Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hi All,

I have a great Aunt by the name of Mary Ann Corner/Corness born 1879 in Liverpool (her surname could be spelt either way). Mary was apparently run over by a train and as a result lost both legs when she was approx 17 years of age, so that would have been c.1896.

She married George Reeve on 26/12/1898 at St Bridgets in Wavertree.

I'm led to believe that the accident was well reported in the local newspapers but I cannot find any trace of it. Does anyone have any suggestions?

regards,

Roy Montrose

Hi Roy

where was she living in 1891 ??? and was she born Corner or Corness..

xx

Hi Roy

are you sure this accident happened abt 1896..wouldnt it say on the 1901 census that she was disabled..and it doesn't also about 1911-12ish it says she is working ...

I can't see anything in the papers..also i see where they lived now Alexandra St and Cheer St..was just going to try addresses you see instead of her name.


xx

Roymontrose wrote:Hi All,
I have a great Aunt by the name of Mary Ann Corner/Corness born 1879 in Liverpool (her surname could be spelt either way). Mary was apparently run over by a train and as a result lost both legs when she was approx 17 years of age, so that would have been c.1896.

I'm led to believe that the accident was well reported in the local newspapers but I cannot find any trace of it. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hello Roy,
Trying to confirm Mary Ann's birth to locate her in the 1881 census to track her thru to 1911. Can't find a Liverpool Corner/Corness birth 1877 to 1881. The nearest one is registered in Wigan in 1877. There are 3 in Chorley and 1 in Manchester.

Did find her married in the 1901 and then, I think, in the 1891 with parents, John and Catherine [?] at 29 Cheers Street, Wavertree. Is that her? Both censuses show her as born in Liverpool which may not be correct.

As Colette said, such a disability as losing both legs should have been entered on a census. I've a rellie who is shown as an invalid in a wheelchair because of 'heart trouble', aged 15 in 1891.

Dickiesam

Hiya

1881 Alexandra St Head John Corner b 1845 West Derby wife Catehrine b 1845 Ire
1891 29 Cheer St, i cannot find anything under Corner or Reeve, think we need more info..

xx

Hi All,

Thanks for your replies. I've spoken to an old Aunt of mine this morning who confirms for certain that Mary Ann was run over by a train and lost both legs. My Aunts version of the story is that it happened in Southport. Mary apparently went on a double blind date with a girlfriend. They met the two guys they had made arrangements to see and Marys date was George Reeve the man she eventually married. The accicident occured at some point during that day/night, my Aunt says that Mary was about 17 years old when the accident happened.

The uncertainy about the surname is because it has been mispelt so many times i.e. Corness, Cornes, Comer, Coorless etc. However, Corner is the most common way of spelling it and is I believe the original and proper way. Mary married in 1898 under the name Mary Ann Corner.

As already stated Mary is on the 1881 census living at 35 Alexander st aged 2 years, on the 1891 Census aged 12 years living at 12 Cheers St and on the 1901 Census living as Mary A. Reeve with her Husband George and 2 children Florence and Ethel. The Family are living with George's Mother and Father at 148 Wavertree Road. I cannot find any record of Mary, George and Family on the 1911 Census.

My elderley Aunt clearly remembers Mary being pushed around Old Swan by her Daughter in a wheelchair doing her shopping. I'm confident that Mary and her siblings were all born in Old Swan or Wavertree Liverpool.

I cannot find Mary Ann's birth year on Free BMD, Lanc's BMD or Ancestry so I've had to use her age from the 1881.1891 and 1901 Census'.



That's about all I have on Mary's background, I don't know whether this helps or not

regards,

Roy

If the accident happened in Southport and if it was reported in the newspaper it would have been in the Southport Visiter. This paper is not online. It is available on film at Sefton Local History South library which is temporarily located at Formby Library. Unfortunately with so little to go on this would be very much a trawl until you found something. This is some limited indexing toi the paper held at the library as given above.

Hilary
Ed Officer

I've just had a look on the railwayarchives website for accidents and events and there are none shown in the Liverpool Southport area in 1896.

The two big accidents affecting the Liverpool Southport trains were on 5 August 1903 at Waterloo and 27 July 1905 at Hall Road. There were a lot of casualties at both accidents.

Hilary
ed Officer

I found a Mary Ann in my family as a Maryann on the 1911 census. That might be worth a try.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Hello Roy,
If that surname was sometimes spelled Corness, I'm wondering if this is this your Mary and the Registrar got it wrong? Date and place fit.

Births Jun 1879: Corless, Mary Ann - W. Derby - 8b - 508.

Can you confirm that her parents were John and Catherine Corner? And do you have their marriage details in case Mary Ann was not actually born a Corner/Corness/Corless?

Dickiesam

Hi


she is living at
82 Wavertree Vale Wavertree round 1911-12ish Maryann....


xx

This may not be of much help but in the 1911 Liverpool Directory 84 Wavertee Vale George Reeve. No occupation given.

Jan

Hi Roy,
Would be worth following up on this one if you haven't already done so. Many people were injured who were waiting on the platform when an express derailed and smashed into the platform area at Waterloo Station in July 1903.

http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docume ... cs1903.pdf

Newspapers that covered Waterloo and Crosby would have reported on the crash.

Dickiesam

Hi All,

Found Mary Ann (with some help)! and is as follows:

REEVE, George William - 35 - 1876 - Greaser Malt - Norwich, Norfolk.
REEVE, Maryann - 33 - 1878 - Liverpool.
REEVE, Florence Rebecca - Dtr - 12 - 1899 - Liverpool.
REEVE, Ambrosine - Dtr - 9 - 1902 - Liverpool.
REEVE, George William - Son - 7 - 1904 - Liverpool.
REEVE, Thomas - Son - 5 - 1906 - Liverpool.
REEVE, Alice - Dtr - 3 - 1908 - Liverpool.
REEVE, Arthur - Son - 0 (2 MONTHS) - 1911 - Liverpool.
Living in 82 Wavertree Vale, Wavertree - Lancashire.

As Dickysam suggested, her christian name was recorded as Maryann.

Thanks for the railway archive link Dickysam, I wasn't aware of it but will have a look at it,

regards,

Roy Montrose

Hi All,

Just an update on the train accident involving my grt Mary Ann Corner.

It now appears the accident happened at St Helens Junction and not Southport! Sorry about that I've had several conflicting stories as to the location it happened. This information came from her grt Grandaughter so I'm reasonably confident this is correct. She was 17 years of age when the accident happened so that would have been c.1895/96. There was no train crash as such, the story is she was panicking to get home for 10.00 pm which was her curfew time from her Father. To try and get off the train quickly she decided not to get off the alighting side onto the platform because of the large amount of peoople, instead she tried to get off the train on the other side which of course was a drop onto the railway line, she fell onto the line and unfortunately a train came along and crushed both her legs which later had to be amputated. She married 3 years later and went on to have 10 children!!

My search will have to move to the St Helens area now!

Regards,

Roy Montrose

Hi All,

Just to let you know, at long last I've found the information I was looking for about my Grt Aunt Mary Ann Corner and her rail accident. Find below my transcript taken from the Liverpool Daily Post dated 9th June 1897 and thanks to all who tried to help me find this information.

Mary was 18 at the time (not 'about 25' as the paper states) and married George Reeve (who was with her on the train) 2 years later. They went on to have 11 children despite her injuries.

Incidently I got the information from a member of the Corner Family living in Australia who saw my posting here on this site and wrote to my e.mail address!! The system works!!

regards and thanks,

Roy Montrose



TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT
AT ST. HELENS.
_____________
A LIVERPOOL WOMAN MANGLED
______________
Liverpool Daily Post Wednesday June 9th 1897

A terrible accident occurred at St Helens about midnight on Monday when a young woman named Mary Ann Corniss (Corner) who resides at 6 Cheers Street Wavertree, received fearful injuries. It appears that Miss Cornice (Corner), who is about twenty five years of age, was in company at Lime Street Station Liverpool with a young man named George Reeve of 9 Wavertree Vale. The pair desired to get to Edge Hill and for this purpose boarded the 11:15 train from Lime Street Station to Edge Hill. On the way the train proceeded very slowly and the pair seem to have fallen asleep and were over carried to St Helens Junction. The train stopped as usual at the station when, just at the time it was ready to proceed on to Earlstown the young woman suddenly jumped up and apparently thinking they were at Edge Hill she opened the door and jumped out. Unfortunately she had opened the door on the wrong side of the compartment and fell with great violence onto the six foot of space between the two lines of rails, and when the train moved on it ran over the both the unfortunate woman’s legs with the result that her right foot was cut off above the ankle and her left leg was run over at the knee and completely mangled. Doctor Bates, who lives near by, was immediately sent for and in the meantime the Station Master Mr Lucas and his Wife rendered exceedingly valuable first aid. Dr Bates rendered all the assistance that was possible to the woman who was in a complete state of collapse and she was removed as speedily as possible to the Northern Hospital Liverpool. She there underwent an operation, both legs being amputated and on inquiries being made last night at the institution, our reporter was informed that the poor woman was in a very critical condition.

A very satisfactory end to your search, if not for poor Miss Corner. A success for the Forum, too!
D

Well done Roy, and an amazing woman she was to go on and have so many children like that!

Hi Roy,
You found what you were looking for. Good to hear of another search with a satisfactory conclusion.

Dickiesam