Death of 2nd Lieut. Crabtree and other War News from Tring on 13th February 1915

Extracts from the Bucks Herald of 13th February, 1915

Edited from British Newspaper Archive
Previous week ~~~~ Tring News Index

The only "local" military casualty connected to Tring this week was the death of 2nd Lieutenant William Crabtree of the Lincolnshire Regiment in an accident on a sharp bend between Startops and Tringford Reservoirs at Tring Ford. A taxi taking two officers an an unidentified lady from London to their unit in Leighton Buzzard crashed. The detailed report of the inquest ends with the coroner, Lovel Smeathman of Hemel Hempstead, recommending "The turn in the road was a dangerous point, and a notice warning drivers should be placed there." The corner is still dangerous, with no sign, and now car are going much faster than 10 mph! Some of the early press accounts of the paper incorrectly reported that he died in a motor cycle accident.

Name Lists in Old Papers - Ratepayers in 1867

Newspapers

I am making increasing use of the British Newspaper Archives (via FindMyPast) and there are some pages that keep turning up when they are not what is wanted - but which can be very useful for other reasons. One of the pages that turns up in searching for a surname and place is:

From the Herts Guardian, 28th December, 1867

This is a petition, signed by over 3000 rate payers (their names take up nearly a page of the original paper), organised by town or village, including people who were opposed to the act.

Sandridge

On the main news page I have listed all the towns and villages mentioned, with the number of names, and also listed the 50 names that signed in the parish of Sandridge. (Sorry - I don't have time to produce and check a list of every name in the county.) While it will not include every rate payer it at least confirms that the named individual was associated with Sandridge in 1867, and gives a clue as their opinion on the law change.

The important thing is to to remember that old newspapers include many list of names, recording shareholders, people attending weddings or funerals, winners of prizes in village horticultural shows, school prize givings, etc. Some of these may mention your ancestor! Good List Hunting in 2013.