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Philip Jerrison wrote
I have just had a look at your Wirksworth Web
site for my HALLOWS relatives and found lots of
new and interesting facts. I have some
additional information that you may like to
include or pass on to the other contributors.
1. Samuel HALLOWS of Parsley Hay
Samuel had another son George born 9 November
1838 at Parsley Hay. His birth certificate
gives his father as Samuel HALLOWS and his
mother as Hannah Hallows (formerly YOUNG).
George married Jane Webster at Elton on 21
July 1860 and moved to Eckington about 1868
where he died on 16 July 1904.
I am happy to provide copies of his birth and
marriage certificates if required.
2. HALLOWS on the Cromford & High Peak
Railway
The following are my extracts from the records
at Kew and refer to HALLOWS.
All information is taken from RAIL 410/1309 in
Kew Records Office.
NAME Birth Date Date Started Date Left Book Page
Albert Henry 18 Oct 1873 19 Aug 1892 1 p9
Ralph 4 May 1871 1 p15
2 p24
William 4 Sep 1836 Sep 1856 21 Mar 1904 1 p19
2 p5 & 71
(Also gives date of William's death as 28 Oct. 1913)
Samuel 2 Jul 1845 20 Dec 1875 5 Nov 1913 1 p20
2 p20 & 72
Joseph 24 Jun 1866 30 Jul 1880 1 p118
William 31 Jan 1868 31 Jan 1887 1 p144
Referred to as "Junior" on page.
William 23 Jun 1864 15 Jun 1887 1 p146
Designated as No 2 in index and on page.
Herbert 29 Mar 1878 17 Jun 1898 26 Mar 1943 2 p86
H J Hallows 18 Oct 1937 2 p91
The staff records show the injury to Ralph HALLOWS (right leg) in
June 1878, but those of his father William have no mention of any
accident.
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3. Newspaper reports relating to HALLOWS on C
& HPR.
3a Ralph HALLOWS
Derby & Chesterfield Reporter: Friday, 13
October 1854. p5 Col 4.
Middleton by Wirksworth, Fatal Accident:
Monday evening a rumour gained credence at
Matlock and the neighbourhood that two
brothers had been killed at the Middleton
inclined plane of the Cromford and High Peak
Railway, and on visiting the spot early next
morning, the wreck of a passenger-carriage
or omnibus at the bottom of the incline
indicated that some disaster had occurred.
On enquiry we ascertained, that the company
had been for a few months running this
conveyance from Cromford and Whaley and back
daily, with perfect safety, and to the great
convenience of parties residing near the
line. On Monday evening, between five and
six, the carriage arrived at the top of the
plane, and the engine was ready to let it
down, when the driver Ralph Hallowes,
usually a steady careful man, by some
strange fatuity refused to allow it to be
attached to the endless chain, and purposely
commenced the descent of the plane, trusting
wholly to his brakes. The persons in and
upon the vehicle at this time were the
driver, a Cromford man, a mason named
Walker, residing at Bole Hill, and a
passenger whose name escapes. The
consequences of this rash and foolhardy act
of Hallowes was that the carriage became
unmanageable, and at about the middle of the
incline commenced descending with fearful
velocity, running into some stone drugs at
the foot of the plane, where it of course
was smashed to pieces. The casualties are as
below. Hallowes paid for his rash act with
his life, dying at Middleton while we were
in place on Tuesday morning; Walker so
dreadfully bruised and injured as to almost
preclude the hope of recovery; and the other
man was bruised and cut about the face but
not dangerously. An inquest was held on the
body of Ralph Hallowes, at the Miner's
Standard, Middleton on Wednesday, before Mr.
Mander, coroner, and an intelligent jury,
when all the facts above narrated were fully
established by the evidence of unimpeachable
witnesses, and after a most searching and
patient investigation, a verdict of
"Accidental death" was returned. Mr. Barton,
the agent of the association, and Mr.
Brittlebank, their solicitor, attended to
watch the proceedings, and from a statement
made by the former gentleman it appeared
that the deceased had been fully instructed
in his duties and that he had entirely
disobeyed a most stringent order, never to
descend the Middleton incline, unattached to
the main chain. It appeared from the
evidence that the stone trucks at the bottom
of the plane would have been removed, had
Hallowes given time, by descending in the
usual and proper way thus exonerating the
company from all blame.
Derby Mercury: Wednesday 18 October 1854 p5
Col 2.
Fatal Accident on the Cromford and High
Peak Railway:
On Monday, the 9th, an accident occurred on
this railway which caused the death of Ralph
Hallows, the driver of a train, and injured
two passengers. Deceased was the driver of a
single passenger carriage, which had been
established about three months, and which
preceded daily to and from Whaley Bridge. In
returning to Cromford, on the afternoon of
the day mentioned, he neglected to hang the
carriage to the main chain of the Middleton
inclined plane, and the consequence was that
the carriage proceeded downwards with such
velocity that the points could not be
worked, and it struck on some stone trucks
which were standing on the line, and which
had been a short time previously lowered by
the engine. Hallows was taken up speechless
and died about 15 hours afterwards. An
inquest was held before Mr. Mander, coroner,
and the jury been satisfied that the
deceased death was accidentally caused
returned a verdict to that effect.
3b James HALLOWS
Sheffield Independent, Tuesday 25 May 1875
p3 Col 6
Fatal Accident at Hopton near Wirksworth:
A man named Jas Hallows, who was employed on
the Engine House Plane, was coupling wagons
on Friday when he was knocked down and
injured. He died on Sunday, and an inquest
was held yesterday before A O Brookes Esq.,
at the Red Lion Inn, Wirksworth, when a
verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned.
3c Ralph HALLOWS
Derby Mercury, Wednesday 26 June 1878 –
District news
Wirksworth: Accident:
On Thursday afternoon last an accident of
a somewhat singular character occurred upon
the Cromford and High Peak Railway, now
worked by the London and North-Western
Company, to a stoker in their employ named
Ralph Hallows, who was in his usual place of
work upon the engine, then running at the
very low pace of about five miles an hour,
when a strong chain, used in shunting
wagons, fell off the foot plate on the line,
one end, however, remaining entwined round
Hallows leg. Before the engine could be
brought to a stand the end on the ground
caught under a "sleeper" and stuck fast,
which drew the other end so tight round
Hallows' that his leg was broken in such a
dreadful manner as to necessitate amputation
below the knee. This operation was
satisfactorily performed the same evening at
the Wirksworth Cottage Hospital, where the
young man now lies in a favourable state.
This strange accident is rendered all the
more remarkable by the fact that Hallows'
father has a wooded leg, and that another
relative has been killed on the line and a
third had a leg off, all through accidents
from engines.
3d Joseph HALLOWS
Derby Mercury: Wednesday 28 July 1880 p5 Col 6
Shocking Tunnel Accident at Wirksworth,
Three Men Killed:
Between two and three o’clock on Monday
afternoon a shocking accident occurred on
the Cromford and High Peak Railway, whereby
three men lost their lives while pursuing
their daily avocations. It appears the
London and North Western Railway Co., who
work the above line, are lining a short
tunnel between the Middleton and Hopton
inclined planes, and in doing this it is
necessary to blast out portions of rock to
get a level surface. On Monday afternoon a
number of men were engaged in the
performance of this duty, and having blasted
a piece of the rock from the crown of the
tunnel were clearing the debris off the
line, when a huge mass of rock fell burying
three men underneath it and killing them
instantaneously. Information was quickly
conveyed to Middle Peak Wharf, whereupon Mr.
Fawcett, manager of the Hopton Wood Stone
Co., at once proceeded to the spot with a
number of his employees and extricated the
unfortunate men, who were removed to
Middleton to await the inquest. Their names
are John Gould, Wirksworth, Joseph Hallows,
Middleton and Isaac Swindell, Brassington,
and, we regret to state, all leave large
families.
Derby & Chesterfield Reporter, 30 July
1880. p5 Col 6. (My summary)
The Fatal Accident near Wirksworth: Three
Men Killed:
Monday 26 July in Hopton Tunnel, blasting
accident. John GOULD of Wirksworth leaves a
wife and 7 children Joseph HOLLIS of
Middleton leaves a wife and 8 children.
Isaac SWINDELL a widower leaves 5 children.
Verdict: Accidentally killed by a fall of
stone upon them whilst at work.
Hope you find the above useful and are able
to include some of it in your website. I am
happy for you to pass my e-mail address to any
other contributors and hope you continue to
keep up the good work.
Philip Jerrison
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Colin Watson
of Southampton writes:
Hello John,
A long time since I last spoke to you, but I
was very interested in your new entry on the
Hallows family. I was also interested in the
email from Jean Durbin. She said that Celia
Hallows (Brailsford) may have been pregnant
with Ralph's child when he was killed. I had
a suspicion about this too, but looking on
census records no dates seemed to match up.
I decided to look on BMD to see if I could
find a child for Ralph and Celia, and I
found an entry for a Mary Hannah Hallows in
Ashbourne district, Vol 7b, Page 413, Dec
Quarter 1854. As the names were the same as
Celia's mother Mary and Ralph's mother
Hannah I was fairly excited that I may be
lucky if I ordered a certificate.
The Certificate has now arrived and Mary
Hannah was born on 26th November 1854 at
Middleton. The father was Ralph Hallows
Deceased. The mother Celia Hallows formerly
Brelsford and informant Celia Hallows,
Middleton, 14th December 1854. Their
daughter was therefore born in the month
following Ralph's death. I have now added
her to my family tree.
I have also found an interesting link in
Ince's Pedigrees in the Coates Family tree
066d. This states that the Coates family
seem to have been settled here on or before
the reign of Elizabeth, for in 1571 Clemence
Coates and Humphry Hallowes both of
Youlgreave were mard.
Hope you are both well and thank you for all
your excellent work.
Yours sincerely,
Colin Watson,
Southampton.
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Jean Durbin of
Australia writes:
Dear John
Yes, I can help with the following and I do
remember Glenis contacting me re
Hallows family history perhaps about a year
ago now.
There were indeed a number of Hallows menfolk
involved in accidents &
mishaps of one sort or another on the CHPR.
The four names you mention
Joseph, James, William & Ralph were all
sons of my 3 x gt grandfather Samuel
Hallows & Hannah Young. Joseph Hallows was
killed in the Hopton Tunnel in
1880 & that you already have as a
coroner's inquest report I believe.
Ralph Hallows was killed 9 Oct 1854 age 25,
the death certificate describes
him as a driver to a passenger train carriage
on a railway namely the CHPR.
At this time a passenger carriage was used on
that line but later because of
accidents the practice was discontinued &
the line was for freight only.
Thomas Mander was the Coroner & the
verdict was accidental death.
The Derby Mercury
for 18th Oct 1854 has the
following:
Fatal Accident on the Cromford &
High Peak Railway
"On Monday, the 9th, an accident
occurred on this line of railway
which
caused the death of Ralph Hallows,
the driver of a train &
injured 2
passengers. Deceased was the
driver of a single passenger
carriage which had
been established about 3 months,
& which proceeded daily to
& fro daily from
Whaley Bridge. In returning to
Cromford, on the afternoon of the
day
mentioned, he neglected to hang on
the carriage to the main chain at
the
Middleton inclined plane, &
the consequence was that the
carriage proceeded
downwards at such velocity that
that the points could not be
worked, & it
struck on some stone trucks which
were standing on the line, &
which had
been a short time previously
lowered by the engine. Hallows was
taken up
speechless & died in about 15
hours afterwards."
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There is a little time discrepancy here, if
Ralph Hallows died 15 hours
after the accident on the afternoon of the 9th
then death surely would have
been the 10th but the death certificate does
say the 9th.
I have a photo of the "hanging on" procedure
if you are interested which
acted as a brake on the inclined planes on the
railway.
Ralph was married to Celia Brailsford in 1849
in Wirksworth. Her mother in
law Hannah Hallows nee Young died in Sep 1854
aged 45 of gastro enteritis at
Parsley Hay where her husband Samuel was a
wharfinger on the CHPR. Celia was
probably pregnant with her first child (a
daughter) when Ralph was killed in
Oct 1854. In 1858, May 16th, Celia married her
father in law Samuel Hallows
at Bakewell Register Office, he as a widower
aged 51, she a widow aged 33.
I am assuming this marriage may not have been
allowed by the Established
Church or at least frowned upon. Samuel died
in 1863 at Parsley Hay of
paraplexy (stroke?). Celia had another
daughter with Samuel in 1862 & was
probably pregnant with her 3rd child (a son)
when Samuel died. Celia then
married William Orme in Wirksworth 20th May
1866 but William Orme seems to
have died in 1875 in Cromford aged 39. I have
no idea what Celia looked like
but she certainly didn't lack for husbands !!
James Hallows was killed 23 May 1875 in
Wirksworth age 26, the death
certificate says he died from accidental
injuries sustained by a wagon
running over him on the Cromford & High
Peak Railway at Hopton inclined
plane. An inquest was held 24 May 1875 but
as yet I haven't located a
newspaper report of the inquest. James died
in Wirksworth hospital & his
address was given as Middleton by
Wirksworth. James married Margaret Shaw
14 Apr 1871 at Carsington and a son was born
later in 1871.
William Hallows was born 1836 Parsley Hay
& married Mary Sheldon in 1856 at
Matlock. His right leg was injured on the
Cromford High Peak Railway but I
don't know when exactly. I have a photo of him
working in the Cromford Rail
workshops after the accident, showing a pegleg
below his right trouser leg.
He did receive a pension in 1909 & free
rail pass, & died in 1913. I am
still looking for a newspaper report of the
accident if it exists.
William Hallows had a son also named Ralph
Hallows who seems to have been
injured on the railway according to the
following report:
Derby Mercury
26th June 1878 - Accident
Wirksworth
"On Thursday afternoon last an
accident of a somewhat singular
character
occurred upon the Cromford &
High Peak Railway, now worked by
the London &
North Western Company, to a stoker
in their employ, named Ralph
Hallows, who
was at his usual work upon the
engine, then running at the very
slow pace of
about 5 miles an hour, when a
strong chain, used in shunting
wagons, fell
off the footplate on the line, one
end, however, remaining entwined
around
Hallows' leg. Before the engine
could be brought to a stand the
end on the
ground caught under a "sleeper"
& stuck fast, which drew the
other end so
tight round Hallows' that his leg
was broken in such a dreadful
manner as to
necessitate amputation below the
knee. This operation was
satisfactorily
performed the same evening at the
Wirksworth Cottage hospital where
the
young man now lies in a favourable
state. This strange accident is
rendered
all the more remarkable by the
fact that Hallows' father has a
wooden leg, &
that another relative has been
killed on the line, & a third
had a leg taken
off, all through accidents from
engines."
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Not sure who the third amputee was but it may
just be an inaccurate
newspaper report.
The Ralph Hallows injured in 1878 seems to
have remained single & in 1901 he
is a railway level crossing gate keeper at
Hazel Grove in Cheshire with his
sister Emma as his housekeeper. He died in
1912.
Hope the above helps you. The Hallows' as a
family were certainly heavily
involved in the CHPR railway. Both sides of my
family have railway
connections. My father was a railway guard
& I got numerous trips in the
guards van as a child. The railway industry
was always a dangerous one as
the above illustrates. The CHPR employed a lot
of people & I do have
material on some of those people plus
information on the CHPR history &
working.
Best wishes Jean
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