Kicked in the neck

Masbrough Cemetery

Amelia Pinder, born in 1868 in Rotherham, is my great grand aunt and daughter of Francis Pinder and Hannah Berry.

In 1891, in Rotherham, Amelia married Alfred Thomas Price and together they issued four children, called, Ernest Alfred, Reginald, William Cecil and Charlotte Grace.

As a child, I remember my father telling me a story that had been told to him by his father about how in Wickersley, a Milkman called Les Birkett was kicked in the neck by a horse and subsequently died. I later discovered that Les Birkett was quite closely related to my family and according to the 1925 edition of Kelly’s Directory for Rotherham had his milk business registered on Fitzwilliam Road. However, I also discovered that Les Birkett didn’t die until 1975 aged 79 in Scarborough, so he almost certainly didn’t die as a result of being kicked by a horse on his milk-round.

Whilst reading the Rotherham Advertiser dated, Friday 27th May, 2011, I came across an article in the ‘100 years ago’ section which suggests that there may have been some truth in my father’s tale regarding somebody getting kicked by a horse and dying.

ROTHERHAM ADVERTISER
SATURDAY MAY 27, 1911
A tragic occurrence, resulting in the death of Mr. Alfred Thomas Price, Gavenny, Kimberworth, a well-known tradesman and a partner of the firm of Stenton and Price, glass and china merchants, Wellgate, took place on Monday. Mr. Price was attending to the horse, used for business purposes, when it became troublesome and he received a kick to the neck and died almost immediately. The inquest was held on Tuesday afternoon in the Kimberworth Wesleyan Schoolroom by the Deputy District Coroner (Mr. J. Kenyon Parker). Evidence of identification was given by the wife of the deceased, Amelia Price, who last saw him alive shortly before nine on Monday morning. He was going to the stable at the Effingham Arms, Bradgate, to put the horse in the tub. At a quarter past nine she saw her husband dead at the public house.

Alfred was buried in Masbrough Cemetery on, 25th May 1911.

Amelia died in October 1924 and was also buried in Masbrough Cemetery, on 17th October 1924, presumably with Alfred. There is no surviving headstone.

THE ADVERTISER, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1924

PRICE. – At “Gavenny,” Kimberworth, Oct. 14, Amelia Price, widow of the late Mr. A. T. Price, and daughter of Mr. Francis Pinder, aged 57, after many years of suffering died peacefully at the end. “Peace, perfect peace.” The interment took place Masbro’ Cemetery, Oct. 17.

The family of the late Mrs. Price thank all friends for their sympathy and kindness shown towards them during their loss.

The location of Alfred’s death, The Effingham Arms, is still standing in Bradgate and can be viewed in Google Street View by clicking here. I believe Gavenny to be roughly located here (Google Street View will open again).

With regards to the business of Stenton and Price mentioned in the above newspaper article, there was such a business trading from Sheaf Street in Sheffield according to the 1925 and 1936 editions of Kelly’s Directory for Sheffield. However, I do not know if the Price family had any concern with the business after Alfred died or in what year the business ceased trading or even if the business continued to have a presence in Rotherham after Alfred’s death.

This post was originally published on Mollekin Portalite on 01/06/2011.