William SWAN

1877 - 1926  (~ 49 years)

 Set As Default Person

• Name	William SWAN
  Relationship	with Teresa Ann GOATHAM
  Born	Jun Q 1877	Minster, Sheppey, Kent, England
  	From the 1911 census where shown as aged 34 GRO ref: SWAN, William q2 1877 Sheppey RD 2a 797
  Gender	Male
  Church Office	to 1926	Wesleyan Chapel, Bredgar, Kent, England
  	Steward
  	According to his obituary.
  Church Office	to 1926	Wesleyan Chapel, Bredgar, Kent, England
  	Sunday School superintendant
  	Earlier William had been a scholar and then teacher in the same Sunday School, according to his obituary.
  Died	11 Oct 1926	Bredgar, Kent, England
  	Died in accident on his farm. Date from newspaper report of his death ('on Monday') and from probate calendar entry. GRO ref: Swan, William q4 1926 aged 50 Milton RD 2a 1223 The death and inquest were reported in the East Kent Gazette of 26 Oct 1926: "Shocking Fatality at Bredgar. Well-known resident instantaneously killed. The parish of Bredgar, and in fact, the whole district around has been shocked to learn of the tragic death of Mr. William Swan, one of Bredgar's best-known residents, which occurred on Monday afternoon, in one of the orchards on the deceased gentleman's farm at Bredgar. During Monday afternoon one of Mr. Swan's employees had been engaged in grubbing cherry trees by means of a "monkey jack." Mr. Swan strolled into the orchard shortly after five o'clock, just as his man was attempting to bring a tree to the ground by means of the jack. The iron lever bar was then down - held down automatically - and Mr. Swan was standing by it, when, without warning, it flew upwards, and struck him on the right side of the jaw. The terrific impact broke the jaw, and at the same time completely dislocated the neck. Death was instantaneous. As Dr. Noble remarked at the inquest, Mr. Swan was dead before he fell to the ground. Mrs. Swan happened to follow her husband into the orchard, and arrived almost directly after the occurrence, and she quickly secured help, and Dr. Noble was telephoned for. He came immediately, and found that the worst had happened. Mr. Swan had been killed within three minutes of his entry into the orchard." (newspaper report continued under 'Inquest')
  Inquest	12 Oct 1926	The Hut, Bredgar, Kent, England
  	(continued from 'death' event newspaper report) "The Inquest The whole facts relating to the sad affair were told to Mr. E. C. Harris (County Coroner), who held the inquest at the Hut, Bredgar,on Tuesday afternoon. The Coroner sat without a jury. Mrs. Sarah Edith Goatham, of Dean's Hill, Bredgar, said that the deceased man, William Swan, was brother-in-law, and was aged 50 years in March last. Deceased resided at Oakfield Cottage, Bredgar, and was a farmer. George Owen Bills, farm labourer, Primrose Lane, Bredgar, said he was in the employ of the deceased. Witness said that on the previous afternoon he (witness) had been engaged in grubbing cherry trees. In doing this he was using a "monkey jack," which had been borrowed from Mr. W. T. Jackson's farm at Oad Street. It was a ten-ton jack. Deceased came into the orchard to see witness between five and ten minutes past five o'clock. He had only been there about three minutes when witness pulled down the lever of the jack to within two feet of the ground, and it should have remained secure. Deceased was standing at the side of the lever, and was considering whether it should not be shifted to get better leverage. At this moment witness was standing just behind him. As a matter of fact, he and the deceased were considering the advisability of using another and shorter rod to push the root out. Without any warning, except for the sound of a "click," the handle sprung upwards, and knocked the deceased into the hole that had been dug at the root of the tree. Witness lifted deceased out of the hole, and rested his head and shoulders on his (witness's) knee. Mrs. Swan then came along. Beyond giving three gasps there was no movement made by deceased, and so far as witness could tell death was practically instantaneious. A little blood came from the deceased's mouth, and there was a small abrasion on the right hand side of the jaw. Witness had been using the jack all the afternoon, and it had worked quite properly. Witness had already grubbed two large trees with its aid during the afternoon. He had tested the jack since, and it was not now working properly, and evidently something was broken. Witness was certan that deceased did not touch the jack with his foot or anything else. Dr. W. F. H. Noble, of Sittingbourne, said that he was called to Bredgar by telephone at 5.30 on the previous afternoon. Witness saw deceased in the orchard with a "first-aid" man looking after him. Witness examined him, and found an abrasion at the angle of the lower jaw on the right, and there were some bloodstains. The lower jaw on the right side was broken just below the joint in the skull. He was quite dead, and witness afterwards found a dislocation of the third clovicle of the vertebræ. There were no other injuries. Death was instantaneous. "In fact," added the doctor, "Mr. Swan was dead before he fell to the ground. He was here one instant, and had left us the next." Turning to Mrs. Goatham, the Coroner said that would be some small consolation to Mrs. Swan and the other relatives. The Coroner said the facts were very plain, and the only verdict he could return was one of "Accidental Death." This concluded the inquiry." (continued under 'Obituary')
  Buried	14 Oct 1926	Sittingbourne Cemetery, Sittingbourne, Kent, England
  	From report in the East Kent Gazette of 26 Oct 1926 (continuing from report of his death, inquest and a report of his life - see 'Obituary') "The burial took place at Sittingbourne Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, in the presence of a large gathering of relatives, friends, and parishioners."
  Obituary	26 Oct 1926
  	In the ‘East Kent Gazette’
  	(continued from report of inquest) "Bredgar's Loss In the death of Mr. Swan the parish of Bredgar is the poorer in that it loves one of its most prominent inhabitants. The deceased was born at Bredgar in the house in which he resided at the time of his death.* He was a son of the late ex-Police constable Swan, of Bredgar, who in his day, was a most respected parishioner, and his son William had followed in his footsteps. The deceased had throughout his life been prominently identified with the Bredgar Wesleyan Church first as Sunday School scholar, then teacher, and in more recent years Superintendent. He had also been a steward at the church for a large number of years. The Wesleyan community at Bredgar has received a sad blow in this sudden removal of a very active and loyal church member. The deceased is survived by his widow, and four children - two daughters aged 23 and 21 years respectively and two sons aged 10 and 5½ years respectively. The deceased is also survived by four brothers, Messrs. Irving Swan (Bredgar), H. Swan (Kemsley), and F. and A. Swan, of Deal, and three sisters, Mrs. Judd (Bredgar), Mrs. Presnail (Sittingbourne), and Mrs. Yarnley (Leytonstone, Essex). It is only about a fortnight ago since Mr. and Mrs. Swan, at a large gathering of relatives and friends, celebrated their silver wedding. Much sympathy goes out to the widow and family, and all the other relatives, in the great blow they have received." (continued under 'Burial') * - all the censuses, from 1881 to 1911, record William as born in Sheppey and that is where his birth was registered; it appears he was not born in the cottage he lived in at the time of his death. His father was a Police Constable, and stationed in Bredgar from about 1883; the censuses just show they lived in Primrose Lane but it could have been the same cottage.
  Probate	15 Jan 1927	London, England
  	Calendar entry
  	"Swan William of Bredgar Kent died 11 October 1920 Probate London 15 January to Louis Sutton Watson miller and Amos Hadlow farmer. Effects £15680 3s. 9d. 167 Further Grant 27th Oct 1949"
  Administration with Will	27 Oct 1949	London, England
  	Calendar entry
  	"Swan William of Bredgar Kent died 11 October 1926 Administration (with Will) London 27 October to Minnie Caroline Swan widow and Edward William Swan commercial clerk. Effects £250 Former Grant P.R. 15 January 1927"
  Origins
  Person ID	I28493	All | England: Kent Group (in Go(a)tham One-Name Study), All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study
  Last Modified	3 Oct 2020

  
  

  Family	Minnie Caroline MILLINGTON,   b. 2 Dec 1878, Borden, Kent, England ,   d. 21 Jan 1963, Milton Hospital, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England  (Age 84 years)
  Married	Oct 1901	Milton Reg Dist, Kent, England
  	GRO ref: SWAN, William to MILLINGTON, Minnie Caroline q3 1901 Milton RD 2a 1938 Newspaper report of William's death (East Kent Gazette, 26 Oct 1926) notes that only a fortnight before the couple had celebrated their Silver Wedding. William was a prominent member of Bredgar Wesleyan Church so they may well have married in that or another Wesleyan Church (the marriage is not in the collection of images from PRs held by the KHLC, so it was most likely not in a CoE church).
  Last Modified	16 Apr 2019
  Family ID	F10989	Family Group Page  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Click to hide
  		Born - Jun Q 1877 - Minster, Sheppey, Kent, England  Married - Oct 1901 - Milton Reg Dist, Kent, England  Died - 11 Oct 1926 - Bredgar, Kent, England  Probate - Calendar entry - 15 Jan 1927 - London, England  Administration with Will - Calendar entry - 27 Oct 1949 - London, England   = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install)
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