The Grief of John Brindley Price - Woodseats Sheffield January 1918

The following is from the 1881 UK census. The last entry is for a John Price aged 11 living with his mother at and siblings at 53 Broadfield Park Road Sheffield. It is interesting to note that all the family originate from Worcestershire 

By 1891 the whole family had left Sheffield and were living and working in Rowley Regis in Staffordshire 

Ten years later in 1901 John has married and had moved back to Sheffield. His family were living at Olivet Road in the Woodseats area of Sheffield. His wife Jane who was three years younger than John was also born in Worcestershire as was their first daughter Anne. The three sons William Thomas and John were all born in what is now Sheffield. This would put the time of the move back to Sheffield circa 1894. He married Jane in Dudley in 1891 and her maiden name believe it or not was Austin.

The 1911 Census shows the ever growing family living at 200 Woodseats Road, Sheffield. Apart from John and Jane and a boarder called Joseph Evans, there were three sons and four daughters living in a five room house. But the most unusual point about the children is that they all have the same second name BRINDLEY. This is the one and only time I have come across this in genealogical research

The census also mentions that John and Jane had a child that had died. I believe that this is his burial record from Sheffield's Norton Cemetery. It would tie in with the family's address in the 1901 Census.

PRICE, William (~, age 30 minutes). Died at 9ct 3 Olivet Road; Buried on December 31, 1905 in ~ ground; Grave Number 87, Section N of Norton Cemetery, Sheffield.  ~. Remarks: Removed from Woodseats parish.Plot Owner: of . Page No 113

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 24th January 1918 carried this report of John who was found badly injured on the railway.

Four days later the Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 28th January 1918 carried this news that John had succumbed to the injuries he had incuured on the railway.

The following day the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star dated 29th January 2018 posted a report of the inquest that was held to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

I am slightly surprised by the verdict returned by the jury "Suicide while temporarily insane". John stated to Albert Hindley, that he did not know how he got there and there was no grounds to suspect that John intended to take his life that morning. He just went to work as he normally did. Mr. Hindley, pointed out that there were marks on the balustrade and that the height of the parapet meant that John could not have accidentally fallen onto the tracks. But there is the possibility that John could have been pushed or tipped over the parapet by a person or persons unknown. It would have been dark at the time which may have assisted the assailants. It is only a possibility but it is fits the circumstances just as well as the suicide theory. I feel the most appropriate verdict would have been an open one. - that is there was just not enough evidence available to arrive at a definitive verdict.

John's daughter did mention that he had lost two of his sons on the Western Front and he was very much depressed lately. I checked on the CWGC website and found the following

SAPPER TOM BRINDLEY PRICE
Service Number: 2543
Regiment & Unit Royal Engineers 2nd/1st West Riding Div. Field Coy.
Date of Death Died 09 July 1916
Buried or commemorated at THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 8 A and 8 D.France


PRIVATE WILLIAM BRINDLEY PRICE
Service Number: 28389
Regiment & Unit Grenadier Guards 4th Bn.
Date of Death Died 01 December 1917
Buried or commemorated at
ROCQUIGNY-EQUANCOURT ROAD BRITISH CEMETERY, MANANCOURT VI. E. 7. FRANCE

St Chads Woodseats Sheffield Roll of Honour

Thomas was remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing whilst William is buried in ROCQUIGNY-EQUANCOURT ROAD BRITISH CEMETERY, MANANCOURT FRANCE. The family grave markes the deaths of the two brothers stating that William died of his wounds sustained in action.

PEARSON, Annie Brindley (Widow, age 32).
Died at Winter Street Hospital; Buried on September 29, 1924 in Unconsecrated ground;
Grave Number 6529, Section L of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.
Plot Owner: of . Page No 67

PEARSON, Edgar (file marker, age 32).
Died at 1 Victoria St; Buried on January 7, 1922 in Unconsecrated ground;
Grave Number 6529, Section L of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.
Plot Owner: of . Page No 44

PEARSON, William Thomas (Son of the late Edgar, age 15).
Died at Winter St Hospital; Buried on June 25, 1929 in Unconsecrated ground;
Grave Number 6529, Section L of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.
Plot Owner: of . Page No 125

PRICE, Brindley John (Scythe Maker, age 47).
Died at Royal Hospital; Buried on January 31, 1918 in Unconsecrated ground;
Grave Number 6529, Section L of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.
Plot Owner: of . Page No Philip J

PRICE, Edith Brindley (Spinster, age 20).
Died at 200 Woodseats Rd; Buried on May 20, 1926 in Unconsecrated ground;
Grave Number 6529, Section L of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.
Plot Owner: of . Page No 85

As you can see from the grave inscription. John's was the first burial in  Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield. The deaths in France of his eldest two sons are commemorated and then follows what can only be described as a family tragedy. John's son in law Edgar dies sat the age of 32 in January 1922 and his widow Anne follows him in September 1924 age 32. She was the eldest of the Price's children and from the location of her death looks as if she was suffering from an acute illness. Her unmarried sister Edith passed away in May 1926 at the family home 200 Woodseats Road. Edith was just 20 years of age. The final interment in the grave is Edgar and Annie's son William Thomas who was just 15 at the time of his death. He was re-united with his parents.

There is also another family grave in  Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield that contains four more of the family. The first person interred was Albert Austin Charles Brindley Price who was born in 1912 and the strong assumption is that he is the younger son of John and Jane. Albert was followed by Jane Pearson a daughter of Edgar and Annie Pearson who was just 19 when she dies in December 1936. She died in Winter Street Hospital Sheffield 

The third person to be inyerred was Jane Price, John's wife. She was 69 when she died and had witnessed the early deaths of five of her children and at least two of her grandchildren. And the death of her "beloved husband" John. Just ho much tragedy can a person take?    

PEARSON, Frederick Robert John (~, age 23).
Died at Crimicar Lane Hospital; Buried on January 29, 1944 in Consecrated ground;
Grave Number 12203, Section Q of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.
Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 4


PEARSON, Jane (Spinster, age 19).
Died at Winter St Hospital; Buried on December 29, 1936 in Consecrated ground;
Grave Number 12203, Section Q of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.
Plot Owner: of . Page No 232


PRICE, Albert Austin Charles Brindley (No Occupation, age 20).
Died at 102 Saxon Rd; Buried on May 3, 1932 in Consecrated ground;
Grave Number 12203, Section Q of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.
Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 163


PRICE, Jane Brindley (Widow, age 69).
Died at 833 Abbeydale Rd; Buried on April 15, 1942 in Consecrated ground;
Grave Number 12203, Section Q of Abbey Lane Cemetery, Sheffield.

Notes

John Brindley Price
BIRTH 1870 Belbroughton, Bromsgrove District, Worcestershire, England
DEATH 27 Jan 1918 (aged 47–48) Sheffield, Metropolitan Borough of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
BURIAL Abbey Lane Cemetery Sheffield, Metropolitan Borough of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
PLOT Sect L Grave 6529 unconsecrated ground

Died at Royal Hospital aged 47 buried on 31 Jan 1918 was a Scythe Maker married Jane Austin 31 Aug 1891 at Tividale, Staffordshire

1911 Census

Name: John Brindley Price
Age in 1911: 41
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1870
Relation to Head: Head Gender: Male
Birth Place: Bell Brockton, Worcestershire, England
Civil Parish: Ecclesall Country: England
Street Address: 200 Woodseats Road Sheffield Woodseats
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Seythe Maker
Registration District Number: 509 Sub-registration District: Norton ED, institution, or vessel: 14 Piece: 27777
Household Members: 
Name Age
John Brindley Price 41
Sane Price 38
Annie B Price 18
William Price 16
Thomas Price 13
John B Price 11
Mary B Price 8
Edith B Price 5
Sarah B Price 2
Joseph Evans 32


Name John Brindley Price - the son of Thomas Brindley Price (1837-1896)  and Phoebe Careless (1839-1915)

Birth 30th January 1870 • Belbroughton, Bromsgrove District, Worcestershire, England

Birth of Daughter Annie Brindley Price(1892–1924) 1892 • Wyre Forest District, Worcestershire, England

Birth of Son William Brindley Price(1894–1917) 1894 • Derbyshire, England

Birth of Son Thomas Brindley Price(1897–1916) 1897 • Derbyshire, England

Birth of Son John Brindley Price(1899–1978) 22 Jun 1899 • Woodseats, Derbyshire, England

Residence 1901 • Norton, Derbyshire, England Relation to Head of House: Head

Birth of Daughter Mary Brindley Price (1902–1981) 27 Oct 1902 • Woodseats, Derbyshire, England

Birth of Daughter Edith Brindley Price (1906–1926) 1906 • Derbyshire, England

Birth of Daughter Sarah Brindley Price (1908–1987) 23 Aug 1908 • Woodseats, Derbyshire, England

Residence 1911 • Ecclesall, Yorkshire-West Riding, England Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head: Head

Death of Son Thomas Brindley Price(1897–1916) 8 July 1916 • France

Death of Son William Brindley Price(1894–1917) 1 December 1917 • France

Death 27 January 1918 • Sheffield, Metropolitan Borough of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England Burial Sheffield, Metropolitan Borough of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

Sources

Burial records - Sheffield Indexers

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 24th January 1918

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated 28th January 1918

Yorkshire Telegraph and Star dated 29th January 1918

CWGC

Free BMD

UK Census