by helping them out financially.

However, Cawley started to drink and as a consequence lost his job. To compound his problems his wife left him, taking their children with her. One night Cawley returned home and this is what happened

Evening News 14th December 1959