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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Derry (Londonderry) => Topic started by: TonyMcGartland on Wednesday 05 November 25 18:52 GMT (UK)

Title: Samuel walker
Post by: TonyMcGartland on Wednesday 05 November 25 18:52 GMT (UK)
Trying to locate information on Samuel Walker who lived in Goshaden, Derry in the 1950s-60s. He was a railway engine driver. No other clues.
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: Kiltaglassan on Wednesday 05 November 25 20:00 GMT (UK)

Do you mean Gosheden in the civil parish of Cumber Lower?
https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/tirkeeran/cumber-lower/ardmore/gosheden/


Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: TonyMcGartland on Wednesday 05 November 25 20:06 GMT (UK)
Definitely Ardmore. I've no other clues I'm afraid
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: Kiltaglassan on Wednesday 05 November 25 20:19 GMT (UK)

Definitely Ardmore.

But you mentioned Goshaden in your first post  ???


Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: aghadowey on Wednesday 05 November 25 20:33 GMT (UK)
No way to tell is this is the one you are looking for-

Londonderry Standard, 12 May 1959: CO. DERRYMAN IN HOSPITAL. INJURED IN MOTOR CYCLE CRASH. Samuel Walker (57), of Ardmore, was admitted to the Derry City and County Hospital yesterday with injuries following a motor-cycle crash. His condition is not serious, ...
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: aghadowey on Wednesday 05 November 25 20:37 GMT (UK)
Above looking more promising.

Derry Journal, 12 May 1959: ARDMORE MOTOR-CYCLIST INJURED. Samuel Walker, Goshaden, was admitted to Derry City and County Hospital yesterday with injuries following a ...
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: Kiltaglassan on Wednesday 05 November 25 20:41 GMT (UK)

Above looking more promising.

Derry Journal, 12 May 1959: ARDMORE MOTOR-CYCLIST INJURED. Samuel Walker, Goshaden, was admitted to Derry City and County Hospital yesterday with injuries following a ...

Thanks, aghadowey  :)


Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: aghadowey on Wednesday 05 November 25 20:42 GMT (UK)
Londonderry Sentinel, 29 May 1963: MOTOR CYCLIST FELL OFF MACHINE ... Altnagelvin Hospital approximately an hour and a half after admission. The only eye witness of the accident, Samuel Walker, of ...

Derry Journal, 28 May 1963: PILLION PASSENGER'S DEATH ... Glenkeen, Ardmore, who died shortly after admission to Altnagelvin Hospital on April 28th from injuries received when he fell off his motorcycle after rounding a bend on the Burntollet-Ardmore road, near the Junction with the Kildoag road. Samuel Walker, Goshaden, said that after rounding the bend McCormick's motor-cycle began to wobble and he was thrown to the ground. There ...
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: TonyMcGartland on Wednesday 05 November 25 21:59 GMT (UK)
Funny, l read these brief reports earlier today. Shame there is no clue to age of Samuel. It is most definitely him as he was described as an engine driver. Thank you
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: aghadowey on Wednesday 05 November 25 22:26 GMT (UK)
Funny, l read these brief reports earlier today. Shame there is no clue to age of Samuel. It is most definitely him as he was described as an engine driver. Thank you

You'll need to re-read what I posted.

No way to tell is this is the one you are looking for-

Londonderry Standard, 12 May 1959: CO. DERRYMAN IN HOSPITAL. INJURED IN MOTOR CYCLE CRASH. Samuel Walker (57), of Ardmore, was admitted to the Derry City and County Hospital yesterday with injuries following a motor-cycle crash. His condition is not serious, ...

IF he was from Derry City then this one in 1911 is closest in age-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Londonderry_No__5_Urban/Duke_Street/606323/

Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: TonyMcGartland on Wednesday 05 November 25 22:41 GMT (UK)
I am so sorry, I over-looked the age, thanks Aghadowey
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: Ladyhawk on Wednesday 05 November 25 23:24 GMT (UK)
No way to tell is this is the one you are looking for-

Londonderry Standard, 12 May 1959: CO. DERRYMAN IN HOSPITAL. INJURED IN MOTOR CYCLE CRASH. Samuel Walker (57), of Ardmore, was admitted to the Derry City and County Hospital yesterday with injuries following a motor-cycle crash. His condition is not serious, ...


IF he was from Derry City then this one in 1911 is closest in age-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Londonderry_No__5_Urban/Duke_Street/606323/

For info.

Samuel Walker from 1911 census above this appears to be his birth record and his parents marriage

1902 birth Samuel
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1902/01911/1741079.pdf

1898 marriage
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1899/10370/5775690.pdf

1901 census
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Ballymagorry/Backfence/1753234/

1899 birth first child Roseanne Eliza
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1899/02019/1774865.pdf

Mary Catharine Chambers Young
Birth Date   12 Jun 1871
Birth Place   Strabane, Tyr, Ireland
Baptism Place   Strabane, Tyr, Ireland
Father   Samuel Young
Mother   Rosanna Phillips



Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: TonyMcGartland on Thursday 06 November 25 05:50 GMT (UK)
Thank you for this information, this may unleash some further leads.
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: scotmum on Thursday 06 November 25 07:50 GMT (UK)
The Londonderry Sentinel of 5th December 1950 mentions a Samuel Walker, Londonderry, driver of the train, in an article on the resumed inquest concerning the Omagh Rail Tragedy in which 5  employees lost their lives. Those killed had been working on the line at the time of the incident. The coroner reached a verdict that there was no sign of negligence and that the deaths were accidental.
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: TonyMcGartland on Thursday 06 November 25 07:55 GMT (UK)
Yes, thank you. I have written a book on Omagh which included this incident. I am trying to locate family for comments on the tragedy.
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: scotmum on Thursday 06 November 25 08:11 GMT (UK)
The Londonderry Sentinel of 9th March 1966, carried a very interesting article on a Mrs Ruth Walker of Goshaden, wife of a Samuel Walker. This Samuel was apparently a former UTA employee, so presumably the Ulster Transport Authority (which ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland and operated from 1948 until 1967). A possibility for the Samuel you are interested in, perhaps.

Other articles on this Ruth Walker indicate she was originally from Wales, whilst some say England. These also refer to her husband as a 'transport worker' and that he/they 'took over a derelict farm in Goshaden.' By 1960, she had apparently been in Northern Ireland for 13 years.

Perhaps worth reaching out to the Northern Ireland Goat Club to ask if any current members have links to and/or knowledge of, anyone related to this Ruth and Samuel and would be willing to pass on your details to them, in hope they might then contact you and confirm or rule out Samuel as having been one and the same as the railway driver.
Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: Kiltaglassan on Thursday 06 November 25 09:20 GMT (UK)

I am trying to locate family for comments on the tragedy.

From the 1911 census (reply #9), the four younger Walker siblings-

1 January 1904 - James
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1904/01839/1717729.pdf

28 June 1906 - Mary Kathleen
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1906/01730/1683696.pdf

17 April 1908 - Maggie
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1908/01655/1660247.pdf   

31 May 1910 - Eleanor Jane
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1910/01571/1633442.pdf


Title: Re: Samuel walker
Post by: TonyMcGartland on Thursday 06 November 25 09:34 GMT (UK)
The Londonderry Sentinel of 9th March 1966, carried a very interesting article on a Mrs Ruth Walker of Goshaden, wife of a Samuel Walker. This Samuel was apparently a former UTA employee, so presumably the Ulster Transport Authority (which ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland and operated from 1948 until 1967). A possibility for the Samuel you are interested in, perhaps.

Other articles on this Ruth Walker indicate she was originally from Wales, whilst some say England. These also refer to her husband as a 'transport worker' and that he/they 'took over a derelict farm in Goshaden.' By 1960, she had apparently been in Northern Ireland for 13 years.

Perhaps worth reaching out to the Northern Ireland Goat Club to ask if any current members have links to and/or knowledge of, anyone related to this Ruth and Samuel and would be willing to pass on your details to them, in hope they might then contact you and confirm or rule out Samuel as having been one and the same as the railway driver.


Thank you, this is a most interesting lead. Appreciated.