Fatal Railway Accident - Manchester Oxford Road (1891)

[Mcr Warrior]

Anyone got any further information as regards the circumstances regarding the death of railway worker Jonathan Pilling who was found crushed against the buffers at Manchester Oxford Road station on Tuesday 17th February 1891.

There is a well-maintained gravestone at a church on Thorley Lane in Timperley (not far from the former site of Baguley station on the Altrincham -> Stockport line).

Apart from that, I can't seem to find much info...

Link to pic of gravestone

 

[John Webb]

There seems to quite a bit of information on the link you've posted - a look at the Railway Archive website does not bring up any accident report for the accident. In that period it was not common for the Railway Inspectors to investigate such 'minor' happenings to railway employees, alas!
The circumstances are clear - he went to couple the loco to the carriages and somehow was squashed between engine and carriage buffers. Possibly the driver moved too soon or there was some other slip in communication?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Maybe someone has access to the Manchester Guardian historical site or similar resource. There might just have been a news report or even an inquest or coroner's report in the days/weeks following. Agree with John Webb that it seems strange that this may have been deemed to be a minor (but nevertheless fatal) happening.

 

[John Webb]

Maybe someone has access to the Manchester Guardian historical site or similar resource. There might just have been a news report or even an inquest or coroner's report in the days/weeks following. Agree with John Webb that it seems strange that this may have been deemed to be a minor (but nevertheless fatal) happening.

The link in your first post says:

Saturday 21 February 1891 Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser
Fatal Accident at Oxford-road Station. Mr. S. Smelt, Deputy City Coroner, held an inquest on Wednesday on the body of Jonathan Pilling, a railway engine fireman, 23 years of age, who resided Railway Cottages, Baguley, Cheshire. Deceased was employed by the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company, and on Tuesday got off his engine Oxford-road Station to couple the engine with train carriages. The driver went to look for the deceased, he did not return in the proper time, and found that had been crushed between the buffers. He was put in cab and taken to the Infirmary, but he was so badly injured that he died the same day. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

Clearly there was an inquest - I'm not certain if any other paper would report any more than the above.