Person:John Wilson (488)

John Wilson was born in 1853 at either Sutterton or North Forty Foot Bank in Lincolnshire, son of Mary Wilson, formerly Zealand, and her husband John Wilson, a shoemaker. The family appears to have moved from Sutterton to North Forty Foot Bank around the time of John's birth, and his place of birth was given as Sutterton in the 1861 census but North Forty Foot Bank in the 1871 census. In both censuses he was living with his parents at North Forty Foot Bank, and in 1871 he was working as an agricultural labourer. North Forty Foot Bank is in the area of fens west of Boston known as Holland Fen, parts of which appear to have also been in the parish of Sutterton.

On 31st July 1877 John married Hephzibah Allen Turner at Skirbeck, near the town of Boston. He was working as a mechanic at the time of their marriage. He also gave his name as "John Zealand Wilson" when they married, using his mother's maiden name as a middle name, although that appears to be the only occasion when he called himself that; in all other records found for him he was just called John Wilson.

After their marriage John and Hephzibah moved away from the Boston area. They did not have any children. By 1881 they were living about thirty miles to the north at Wragby and John was working as a railway porter. They then moved again another seventy miles north-west to East Ardsley in Yorkshire, where John worked as a goods guard for the Great Northern Railway. The 1891 census finds John and Hephzibah living at 5 Mary Street in East Ardsley. Two of Hephzibah's nephews were living with them, as well as a boarder.

On 24th October 1896 John had a terrible accident on the railway at Ardsley station. Part of his job involved guarding the level crossing there but, in the words of one newspaper account, he seemed "to have fallen a victim to the very mishap from which he endeavoured to preserve others". He did not notice an approaching engine, which knocked him to the ground and ran over both his legs. A medical man happened to be present and John was taken by train to Leeds Infirmary. Both legs had to be amputated.

After the accident, John and Hephzibah left Yorkshire and returned to the Holland Fen area, settling at Kirton Holme, where they made stockings together, appearing there in both the 1901 and 1911 censuses.

John has yet to be traced after 1911. Hephzibah died in 1918.

1. ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. John WILSON, December Quarter 1853, Boston Registration District, Volume 7a, page 335, mother's maiden name Lealand [sic]

2. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 2340; Folio 31; Page 12, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: North Forty Foot Bank, Lincolnshire
   John Wilson, head, married, male, 47 [1813/14], Shoemaker, b. Great Hale, Lincolnshire
   Mary Wilson, wife, married, female, 40 [1820/1], b. Sutterton, Lincolnshire
   Harrisan Wilson, son, unmarried, male, 20 [1840/1], agr[icultura]l Lab[ourer], b. Sutterton, Lincolnshire
   George Wilson, son, male, 14 [1846/7], agr[icultura]l Lab[ourer], b. Sutterton, Lincolnshire
   Ann Wilson, daughter, female, 11 [1849/50], b. Sutterton, Lincolnshire
   John Wilson, son, male, 7 [1853/4], b. Sutterton, Lincolnshire

3. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 3346; Folio 37; Page 5, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: North Forty Foot Bank, Lincolnshire
   John Wilson, head, married, male, 58 [1812/13], Shoe Maker, b. Great Hale, Lincolnshire
   Mary Wilson, wife, married, female, 56 [1814/15], b. Sutterton, Lincolnshire
   George Wilson, son, unmarried, male, 24 [1846/7], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Sutterton, Lincolnshire
   John Wilson, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1853/4], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. North Forty Foot Bank, Lincolnshire

4. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 3247; Folio 7; Page 8, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Church Street, Wragby, Lincolnshire
   John Wilson, head, married, male, 27 [1853/4], Railway Porter, b. Holland Fen, Lincolnshire
   Hephzibah Wilson, wife, married, female, 30 [1850/1], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire

5. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 3755; Folio 14; Page 21, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 5 Mary Street, East Ardsley, Yorkshire
   John Wilson, head, married, male, 36 [1854/5], G.N.R. Goods Guard, employed, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Allen Wilson, wife, married, female, 35 [1855/6], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   William E. Judson, nephew, single, male, 22 [1868/9], G.N.R. Goods Guard, employed, b. Spalding, Lincolnshire
   John T. Dawson, nephew, single, male, 9 [1881/2], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   John R. Farner, boarder, male, 20 [1870/1], G.N.R. Booking Clerk, employed, b. Leeds, Yorkshire

6. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 3040; Folio 87; Page 5, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Kirton Holme, Kirton, Lincolnshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Wilson John, head, married, male, 46 [1854/5], Hosiery Maker, own account, working at home, b. Holland Fen, Lincolnshire
   Hephziba Wilson, wife, married, female, 49 [1851/2], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire

7. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 19553; Schedule 82, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Beck Cottage, Kirton Holme, Kirton, Lincolnshire
   3 rooms occupied
   John Wilson, head, male, 57 [1853/4], married, Stocking maker - hand machine, own account, working at home, b. Holland Fen, Lincolnshire, Crippled by loss of both legs by accident on Railway
   Hephzibah Wilson, wife, female, 62 [1848/9], married 33 years, no children, Assist in stocking finishing - hand machine, own account, working at home, b. Heckington Fen, Lincolnshire

8.   Yorkshire Evening Post, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 4, 24 Oct 1896.

   FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT AT EAST ARDSLEY.
   A RAILWAY POLICEMAN RUN OVER.
   BOTH LEGS TO BE AMPUTATED.
   A shocking accident occurred this afternoon at Ardsley Junction, on the G.N. Railway, resulting in the admission to the Leeds Infirmary of John Wilson, aged 42 years, a G.N.R. policeman, with serious injuries.
   Wilson lived at East Ardsley, and part of his duty, it appears, was to guard the crossing at Ardsley Station. He, however, seems to have fallen a victim to the very mishap from which he endeavoured to preserve others. While walking over the line, he failed to notice an approaching engine, which caught him ere he had time to get out of the way, and nearly severed both his legs from his body. The poor fellow received medical attention as promptly as possible, and was conveyed by train to Leeds, where the horse ambulance waited to take him to the Infirmary.
   His injuries as described in the books of that institution as "compound fracture of both legs," but this entry gives only a mild idea of his sufferings. Amputation is considered necessary in each case.
   Several persons it seems called to the unfortunate man warning him of his danger, but too late. The engine knocked him on the ground and passed over his legs. The right leg was completely severed from below the knee and the other badly crushed. A medical man happened to be present at the time and ordered his removal to the Leeds Infirmary. Mr. Wilson had resided at Ardsley about 17 years, and owing to ill health had held the position as crossing minder for the past three years.
   Another account says that the unfortunate man acted as crossing attendant and ticket collector, and is about 45 years of age. He was proceeding to take up his position on the platform in readiness for the 12.57 train from Dewsbury, when an engine and tender approached unobserved and knocked him down, trailing him about ten yards.