#52Ancestors Week 12 “Misfortune”
Thomas Wadey
1859-1924 (Great Great Uncle)
Thomas Wadey was the second son of Stephen Edwin Wadey
(1829-1904) Stephen's story and Mary Ann Johnson (1830-1876) born 1859 in Brighton and baptised
at St Nicholas Church Brighton on 29th May 1859.
Misfortune came early to Thomas at the age of 2 ½ he was
walking across the road with his father Stephen when he was hit by a pony and
cart being driven “furiously”
The Brighton Guardian on 23rd December 1861
printed to following transcript from Brighton Borough Bench
Monday
December 23rd
Present
A Bigge and W Alger Esqrs.
John
Whiting and Thomas Terry, two middle-aged men. Dressed as labourers, were
placed in the dock on the charge of driving a pony and cart in a furious
manner, and running over a child
The
Chief Officer said the child which was run over was named Thomas Wadey, and was
only two and a half years old. After the accident it was take to the Hospital,
and was found to have received serious injury. He had sent two or three
times to the Hospital to make enquiries, and this morning Mr Rogers, the house
surgeon, had sent to say that the child was now progressing favourably.
Stephen
Wadey, sworn; I am a chimney sweep, and live in Circus Street. On
Saturday, at about two o’clock, I was coming down Market Street with my little
child, and I was crossing over the road towards Castle Square. My little
child was walking at my side. The prisoners must have been driving from
Castle square towards Market street, for they went up Market street. I
was not looking before the accident happened, so I cannot tell you the pace.
The child was knocked down, and the wheel went over it. It
was so much hurt that I was obliged to take it to the hospital.
William
Benham sworn; I live at 113 Western Road. I was crossing this road
on Saturday afternoon, and I saw the prisoners driving a pony and cart at a
very furious pace. They appeared to be coming from across the
Steine. I had some difficulty in getting out of the way myself. The
pony was galloping, and it was the noise that first attracted my
attention. I was driving, and if I had not had a lively horse I should
not have been able to get out of the way. When they had passed me I
looked round, and I saw the pony going towards the last witness. The
little child was walking a foot or so behind him, and before he could pick it
up the pony and knocked it down and the wheel had gone over it. This was
a fast pony, and was going at quite twelve or fourteen miles an hour.
Henry
Chamberlain sworn; I live at 9 Rose Hill terrace, and am employed at Mr
Hannington’s. I saw this accident occur. The pony was going at the top of
its speed, land the men did not make the least attempt to stop it till they had
run over the child. The off wheel of the cart went over it, and I think
the child must have been killed if the pony had not been going at such great
speed.
Samuel
Duly sworn; I was coming down St James’s street on Saturday afternoon, and I
saw this pony and cart coming down the street at a fearful speed. The
people were running away in every direction. The men in the cart were
rolling against each other, and made no attempt to stop the pony. When I got
down into Castle square I was that this accident had happened. I should
think the pony was going quite as fast as Mr Benham states.
Police
constable Stoffel, sworn; I came up just after this accident. I saw that
the child was very much hurt,- I couldn’t tell whether it was dead or not , -
and also that the men were both the worse for liquour, so I took them in charge
and brought them here.
Mr
Bigge: What do you propose to do Mr White?
The
Chief Officer: I must leave it in the hands of the magistrates now, Sir.
Mr
Bigge said it was a great mercy that the men were not charged with
manslaughter.
The
Chief Officer mentioned that they both bore a good character, Terry had a wife
and six children,
Whiting
admitted that he was driving the pony fast, but said he did not see the child
till he was close on it, land the tried to pull up, but could not.
Mr
Bigge said this was a very serious charge, and he thought the best course would
be to remand both prisoners til to-morrow, to see how the child went on.
Prisoners
applied to be admitted to bail, but Mr Bigge refused to grant the application.
The next day they were both found guilty and fined 40s each plus
costs. The court was told that Thomas
was “fast recovering from his injuries”.
40 shillings equates to around 10 days wages at the time.
Thomas recovered from his brush with death and continued to
live in Circus Street with his parents until his marriage in the summer of 1891
to Mary Ann Hopkins. The 1891 census
shows Thomas as cab driver / groom, 1901 he is shown as a fly proprietor living
in Upper Lewes Road. A fly be a type of
pony and cart!
28th July 1903 records show Thomas taking over the license for The Liverpool Arms in Gloucester Place, Brighton
The James Grey collection has a photo taken in 1913, I presume showing Thomas
outside his pub. 1914 a new licencee is shown so Thomas and his wife left the Inn sometime between 1913 and 1914 ten years after taking it over. Have no further information for Thomas who died 1924,
 | |
| http://regencysociety-jamesgray.com/volume30/source/jg_30_079.html |
Unfortunately
the pub along with other buildings were demolished in 1935 to make way for Telephone
House that was completed in 1938
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