Taken Too Soon

Many a sad tale is recorded in our local burial grounds, and I became aware of two of those stories during (and following) a recent visit to the General Cemetery.

Mary Madin Green, daughter of Henry and Matilda Green, was an eight year-old whose family were living on Rick Street, off Glasshouse Street, at the time of the 1851 census.

As can be seen on the gravestone detail shown above, Mary was 'accidentally killed by the falling of a ladder' on 23 December 1858. The fact that she died just two days before Christmas Day adds an extra level of poignancy to the tragedy.

It seems to me that people's lives are often summarised on memorial stones in a somewhat regrettable manner, and that is certainly the case here. All that remains of this little girl's life story - on the surface at least - is the raw detail of her tragic demise.

The Nottingham Journal of 24 December 1858 gives further details of the incident:

'Yesterday (Thursday) morning, about half-past eleven o'clock, a shocking accident occurred in Glasshouse-street, causing the death of Mary Madin Green, a girl about nine years old. It appears that Mr. Dale, builder, was engaged in hoisting some goods into the house next door to the Mason's Arms, and a ladder was raised up to the chamber-window for that purpose. The girl, accompanied by her sister, was passing, and one of them stepped upon a piece of wood on which the ladder was standing. This caused it to overbalance and fall, and in its descent it struck the deceased on the head, rendering her insensible. Blood flowed profusely from the wound, and she was carried into the Mason's Arms, where she almost instantly expired.'

Newspaper reports didn't pull any punches in those days.

Were it not for a single errant footstep, Mary would have lived to enjoy Christmas Day 1858, and probably many more after that.

Equally affecting is the story of Willie Bailey, who was 'accidentally killed on the railway' on 12 June 1886, at just six years of age. Willie's story was also covered by the Nottingham Journal:

'The District Coroner, Mr. D. Whittingham, held an inquest yesterday morning, at the Trent Bridge Inn, Bridgford, on the body of William Fleming Bailey, aged six years, who was killed on the Midland railway on Saturday evening last. Mr. W. Bramley represented the Midland Railway Company. Mr. William Bailey, of 42, Queen's-road, insurance agent, said deceased was his son. He last saw him alive on Friday night at home. About six o'clock the following night witness heard that his son had been killed on the railway. Deceased went out about twelve o'clock against the wish of his mother, who had put his shoes away to prevent him going, but he got his slippers and went out in them. Joseph Barlow, aged eight years, of Queen's-road, said he went out with deceased. They got through some railings on to the railway at Bridgford, near the Trent. Witness saw a train come up and knock deceased down before he could get out of the way. Francis Barlow, boatman on the canal, said the child Barlow came and told him that deceased had been run over on the line. Witness and another man went and found the body of deceased lying at the side of the embankment shockingly mangled. A pair of slippers lay about forty yards away. James Peck, of Nottingham, said he was the driver of the express train from London, due at Nottingham at 5.31p.m. There were two engines, it being a heavy train, and he was the driver of the first one. He did not notice the boys on the line. When he arrived at Nottingham he found the cap produced on the "bogey" of the engine. There was a curve in the line where the accident occurred. The Coroner remarked that a boy six years of age should not have been allowed to go out by himself. His mother had tried to prevent him doing so, and he had lost his life partly through an act of disobedience, and through trespassing on the railway. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and recommended that the fencing adjoining the highway should be improved so as to prevent persons getting on the line. They also pointed out that a path was made there by men employed on the line. Mr. Bramley said that the matter would be referred to the proper quarter.'

Mary and William are just two of the 150,000+ individuals interred in the General Cemetery, but the awful nature of their deaths, at such young ages, can inspire particularly powerful emotions in those of us who happen upon their memorials and the ground in which they lie at rest.