Railway Accident

1881 – Tuesday 11th October 1881 and young Stephen Freemen, aged 11, of Frog Lane at 8:45am went to Lichfield City Station to get ‘a penn’orth of coal’. He crossed the line and passengers on the platform called out to him, warning him of a shunting engine moving trucks but he insisted on passing between the trucks. These were about a yard apart. He became trapped between the buffers, only damage visible being a graze the size of a crown piece on his left hip and while in obvious discomfort was quite lucid and conscious. He died at 3:30am the following morning of a ‘contusion’.

The coroner questioned if it was common for shunting trains to be dancing about here while passenger trains are leaving. When told it was usual but not common, he advised that such should be avoided as far as possible. Verdict: Accidental Death.