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Haigh (Interesting Old News)
Published by Brian on Monday 25th July 2022
Haigh news articles containing gruesome reporting, tragedies and other local interesting information relating to John Sumner Brewery and Haigh Hall...
An advertising post card for the John Sumner Brewery at Haigh.
Blackburn Standard 01 September 1852
FATAL ACCIDENT AT HAIGH FOUNDRY, NEAR WIGAN.
On Saturday morning last, about ten o'clock, an accident of the most deplorable and melancholy nature, which has occurred in this neighbourhood from the effects of machinery for some time, took place at the Leyland Mill Foundry, Haigh, near Wigan, by which the engine-tenter employed at the above works, named John Kearsley, lost his life. It appeared from the information which we have been able to obtain that Kearsley had been in the habit of tightening the straps of the machinery while the engine was working, and whilst so employed on the morning above mentioned his assistant a man named Henry Horrocks handed up to him a leather lace or thong for the purpose of tightening a large strap, 12 inches in breadth. After he had received the lace or thong one of the ends became entangled in an adjoining wheel and on his endeavouring to free it, his right arm was caught by the strap, and dragged into the machinery and twisted round until it was severed from his shoulder, when he fell amongst the machinery below, a distance of about eight yards from the ground. On his assistance perceiving the very frightful and dreadful catastrophe he immediately stopped the engine and called for assistance which was rendered him instantaneously by some of the workmen employed in the adjoining building. They immediately took steps for removing the deceased when they found him to be quite dead. His throat was cut in a frightful manner, his head being nearly severed from his body. He was then removed to an adjoining office where he lay until Monday last awaiting the Coroner's inquiry. No sooner was the information of melancholy accident made known, when nearly the whole of the workmen employed in the foundry, repaired to the spot, and to their utmost terror and dismay beheld the mangled and lifeless body of a fellow workman, whose promptness and attention had gained for him the greatest respect from his employers and fellow-employed. We have since been informed, that immediately after the accident had taken place, a boy employed in the foundry, proceeded to the house of the deceased, which is about 50 yards distant from the works, and made the deplorable circumstances known to the wife of the deceased man, who was at the time in a very delicate state of health. The poor woman, on hearing the fate of her husband, gave utterance to a shriek so loud that it was heard by most of the workmen in the foundry. The unfortunate man was upwards of 38 years of age and has left a wife and two children to lament his loss, who were dependant upon him for the means of their subsistance. An inquest was held on the body, at the house of Francis Holmes, the Boat House Inn, in Haigh, on Monday morning last, by C. E. Driffield, County Coroner, when evidence in conformity with the above circumstances was adduced and a verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.
Derby Mercury 18 December 1867
An engine driver named John Shepherd met with a fearbul accident at Haigh, near Wigan, on Tuesday afternoon. He and a fireman named Henry Harrison were proceeding up a branch colliery line, off the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway line, at a very rapid speed. On arriving at a rather sharp curve the engine went off the line, and fell down the embankment, dragging with it two waggons. Shepherd was killed, while Harrison escaped with only a few slight bruises on the head.
Illustrated London News 11 December 1875
TERRIBLE COLLIERY DISASTER
A fatal accident occurred at the Alexandra Pit, Haigh, Wigan, belonging to the Wigan Coal and Iron Company (Limited), late on Friday night last week. Seven men who were engaged in widening the mouth of the pit, were descending to their work, after having gone to the surface for supper, when the cage in which they were being lowered came in contact with the ascending cage, and, the descending cage being upset, the seven men fell to the bottom of the shaft, and were killed.
Wakefield Advertiser & Gazette 31 October 1916
Four Brothers Killed.
VICAR'S SONS' SACRIFICE FOR KING AND COUNTRY
The Rev. C. H. James, Vicar of Haigh, Wigan, has received official notification that his fourth son, Sergt. H. James, Middlesex Regiment, reported missing, is now believed killed in action. He was assistant solicitor to the Halifax Corporation, was a splendid linguist, and was a graduate of St. John's, Cambridge.
Lieutenant G. Sydney James, Manchesters, was killed in Dardanelles; Capt. F. A. James, of the same regiment, died of wounds received in the same campaign; and Corporal C. E. James, Middlesex Regiment has also made the great sacrifice. All the vicar's sons have now died in the war.
Fife Free Press, & Kirkcaldy Guardian 10 January 1931
FIRE AT LORD CRAWFORD'S HOME.
Fire broke out on Tuesday at Haigh Hall, Wigan, the home of the Earl of Crawford, and blazed for an hour. The outbreak was discovered by Lord Balniel, the Earl's son and heir, while he was reading in the library. He noticed smoke coming from one of the bedrooms, and immediately raised the alarm. Firemen found that some old wooden beams in the bedroom were well alight. In order to get at the fire it was necessary to dismantle a fire range and cut away the beams. The outbreak was then extinguished. But for Lord Balniel's prompt action it is likely that the fire would have caused serious damage. The library at Haigh Hall is world famous, and contains many valuable books and other works of art.
Liverpool Echo 31 August 1931
LANCASHIRE BREWERY DEAL
Messrs. Greenall, Whitley, and Co., Limited, the well-known Lancashire firm of brewers of Warrington and St. Helens, have agreed to acquire a controlling interest in the firm of Messrs. John Sumner and Co., Ltd., brewers of Haigh, Wigan. It is understood that the Hon Edward Greenall and three other directors of Messrs. Greenall and Whitley will join the board of Messrs. Sumner and Co., from which Mr. G. E. Thwaites will retire.
Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 15 August 1932
50 YEARS IN ONE PRACTICE
Dr Luther Cooke, of Haigh, Wigan, one of the oldest doctors in Lancashire, who has died at Droitwich Spa, Worcester (77), qualified in 1880 and went to Wigan, where he had been in practice for more than 50 years.
The Scotsman 23 November 1934
GIRL FOUND DEAD IN RIVER
Police Search in Swampy Ground
Wigan police were last night investigating the mystery of the finding yesterday of the body of a young woman in the River Douglas, near Haigh Hall, Wigan, the Lancashire seat of Lord Crawford. She was Doris M'Mahon, aged 18, of Poolstock, Wigan.
Her identity was established by her mother, who was shown a string of beads by police.
A jobbing gardener on his way to work saw the body in midstream and just submerged, Immediately police began a search of the woods and surrounding ground, which is swampy.
The woman's clothes had been torn, her mackintosh and dress being split from top to bottom.
It became known last night that Doris M'Mahon, with another Wigan girl of 20, took a lorry journey to Glasgow on Monday night, and they came back to following day. The girl companion had two long interviews with the Wigan police yesterday.
She said last night - "Doris and I went out on Monday night, and were picked up by two lorries, which took us to Glasgow. We came back the next day in another lorry."
Liverpool Echo 20 March 1939
WIGAN BOY'S TRAGIC WALK
MOTHER TELLS HIM SHE WILL DORWN HERSELF
A ten-years-old boy, ay an inquest at Haigh, near Wigan, to-day, told how, when out for a walk with his mother the previous Thursday, she told him she was going to drown herself and asked him to hell her father.
The inquest was on Ethel May Shepherd, aged 34, single, of Cross Street, Aspull, whose body was recovered from the Brewery Lodge, at the rear of Haigh Vicarage, on Friday.
Her father, George Shepherd, aged 60, unemployed miner, said his daughter, who was a screen hand at a local colliery, had admitted the previous Wednesday that she was in a certain condition.
After returning from Work on Thursday she complained of a headache and would not have any food. In the evening she left home with her son to go for a walk. Later the boy returned and said that his mother had gone towards the Brewery Lodge to drown herself.
The assistant deputy county coroner (Mr. C. Bolton) returned a verdict of "Suicide," and said there was not sufficient evidence to show the state of the woman's mind.
The Scotsman 03 February 1948
THE LONDON SALEROOMS
Lord Crawford's Library
A collection of books from the library of the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, of
Haigh Hall, Wigan, was sold for £4393 at Sotheby's, London, yesterday.
A set of books on Asia and the Orient, by J. de Barros, published between 1612 and 1736 fetched £300. Other prices included £280 for 15 volumes of "Corpus Inscriptionum Latunarum," published in Berlin between 1862 and 1902, and £195 for a collection of tracts and pamphlets on the French Revolution, published in France between 1789 and 1800.
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