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Football Fatality


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Guest binsted71

THE FATAL ACCIDENT IN A QUARRY AT WALKLEY

Today an inquest was held at the Freedom House Inn, Walkley, before Mr. Wightman, the Borough Coroner, upon the body of George Beaumont, Forger, of Owlerton, who was killed on Christmas Day, through inadvertently leaping into Mr. Nadin's quarry after a football. The quarry is situated in the field used as a football ground by the St. Philip's Club.

James Beaumont of 248 Beet Street, file grinder, said he was brother to the deceased, who was 23 years of age and a steel forger by trade. He was a very tall man. Henry James Ollerenshaw of Fowler Street, stone mason, said he knew the deceased was a member of with himself of the Walkley and Owlerton Football Club. They were playing in a match against the St Philip's on Christmas Day in a field adjoining Dark Lane. There was a quarry in the field from which it was separated by a stone wall.

In the course of the game, the ball was kicked over the wall and into the quarry and the deceased, who did not know of the difference in the level between the quarry and the field at this part, ran and jumped on to the top of the wall. One or two of the stones gave way and he fell into the quarry, a distance of between sixty and eighty feet. Even had the wall been firm, the impetus with which he jumped would, in the witness's opinion, have carried him over. He was found by a party of the players lying insensible in the quarry, slightly on his right side.

He was removed to the house of Mr. Hurd, where he received medical attendance and died the same day. The field was that used by the players of the St. Philip's Club and the club to which the deceased belonged were strangers to it. The wall fencing the quarry was about a yard in height. Joseph Toyne of Industry Street said that he was acting as umpire between the two clubs. The deceased had been over before after the ball, but in that place, there was a strip of ground between the wall and the edge of the quarry whereon to alight. Where he met with his death, the quarry came close under the wall. In all probability, the deceased supposed that there was a ledge between the wall and the edge of the quarry.

The Coroner said there was no doubt that the death in this case was accidental; but it was a question whether this field was a proper place to play football in. The Foreman (Mr. George Martin) said he did not regard it as a proper place for strangers and suggested that notice should be given to the owners of the quarry to heighten the boundary wall. Police Inspector Moore said that the field had been used for football for many years and that this was the first accident that he had ever heard of occurring there.

The Coroner said that something ought to be put up to show that danger existed. He thought that it was the duty of the football club to do this. The place was safe enough for the purposes to which it was ordinarily used. The club, when inviting strangers to play on their ground, ought to warn them of the danger. This was decidedly more the duty of the club than of the owner of or occupier of the farm.

Inspector Moore was instructed to convey this intimation to the secretary of the St. Philip's Club and the jury having returned as their verdict that the deceased was accidentally killed, the proceedings were terminated.

From 'THE STAR AND DAILY TIMES', Sheffield, Thursday 27th December 1877

 

 

George Beaumont is buried in Wardsend Cemetery close to the railway track.

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Excellent find, Thank you for sharing that with us. Not asking where you located it, just overjoyed to read something fresh. Keep 'em coming please.

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Similar gleaned from the Times Online,

Saturday December 29 1877.

Death of a Football Player in a Quarry,

An inquest was held on Thursday at Walkey, Sheffield, touching the death of a man named George Beaumont, who, whilst playing in a match between the Walkley and St.Philip's clubs on Christmas Day, leaped into a quarry adjoining the football ground to recover the ball.

The deceased appeared to have leaped the quarry wall at another part, and to have found a ledge of land between the wall and the edge of the quarry.

Supposing he would find the same foothold, he followed the ball again when it was kicked over, and clearing the boundary wall, which was only three feet in height, he fell into the quarry, a distance of between sixty and eighty feet, the quarry in this part having been excavated close under the wall.

He sustained severe injuries, and died within a few hours.

The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," but held that it was the duty of the St.Philip's club, Who rented the ground, to warn strangers of the danger that might be incurred at certain places in leaping the boundary wall of the quarry.

They regarded the field as safe enough for the purposes for which it was ordinarily used and for cattle.

It was stated that the field had been used for several years as a cricket and football ground without any casualty happening.

and his grave

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BEAUMONT 2018-03-24 edit.jpg

A little probing reveals that the gravestone was carved by F[rancis] Ollerenshaw and Sons. The Henry James Ollerenshaw who gave evidence at the inquest was one of those sons. Another son William also played football with George Beaumont. I like to think they helped prepare the gravestone for their friend.

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The Ollerenshaws also provide a link between two sporting headstones since Francis Ollerenshaw carved this gravestone in Wadsley Churchyard which provoked controversy in 1871 (image source: Wikipedia)

Keeton_grave,_Wadsley - cricket OLLERENSHAW.jpg

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