Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1910 & 19

John Nield (Killed at work) (1855 - 1915)


John Nield was a Dock Labourer and was killed at Salford Docks.

 

John was born on 2nd August 1855 at Sharon, Saddleworth. His parents were James Neild (born 1825 in Dobcross, and who took part in the Chartist struggle in Ashton-under-Lyne 1848) and Mary Crowther (born 1831). John grew up to be a cotton spinner and at the age of 15 his mother died. The following year (1871) he was living in Ashton-under-Lyne.

 

In 1877 he married Mary Moors of Oakenclough, at Holy Trinity Church, Bardsley and their children were Clara (born 1878), William (born 1880), Albert (born 1883), Edith (born 1886) and Arthur (born 1889). Sadly, Mary was to die in 1891 and John moved to Ivy Cottage, Weaste and became a herb beer manufacturer.

 

On 10th August 1895, John (aged 40) married again to Alice Dodd (aged 24) at St. John's Wesleyan Chapel, Salford and by 1901 they were living at 70, Bridston Street, Pendleton. Their children were Sarah (born 1896), William (born 1898), Ethel (born 1899), Tom (born 1905), twins Harry and Sam (born 1909) and Stanley (born 1912). In 1915 the family was living at 14, Lonsdale Street, Pendleton and John was a Labourer at Salford Docks, when he suffered a horrific accident and died on 7th October at Salford Royal Hospital.

 

An Inquest was held on Tuesday 12th October at the Coroner's Court in Pendleton Town Hall. The evidence showed that John was with a team, loading iron pipes onto SS Socrates at Dock 9. He was in a railway wagon with another man and the pipes were being lifted by means of a steam crane. He bent down to get the number and the weight of a pipe to give them to the Checker on the quayside. The pipe "surged" and his head was caught between the pipe and the end of the wagon.

John McMahon, Labourer of 6, Market Street, Salford, said he was working with the deceased and did not hear a signal to the crane driver to lift. However, the crane driver did hear a signal. John's skull was crushed and he was taken to Salford Royal Hospital. The Coroner said that considering the vast amount of traffic at the Docks, he thought the Canal Company had been extraordinarily successful in the very few deaths that occurred and they were to be complimented. Verdict Accidental Death.