Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History leasowe station 1900 tradgedy

The date was Monday 25th Febuary 1876 Sixty seven year old THOMAS BEESTON and best friend SAMUEL DOWNS wandered about the small agricutural village of Moreton the former was a farm baliff to the HON SIR EDWARD CUST of leasowe castle and held that position for some time.

The pair called at local farms looking for labourers to help plough the fields,during the day they had a few beers and made there way to the PLOUGH INN MORETON were they had a supper off cheese and bread washed down with a few brandys and disscussed buissness with other farmers till round 9 and decicided to head home, THOMAS and SAMUEL headed off home down reads lane and met another labourer by the name off JOHN OWENS upon reaching reeds lane they said goodbye to MR BEESTON and made there way home through a route along the railway he did not seem drunk so MR DOWNS and MR OWENS were quiet confident in the old baliffs ability to get home by himself,

The next day the body of an elderly man was found on the railway track near leasowe station it was THOMAS GODWIN who made the grusome descovery of a mutilated and mangled body one leg had been sliced off the contorted face was black with bruising and water logged brain tissue scattered along the track there was a quantity of blood and hair stuck to the track some 15yrds away from were the body suggesting that the man had been hit by atrain and dragged along the track for a few seconds,on the night of Monday 25th February a special train had run from hoylake to the docks station and back this was to accomadate a few passengers delayed in the crossing of the mersey to birkenhead by a earlier collision between to locamotives CHESHIRE and MONTANA ,THOMAS HUMPHREY driver of the train recalled that upon passing leasowe station he had felt something hit the train but was to dark to see anything it was until nthe next morning he found remains on the trains buffers,In summing up the coroner said it was a complete accident and that MR THOMAS BEESTON had walked up the track instead of crossing the track.

Do you have anymore local history things? Good find kyle.

ive got a book on local tradgedies on the wirral try and get some more up tonight

Eeeww. Funny how they didn't sound all that bothered in 1876. There'd be a full investigation these days and the HSE would be all over it!

My great aunt whos now 90 clearly remembers another tradegy at Leasowe station.. The following is taken from my website:

"A small lane with no name used to run between Old Hall Farm and the Farmers arms inn. The small cottages long since demolished which was owned by 'old Ma Allen' and Mr Allen. Iv been told stories of Mr Allen waving a shotgun around shouting at people who trespassed on their land during the 60s. The other cottage saw a variety of people who rented it. One such man was Mr Finigan, who stepped off a moving train at Leasowe whilst under the infulence of alcohol. He was returning home from action during WW2 and was unfortunately decapitated. The path and bungalows no longer exists now and nor does the road or gateway leading to the land".

The man who stepped off a train at leasowe station was my great grandfather. Francis Joseph Finnegan. I know little about him except he was born in dundalk ireland in 1910 and died in november 1942 whilst home on leave from the war. There are family rumours he was pushed off the train. I have been searching for any information on his death and have found nothing in newspapers. Can anyone help me shed any light?

Do you have a copy of the death certificate?

One of my ancestors died in an accident and the death cert gave the date of the inquest which may help when searching the newspapers etc

i have been searching for death certificate but unfortunately cant find it any help?
he is buried in rake lane wallasey and i have been to see his grave which is a military one. But still not much info on his death just what i have been told about him coming off the train. I have heard this could have been at carlisle and not leasowe station but i am unsure.
any help appreciated

Although the year of death is different, could this be him?

Army Roll of Honour 1939-1945

Name: Francis FINNEGAN

Rank: Sapper...

Initials: F

Birthplace: Eire

Residence: Liverpool

Branch at death: Other Corps, Etc

Regiment, Corps etc.: Royal Engineers

Branch at 01/09/39:

Regiment, Corps etc.:

Number: 7606018

Date died: 20 November 1941

Theatre of war: United Kingdom