Boiler Explosion at Todmorden

The following article appeared in The Liverpool Mercury on Friday, 22nd January, 1875.

This content is included courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

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Boiler explosion at Lord Brothers, Todmorden

The following extracts come from Linda Briggs's Todmorden and Walsden website. They were taken from The Halifax Guardian and extracted and transcribed by John Alan Longbottom.

After the jury had viewed the bodies - Hannah Hiley was the 1st witness. She said she saw her husband that day the first time after the accident had happened. Her husband's name was George, and he was 38 years of age. They lived in Shade Street. He was a "stretcher" at Messrs. Lord's. She last saw him alive on Thursday morning at half past five, when he left home to go to his work. At that time he was quite well and hearty.

On Wednesday a seventh death occurred, that of James Sutcliffe of Oldroyd. Several of the deceased have already been buried, Hiley and Hodgins were members of the Todmorden Brass Band, and members of the band attended their funerals. Hiley was buried on Tuesday and Hodgins on Wednesday. Large numbers of people assembled on the way to the churches. Several others are not expected to survive. The inquest on Sutcliffe was opened by Mr. Bairstow on Thursday and adjourned until Monday next, along with the one on those killed at the time of the explosion. 

John (not George as reported above) was the father of David Hiley who appeared in the last Blogpost on 22nd October 2019. He was born in Langfield, Todmorden in 1827. John had 3 children, Elizabeth Ann, Mary Hannah and Tom, with his first wife Alice (nee Haigh), and 4 children, Tom, John Edward, Alice and David, with his second wife Hannah (nee Crossley).