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Remembered Today:

Abigail Emerson - Cause of death : Bomb Shock


temptage

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I recently found this record in the burials for Grimsby Scartho Road Cemetery. Im wondering if there would be any reports available about her death. There was a Munitions Factory in Grimsby during WW1, but there were no civilian deaths in Grimsby accredited to enemy action in WW1. Date of death 9 September 1916

 

 

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It could well have been a munitions explosion at the factory - there might be a newspaper report about it, but of course censorship might have suppressed it.

 

The act of explosion drew oxygen out of the air very quickly and it was not uncommon to find that people had had the air literally sucked out of their lungs by the sudden vacuum. This is thought to be the cause of death in cases where, for instance, "four German officers were found in a dugout, dead but without a mark on them."

 

Do the cemetery records or local death registers indicate any other deaths at the same time, and if so, is the same cause given?

 

Ron

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A side issue, the husband's name is given as Sydney E Emerson in the transcript of the gravestone by the Lincolnshire FHS (on FMP).

 

Max

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3 hours ago, Ron Clifton said:

It could well have been a munitions explosion at the factory - there might be a newspaper report about it, but of course censorship might have suppressed it.

 

The act of explosion drew oxygen out of the air very quickly and it was not uncommon to find that people had had the air literally sucked out of their lungs by the sudden vacuum. This is thought to be the cause of death in cases where, for instance, "four German officers were found in a dugout, dead but without a mark on them."

 

Do the cemetery records or local death registers indicate any other deaths at the same time, and if so, is the same cause given?

 

Ron

 

This was taken from the local burial registers which have been transcribed. Many of the records up until about 1929 included the cause of death. I had previously seen this entry in the original registers, but never followed it up.

 

Regarding censorship, I can understand not wanting to reveal the location of munitions factories etc. But to add to that I have also seen a few reports in various newspapers during WW2, when I would have considered censorship to be even tighter, when two local girls died in a munitions factory explosion, and it even named the road where the factory was. There seems to be no regularity to reporting incidents like that.

 

If anyone could find any mention of it I would appreciate it if it could be posted on here.

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On a search for "munitions factory explosion" and similar in those newspapers I have access to on FMP, the reports for September 1916 as an example say "...in Kent....in Yorkshire...in the north of Engand….at a factory...The only place named is a factory near Paris!

 

You could perhaps try the  Lincolnshire Family History Society? https://lincolnshirefhs.org.uk/

 

Max

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Husbands name was Sidney Espin Emerson. Her maiden name was Mason

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Something else that has come to mind is that earlier in 1916, March I seem to recall, Grimsby and surrounding areas were bombed by a Zeppelin. Im just wondering if it may be anything to do with that, with her dying from injuries accredited to bomb shock.

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FMPas been playing up for Me. Can't make a newspaper search

Edited by johnboy
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Just because someone is buried in Grimsby doesn't mean they died in Grimsby.

 

However, a look at FreeBMD does in fact show that her death was registered in the Grimsby District in the September quarter of 1916 so any incident would have been local.

I was thinking maybe she had died in an accident that might have occurred elsewhere and been reported in a different area.

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Yes. I am open to any variation of circumstances. Nothing to say she wasnt working at any of the Munitions factories that MaxD suggested in his post, and then returned to Grimsby before dying. Sadly the possibilities are endless as to how, when, where etc

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  • 1 year later...
On 13/05/2019 at 10:07, MaxD said:

A side issue, the husband's name is given as Sydney E Emerson in the transcript of the gravestone by the Lincolnshire FHS (on FMP).

 

Max

Hello, my Grandfather was Sydney Espin Emerson in Grimsby. His first wife died through bomb shock and I think she was called Abigail. She had two daughters Mary and Margaret. Sydney remarried Elsie Hall and had 4 more children, Christine, Richard Espin who was my father, and then David and Pam. 
David’s son is called Charles Espin Emerson.

My father died in 2019 here in West Sussex but Christine is alive in New Zealand. 
 

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  • Admin

I have removed your email address from public view as it can be gathered by spammers. @temptageis still active on the forum.

 

Michelle 

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Thanks Michelle. I wouldnt even have known that Jane had replied as I didnt get a notificatiuon of her post, but because you tagged me, I was notified.

 

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On 13/05/2019 at 10:07, MaxD said:

A side issue, the husband's name is given as Sydney E Emerson in the transcript of the gravestone by the Lincolnshire FHS (on FMP).

 

Max

Hello, my Grandfather was Sydney Espin Emerson in Grimsby. His first wife died through bomb shock and I think she was called Abigail. She had two daughters Mary and Margaret. Sydney remarried Elsie Hall and had 4 more children, Christine, Richard Espin who was my father, and then David and Pam. 
David’s son is called Charles Espin Emerson.

My father died in 2019 here in West Sussex but Christine is alive in New Zealand. 
 

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  • Admin

Jane, I have again removed your email address from public view. Spammers visit the site and gather email addresses that members post. 

Michelle 

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  • Admin
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On 13/05/2019 at 10:07, MaxD said:

A side issue, the husband's name is given as Sydney E Emerson in the transcript of the gravestone by the Lincolnshire FHS (on FMP).

 

Max

Hello, my Grandfather was Sydney Espin Emerson in Grimsby. His first wife died through bomb shock and I think she was called Abigail. She had two daughters Mary and Margaret. Sydney remarried Elsie Hall and had 4 more children, Christine, Richard Espin who was my father, and then David and Pam. 
David’s son is called Charles Espin Emerson.

My father died in 2019 here in West Sussex but Christine is alive in New Zealand. 

Jane Emerson 

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