Does anyone know the exact location of Mr Garlick's coalyard at Hove Station in 1854 ? My Gt.Gt.Grandfather, Stephen Godley, yard foreman at the coalyard , fell to his death from the top of an embankment onto the railway line, late at night on 15th October 1854. He was returning from his coal deliveries, taking a short cut to the cottage where he lived with his family at the coalyard. It had been raining, and the grass would have been very wet. The coalyard was closed at 7 pm. each evening, and he always went home that way. The Inquest Report states that he was in the habit of making a short cut, when he went to Brighton, by climbing up the embankment on the south side of the line, walking along the embankment to the bridge below the station and then getting over the parapet of the bridge. He returned the same way. He was a very sober, steady man, and according to the evidence of Mr Egan, Station Clerk, was never seen with evidence of liquor on him. So it would seem from this that he delivered the coal from a horse and cart, and stabled these in another place, visited his wife's brother and sister after work, drinking ale at the house of the latter, and then went home. The embankment was on the south side of the line, and from the marks on the ground, it was presumed he slipped as he was getting over the parapet of the bridge, the grass was wet. Why did he fall from the top of the embankment onto the north side, and onto the railway line ? His wife waited up all night, then went out to look for him, walking along the top of the embankment towards the bridge, (the grass would still have been wet) and found him dead on the railway line at 6.20 a.m. The Inquest Jury returned an open verdict of ' Found dead' and expressed a desire that it should be suggested to Mr.Garlick to make arrangements with the Company to allow some more convenient access. Of course, the Railway Co. said he should not have been trespassing on the Company's ground, but I would very much like to visit Hove Station next month, and find the place where this tragedy happened. Diane Bulley 10813

Hello Diane, It appears that the original Hove Station was near Holland Road, moving later to the site of what was Cliftonville Station (further West). I have found the site on Oldmaps on the 1880 map. The coal yard may have been between the station and the sawmill. Phil ----- Original Message ----- From: <Dkn72a@aol.com> To: <SFHG-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 4:19 PM Subject: [SFHG] Hove Railway Station > Does anyone know the exact location of Mr Garlick's coalyard at Hove > Station > in 1854 ? > > My Gt.Gt.Grandfather, Stephen Godley, yard foreman at the coalyard , > fell > to his death from the top of an embankment onto the railway line, late at > night on 15th October 1854. He was returning from his coal deliveries, > taking a > short cut to the cottage where he lived with his family at the coalyard. > It > had been raining, and the grass would have been very wet. The coalyard > was > closed at 7 pm. each evening, and he always went home that way. > > The Inquest Report states that he was in the habit of making a short cut, > when he went to Brighton, by climbing up the embankment on the south side > of > the line, walking along the embankment to the bridge below the station and > then getting over the parapet of the bridge. He returned the same way. > He was > a very sober, steady man, and according to the evidence of Mr Egan, > Station > Clerk, was never seen with evidence of liquor on him. So it would seem > from > this that he delivered the coal from a horse and cart, and > stabled these in another place, visited his wife's brother and sister > after work, drinking ale at the house of the latter, and then went home. > The > embankment was on the south side of the line, and from the marks on the > ground, > it was presumed he slipped as he was getting over the parapet of the > bridge, > the grass was wet. Why did he fall from the top of the embankment onto > the > north side, and onto the railway line ? His wife waited up all night, > then > went out to look for him, walking along the top of the embankment towards > the > bridge, (the grass would still have been wet) and found him dead on the > railway line at 6.20 a.m. The Inquest Jury returned an open verdict of ' > Found > dead' and expressed a desire that it should be suggested to Mr.Garlick to > make > arrangements with the Company to allow some more convenient access. > > Of course, the Railway Co. said he should not have been trespassing on the > Company's ground, but I would very much like to visit Hove Station next > month, > and find the place where this tragedy happened. > > Diane Bulley 10813 > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SFHG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message