Broadhurst Families » accident

Peter Ernest BROADHURST and Elizabeth ASPIN

Richard — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:50:10 +0000

The Broadhurst Family: mother Elizabeth, daughter Amy, son Ernest, father Peter Ernest, son Robert Thomas in front

(updated post to include family photo and correct Robert T’s age)

Peter Ernest BROADHURST was born on 19 Feb 1889 in Little Town Wardle, Rochdale, Lancashire. He was the 7^th child of Richard BROADHURST and Sarah Ann JONES. 19 year old Peter married 18 year old Elizabeth ASPIN on 12 Dec 1908 in St. Barnabas church, Blackburn, England. Elizabeth ASPIN was born in 1890 and was the daughter of John ASPIN. Peter Ernest and Elizabeth had 3 children:

Amy (b 06 May 1909, may have died Jan 1983, married Matthew SALKIND)
Ernest (b 29 Jan 1911, Blackburn, Lancashire, died 03 July 1960)
Robert T (b 21 Sept 1926, Providence, RI, d 09 Feb 1936)

1891 England Census. Peter’s family lived at 2 Spadescroft (sp?) in the civil parish of Crompton, Lancashire. His father, Richard BROADHURST, was a farm laborer and siblings Fanny (14) and Annie (12) were cotton mill workers.

1901 England Census. Peter (11) lived at home now in Heywood, Lancashire at 1 Peel Street. His father, Richard BROADHURST, was a farm laborer and three of his older siblings, Annie (22), John Richard (18) and Gertrude (16) were cotton mill workers.

1911 England Census. Peter now lived 12 miles away, with his wife Elizabeth in a four room residence at 30 Newton St, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire and their children, Amy and Ernest. Peter Ernest is now a “bander in ring spinning” at a cotton mill and Elizabeth is a “ring spinner.” Also living in the household at the time of the census was Peter Ernest’s younger sister, Nellie (spelled “Nillie” by Peter on the household census) she too worked in the cotton mill as a ring spinner and a visitor, William HOWORTH, a “mule spinner” at the mill. The following year Nellie and William HOWORTH wed.

To America – 1912. Peter Ernest heads to the US without his family aboard the S.S. Arabic departing Liverpool on 23 April 1912 and arriving into Boston on 03 May 1912. His stated destination is 18 Second Street, Lowell, MA, the home of his brother John Richard BROADHURST which was also the home of his sister, Fanny Crossley. His occupation is listed as “jobber” and “ring spinner.” On the passenger list for those leaving the UK, his occupation is listed as “miner.”

Peter’s family joins him in America 4 months later. Elizabeth (listed as a ring spinner), daughter Amy and son Ernest take the S.S. Cymric from Liverpool on 27 August, 1912 and disembark in Boston on September 5^th. Elizabeth lists her nearest living relative in England as Nellie Bottomley, 95 Caddington St, Blackburn. Passage for the trio was paid by Peter Ernest. Their destination is 18 Second St., Lowell, MA.

It’s unknown at this time how long any of the family they stayed in America before returning to England; only to return again to America.

Back to America – 1914. Once again the wife and two children without Peter Ernest take the S.S. Cymric from Liverpool. They leave on 19 May, 1914 arriving into Boston on May 28^th. Again the passage is paid for by Peter Ernest and Mrs. Bottomley is noted as nearest living relative to Elizabeth. This voyage Elizabeth is a housewife. Their destination is listed as her husband, Peter, at 6 Hampshire Place, Lowell, MA.

Back to America – 1915. Peter Ernest BROADHURST returns again to America in 1915 on the S.S. Bohemian, this time with his older brother, John Richard BROADHURST. The pair leaves Liverpool on New Year’s Eve, 31 December, 1914 and arrive Boston 14 January, 1915. No next of kin is listed for either brother but their destination is Lowell, MA. John Richard to 6 Hampshire Place and Peter Ernest to 4 Hampshire Place.

Lowell City Directory – 1915. Peter BROADHURST is listed as a “helper” and his address is “25 W Third” and his home address is 4 Hampshire Place.

Lowell City Directory – 1916. Peter BROADHURST is listed as a “helper” and his address is 4 Hampshire Place.

Motorcycle Accident – 1916. Peter was in a serious motorcycle accident in Lowell on May 30^th. He broke his jaw and left thigh bone after being thrown off his motorcycle into a stone wall. He lived at 4 Hampshire Place at the time of the accident next to his brother John Richard BROADHURST and his family.

Lowell City Directory – 1917. Peter BROADHURST is listed: “rem to New York city.”

World War I. By June of 1918 the family had moved to 537 Main Street, New York Mills, New York. Peter Ernest is a Blacksmith’s helper and on June 15^th becomes enters the “Canadian Over-seas Expeditionary Force” in Canadian Engineers service. He signs up in Utica, New York and by 22 November 1918 is recommended for a medically unfit discharge which was ordered on 15 January, 1919. His condition included, “weakness left knee, difficulty in mastication, one inch shorter left leg, walks with a decided limp” much of which was the result of his 1916 motorcycle accident.

1920 US Census. Still renting at 537 Main Street, the town name is now indicated as New Hartford rather than New York Mills. Peter Ernest was back in the cotton mill as perhaps a machinist (census is not legible) and Elizabeth is a “cutter” in a cotton mill. Amy is now 10 years old and Ernest is 8.

A career with the power company. In about 1926 Peter Ernest began a 25 year career with the Utica power company that ended with his death in 1951 when he was a superintendent at the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation’s coke plant.

1930 US Census. The family has now moved to 1411 Burrstone Road, Utica, NY. They rented the residence for $30 a month. Peter Ernest was now a “producer man” for the gas and electric company. Elizabeth was a “cutter” at a velvet mill, Amy was a “spinner” and Ernest was a “band-boy” in a cotton mill. New to the household was Elizabeth’s last son, Robert T. BROADHURST, born in 1925, fourteen years after Ernest.

A tragic death. 09 February 1936. A Sunday family trip aboard the “Snow Train” from Utica to Old Forge, in the Adirondacks ended with the death of nine year old Robert T. BROADHURST. Riding a toboggan tied to the back of a vehicle Robert T. died three hours after being thrown off and into another vehicle. Five children were on the toboggan at the time of the accident including Eva BROADHURST, his cousin and the daughter of John Richard BROADHURST. Robert T. suffered a fractured skull and was taken back on the Snow Train to a Utica hospital (Faxton sp?) after seeing a doctor in Old Forge. No one else suffered any injuries. The driver of the car pulling the toboggan testified he was unaware of the sled being attached to his vehicle. The investigating coroner found no negligence in the case. The family lived on Hope Street, Utica at the time of the tragedy.

The death of Peter Ernest. On 24 January 1951 Peter Ernest was found dead at home, 63 Main Street, Whitesboro, as a result of gas poisoning. Three burners on the gas stove were on but not lighted. The coroner ruled the death accidental, in part as the burners were being used as heat as the coal stove was out at the time of the accident. Elizabeth was not here at the time of the death. There was much tension between the two and some family suggests Peter Ernest’s death was a suicide.

The death of Elizabeth. Elizabeth died 02 August 1959 in Kingston, the home of her daughter Amy SALKIND nee BROADHURST, after a “long illness.” She is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Kingston, NY. There is no mention of Peter Ernest in her obituary.

Accident or Suicide? The gassy death of Peter Ernest Broadhurst

Richard — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:33:51 +0000

My paternal Grandfather, Peter Ernest Broadhurst was found dead by a coworker when he didn’t show up to work one morning. His wife, my Grandmother, Elizabeth Aspin Broadhurst was not there at the time. No one is alive to know with absolute certainty if he committed suicide but the marriage was known to be a troubled. The couple had faced the tragic death of thier youngest son, Robert T, years earlier and the husband always blamed the wife for allowing it to happen.

Here is the newspaper report of the incident …

Click here for his obituary

A Deadly Family Outing in the Adirondacks

Richard — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:25:18 +0000

On Sunday, February 9, 1936 five Broadhurst family members from the Utica area boarded the Snow Train for a day’s outing in Old Forge region. Nine year old Robert T. Broadhurst, his mother, Elizabeth and his 22 year-old cousin Eva Broadhurst are the only known members of this outing. The Snow Trains brought many winter sports enthusiasts to the Central Adirondacks from 1936-1941.

After an active day and looking to return to the Thendara train station, two men were sitting on the back bumper of a car and offered Eva a tow on her toboggan back to the station. Eva told him to tell the driver and after a few minutes away he returned and attached the sled. Robert with his cousin Eva along with Betty Fitzgerald, Jessie Talarico and Mary Montemurro would ride the toboggan behind Mr. Leon Eldridge’s car. Mr. Eldridge’s passengers were Robert’s mother, Elizabeth along with Catherine Mitchell and Frannie Goldstein. They got underway to the station. It was snowing and the toboggan was swerving back and forth along the Old Forge highway. Seeing the swerving sled, an oncoming car stopped to avoid hitting the toboggan and when it did the car behind it, operated by John Foley, skidded and plowed into a snow bank. As Mr. Eldridge passed the Foley car, the toboggan swung wildly. Robert was hurled off and into the stopped car. Mr. Eldridge continued on to the station. John Foley rushed the injured boy to a local doctor.

Mr. Eldridge dropped his passengers off at the station and then when hailed by witnesses, went to the doctor’s office. Apparently, Dr. Lindsey held little hope for Robert’s recovery as the child had badly fractured his skull. The Snow Train’s return was delayed as it waited for Robert to be brought aboard to be taken to Utica’s Faxton Hospital. Robert, on an emergency cot, was placed across the seat backs. Both Mr. Eldridge and Dr. Lindsey accompanied him back to Utica. Dr. Douglas attended Robert at the hospital but it was to no avail as Robert died within three hours of the accident.

The following Wednesday Robert’s funeral was held at the home of his uncle, John Richard “Jack” Broadhurst on Court Street in Utica. The rector of St. Paul’s Chapel, Reverend Robert Moore, officiated. The bearers were brothers Arthur (25 years old) and William Adams (21) and cousins Lawrence (13) and Kenneth Broadhurst (14); all cousins of Robert.

A few days later an inquiry was held by the Herkimer County Coroner and he ruled Robert’s death accidental. Mr. Eldridge consistently testified that he did not know the toboggan was tied to his car or that he was aware of accident until later. He testified that his passengers, to include Robert’s mother, did say something about a mishap behind them. Directly contradicting him was cousin Eva who rode with Robert. She testified that Mr. Eldridge was aware of the attached toboggan. Which, given that Robert’s mother was in the car, seems most likely indeed.

In May, the fourth grade pupils of Kernan School presented Robert’s parents, Peter and Elizabeth, with a large red rose bush to be planted on his Forest Hill Cemetery grave as a tribute to their classmate’s memory.

Robert T. was my father’s young brother; Ernest Broadhurst later named his first son, my brother, Robert Thomas in his honor.

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I wrote this posting based on newspaper articles written at the time of the accident. The articles were found using the http://www.fultonhistory.com/ web site.

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Thendara Train Station - date unknown

Peter Broadhurst 1916 Motorcycle Accident

Richard — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:10:00 +0000

The Lowell Sun
31 May 1916

click here for more about his family