Transport in 1907

[Mandie]

One of my ancestors was run over by a loaded wagon at Ford Paper Works, South Hylton. Would this wagon have been something steam driven or would it be something that was pulled by horses?

The nearest thing I can find is on wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagons] but it doesn't specify dates. Does anyone have any knowledge on transport circa 1907 and what they might have used?

[Fulhamster]

Hiya Mandie!
Have you looked to see if there was a local newspaper that could have carried a report on the accident? You could ask at your local library or record Office.

[Peter Goodey]

Steam wagons existed in 1907 but then so did horse drawn wagons. There's no way of guessing which type it might have been without further research.

[Mandie]

I'm going to have a look on Friday as we're going to go up to Sunderland library to search the various local newspapers for different ancestors. I didn't know if his death would warrant a newspaper snippet big enough to explain the transport of that time.

[Mandie]

Steam wagons existed in 1907 but then so did horse drawn wagons. There's no way of guessing which type it might have been without further research.

Ah, thanks. I wasn't even sure if steam wagons existed then - my knowledge of transport is virtually nil for that time period. Hopefully there will be something in the local papers about it, as Fulhamster suggested.

[Geoffers]

Ah, thanks. I wasn't even sure if steam wagons existed then
Goldsworth GURNEY built a steam powered coach which was in service around 1830; before him Richard TREVITHICK built a 'road locomotive' in 1797 and I have a memory of reading about another machine which was used before then (but blew up). The first motor-bus service was in Edinburgh in 1898.

Geoffers

[Mandie]

Goldsworth GURNEY built a steam powered coach which was in service around 1830; before him Richard TREVITHICK built a 'road locomotive' in 1797 and I have a memory of reading about another machine which was used before then (but blew up). The first motor-bus service was in Edinburgh in 1898.

Geoffers

Thanks Geoffers!

[Mandie]

I meant to come back to this earlier and forgot. We found the entry relating to James Helsdon's death in the Sunderland Echo on Tuesday 10th December 1907.

To paraphrase it says, at 10am James was knocked down by a railway waggon. He fell across the lines and the wheels passed over him cutting off both his legs at the knees. He died at 2:15pm in Sunderland Infirmary.

What a very painful and tragic way for a 70-year-old man to lose his life.

We also found a picture of Ford Paper Works and it clearly shows the railway lines running through the area.

We did notice that the newspaper's were just as full of graphic details as they are now. A lot of the Sunderland Echo's articles were about gruesome accidents and deaths.

[Geoffers]

Thanks for letting us know; it just goes to show what useful information can be found in local newspapers.

Geoffers