The Tragic Death of Frederick Sanby - Hackenthorpe Sheffield - June 1933

Frederick Sanby was the eldest son of Frederick and Elizabeth Sanby, and the nephew of my great grandfather Edwin Sanby. He was in fact my first cousin twice removed.

His first wife Annie died in May 1920 at the young age of 35 but the following year he remarried but what was unusual was that he married his first cousin once removed Beatrice Sanby. Beatrice was not married but she was a Sanby nevertheless. It was perfectly legal but there is always a greater chance of problems if the coiple ever decided to have children. They did not but Beatrice still had to look after his two young daughters Edna and Vera.  

The Sheffield Independent dated  Saturday 19th August 1933 carried this report of the inquest that was held on Friday 18th August 1933, which was over two months after the accident which occurred on june 13th 1933.

HAMMER MISHAP 

CAUSE OF SHEFFIELD MAN’S DEATH 

A verdict of Accidental death was returned at the inquest on Frederick San by, aged 50, of 2 Millmount Road, Meersbrook, .Slieffteld, held at Sheffield, yesterday. He had met with an accident while working at. the Hackenthorpe works of Thomas Staniforth and Co., Ltd., on 13 June 1933. A workmate. John George Newman, told the Coroner that on June 13, Sanby was working a. hammer with his foot when pair of tongs flew past witness. He (the witness) turned round and saw Sanby rubbing his head with his hands. There was a cut his forehead. Witness thought that Sanby was hit by a piece of flange which had broken off the hammer. 

Dr. J. Clarke, the Medical Superintendent the City General Hospital, said that death was caused by the accident. 

But the report in the Sheffield Independent was far from complete in fact it was misleading 

The Derbyshire Times dated Saturday 26th August 1933 carried a far more detailed report which explains why there was a two month delay between the accident and the inquest. Frederick returned home with a bandaged head on the day of the accident (June 13th) but continued to work in the following weeks. It was only in the week prior to the August Bank Holiday (in 1933 it was the first Monday in the month not the last as it is nowadays) that Frederick stopped working complaining of pains in the head. It appears that the pains were the symptoms of septic meningitis and Frederick passed away at his home in Meersbrook Sheffield.   

And so did not die directly as a result of being hit by the broken flange of the hammer. The cause of death was septic meningitis that resulted from the accident at work two months earlier.

Th other point is that the report states that Frederick died at home but his burial record states that he died at 2 Herries Road which is the address of Firvale Infirmary (now Sheffield's Northern General Hospital). Given the nature of his condition septic meningitis I would say that his burial is more likely to be the location of his death      

COOPER, Frederick (Grinder, age 62). Died at Winter St Hospital; Buried on June 10, 1924 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 1976, Section FF of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield. Remarks: Officiating Minister, W A Cleghorn: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

MAURER, Beatrice (Wife of Frederick, age 62). Died at 404 Ecclesall Rd; Buried on February 6, 1947 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 1976, Section FF of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield. Remarks: Officiating Minister, Matthew Shaw SSM: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

SANBY, Annie Barbara (wife of Frederick, age 35). Died at 157 Alderson Rd; Buried on May 25, 1920 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 1976, Section FF of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield. Parent or Next of Kin if Available: Remarks: Officiating Minister, W A Martin: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

SANBY, Frederick (Engineer, age 50). Died at 2 Herries Rd; Buried on August 21, 1933 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 1976, Section FF of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield. Remarks: Officiating Minister, P H S Raine: Removed from Sheffield Parish.

Sources

The Sheffield Independent dated  Saturday 19th August 1933

The Derbyshire Times dated  Saturday 26th August 1933

Sheffield Indexers

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This page was last updated on 05/04/23 16:41