Hi all. Many thanks for the comments on this video. We will try and get around to replying to you all shortly. We are both working, but we do read all of your comments during our brew breaks 😊 We will reply shortly.
@@DaysofHorror about the sewage farm. I doubt any one would go to a sewage farm .to retch at the smell of shit. So he could have been murdered a sewage farm in those days would smell worse than sewage farms now. They could have had dead animals dumped there. I believe the paranormal is every where. So spending a night in a haunted room. Would be tedious. Wene I could have a warm good night's sleep
I agree that Robert's statement sounds suspicious in light of what happened to Samuel that night. I wonder if they'd secretly met up in the wee hours for a drink and a chat before, but something went wrong this time, maybe an accident that left Samuel dead and Robert needing to cover himself? There's something about being left in a tank of raw sewage for three days that says "foul play" to me, but with no evidence or motive, all I've got is a gut feeling. Either way, it's a nasty way to go... Thanks for another interesting mystery accompanied by a lovely walk!
New subscriber in Nashville, Tennessee. American, yes, but a veteran explorer of out-of-the-way English places. I love the small towns and villages of England and the rich fascinating history one finds just about everywhere. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to break in to or trespass a sewage treatment plant for any reason. Maybe in this current era of terror threats and paranoia but in 1911? I agree with Vickie that someone wasn't telling all they knew. Strange case. I'm of no help I'm afraid.
I'm surprised that didn't merit mention that his shift started at 8pm, but at 9pm he was in the pub. He even stopped for more than one drink, having "a few". Doesn't sound like an ideal empolyee to me.
Emma, grieve for your dog as you should, but comfort yourself with the fact that he had a long, lovely life and thats down to you- if he could speak to you now he'd say""wipe your tears mum and smile, for we walked together for a little while" stay strong , memories never fade xx
I know your pain as my furbaby had to be put to sleep in November, he had cancer of the spleen. Cherish your memories and it is very painful, but your pupper showed you unconditional love and that's a precious thing 😢. Xx
Thanks Carol. Yes Chris is putting alot more work into the videos as it shows and together we bring you guys the video that we are happy with. We are no professional, but enjoy what we do and enjoy it more when you guys are enjoying the videos 😊
Excellent video 👏🙏 I have a suggestion with regards to what happened. It's a long shot. The signalman nay have upset someone back home in Ireland. He moved away. They tracked him down. I'm thinking something political, maybe he was an informant to the British army?
A signalman wouldn't normally leave the cabin except to light signal lamps. The train driver going to the signal box was a requirement. If the train was held at a signal for more than a few minutes the crew (usually the fireman) would go to the cabin, they were then to check that the signalman had protected the train by putting other signals to danger and used lever collers to remind him he had a train standing. They were then supposed to sign the train register.
Hi Emma, thinking of you during this difficult time, and we are sinceley sorry to hear of your loss tonight. Just think of the lovely times you had. Lots of love from Vickie & Chris and all from the days of horror community 💔💔
Another great video. I had a gut feeling it would be a night shift and a pub involved. I've known one occasion whilst a work colleague was hand signalling and told by the signaller he could go home and come back in the morning. He was seeing a woman. The railways would have been more stricter back then. Signallers to the older blokes are known as bobbies like the police when the railways were first built
We couldn't get it out of our heads how or why a signalman would leave his cabin when trains were operational. Unless, as I touched upon in the video, there may well have been long gaps in between trains passing by? Was it allowed back then to leave the cabin?
A signaller leaving a box would have notified one of the boxes either side he was leaving his post and would have said why. I assume they had phones back then. They also use a bell system even to this day even in modern power boxes. A 3 /1 is a local yokel and a 4 bell is an express@@DaysofHorror
A bizarre incident.The mystery is similar to the Charles Dickens tale of The Signal Man !! An 1861 crash at the Clayton Tunnel near Brighton, Sussex in 1861 may have inspired the tale.
As always, a great story. Many thank to you both. I think Robert, to avoid being sacked, told a story that was not true and he did invite Samual to the water works. Something happened at that place that led to Samuels death, perhaps even murder and Robert knows at lot more than he is saying. Its also possible that Samual had been a regular visitor to the water works. 👏👏👏
Just Looked at the "Bridge Inn" (as was.)...on Google.... info dated May 23.....Couple of vans parked up and the three ground floor windows boarded up. Obviously in the process of being converted into flats. The middle window is now the door as you showed in the video. Love it when I can have a look round these places! (That Motorcaravan was there then too as on your video!....Three Axle Job....Tasty!)
I've just come across your video, a very intriguing story , I think Robert's definitely knew more than he told the inquest, but as you said, we'll never know mow, well done, I enjoyed that. a lot.
Very interesting video and story. I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve just discovered your channel and it’s just my cup of tea. I love mysteries. So I’ve subscribed. I’ll have to give this baffling case some thunk. Definitely food for thought. Thank you and I look forward to watching your other videos. Well done. 😊
Aww thank you for subscribing and glad your enjoying the videos. We release new videos every Monday at 8.05pm and are normally in the premiere chat too. 😊
Thanks, and welcome onboard. Yes this one got us all thinking and commenting on why he left his signal box.. Lots of videos in our playlist and new videos weekly. Thanks 😊
Many thanks Mike. We both like looking into the stories of people whose lives weren't as famous or infamous as some of the others we have covered. Margaret Knight, Ruth Clarkson and Margaret Allen are stories that many have covered, but Samuel Gains - I doubt anyone else knows of this story.
Very strange story once again and quite hard to fathom out. Obviously theres something that doesn't quite add up. But I agree with Vicky what she says seems to add up even more. Thanks for sharing 👍👍
Hi guys..I agree with Vicki 100% I'm sat here saying the same thing. What a interesting story. Did you hear about this story when your dad worked there?? I'm working my way fru your videos being a new subscriber & I'm enjoying everyone.I find these kind of stories so interesting. Love that Vicki gets involved it's so lovely. Your both brilliant
Hi Dawn. My father worked there for years, and as far as I'm aware, he never spoke to my mother about it. I'd never heard of it until we started going out filming these stories either. Thanks for the kind comments too.
Thanks Dawn for subscribing and enjoying the content along with your lovely comments. We upload new videos every Monday at 8.05pm. Have a great week 😊😊
@Daysofhorror-vickie thanks a bunch guys. The way you do these stories together Vickie it just warms the soul. It's so nice..I think that & the way you tell the stories makes you stand out
So there'd been previous unauthorized access to the works before this incident. It sounds like the works were some kind of informal meeting spot. Maybe he tripped in the dark, or there was an altercation at the works, or perhaps something occurred outside the works and he was dragged down those very stone steps that Vicky discovered and dumped in the works in the dark.
The gates were closed but never locked, so I guess anyone could really have trespassed if they wished to do so. What makes this story strange is that is was completely out of character, from all accounts, of Samuel. But how true is that? Perhaps Robert had seen Samuel at the works before but obviously didnt want this to get out, especially after the death of Samuel.
Chris, I think your theory about Samuel leaving the signalbox because he saw somebody walking along the tracks makes sense. Why else would he leave his coat, signal-lamp and keys behind? A struggle must have occurred during which Samuel lost his life, and his body then dumped where Robert found him.
I was thinking along the lines of him leaving his jacket and keys behind, like he had to rush out quickly or something. I guess we will never find out the real truth 😞
When the train driver went into the signal box discovering it empty, but noticing Samuel's coat still there and the fire low, it was obviously cold enough to need a fire, why then would Samuel leave without his coat? Something made him leave maybe in a hurry that he didn't even bother to put his coat on!
This is a true mystery. and thanks for highlighting it in your video. It could be the case that alcohol played a part in this. In fact, I'd say it was a given. Back in the day it was commonplace for railway workers to visit pubs and consume intoxicants. It's well documented and is exemplified in the comment "And bring a bottle." If this had happened today you'd have better evidence like toxicology tests, probably CCTV and better scene examination. For example, did Samuel's boots appear scuffed on the toes? Boots would have been highly polished as it was part of the pride and uniform of a signalman. This may have indicated whether Samuel had tripped over an obstacle such as a coping stone, hit is head and drowned. Also, today the pond would have been drained and searched for evidence, for example a bottle of booze or an implement used to commit a crime. We also don't know the exact extent of Samuel's injuries, for example was there bruising on his body?Ifr there had been a fight, today's forensics would probably show the identity of the other person(s) from examination of Samuel's clothing. Were his clothes intact or dishevelled as a sign of a struggle? Was any property missing from his person? The reality surrounding his death will probably never be known, but if the L & R knew he had left his signalbox to go for a drink, Samuel would probably have been sacked. There are too many 'if's and but's', but very intriguing all the same!
We can never know, but I honestly think Samuel had an accident and slipped into that tank, possibly still feeling the effects of the alcohol and drowned in there. Another strange and mysterious tale!
My great uncle was a signalman and very proud of his job. One thing he made clear was that he was not allowed to leave his signal box or have anyone visit under any circumstances unless it was an emergency. A signalman was a very respected member of the community and they took their job very seriously, and it was only given to the most responsible. This makes me think that this would have been very out of character given the other things that you said. I am wondering if there was a reason such as gossip about an indiscretion on Roberts behalf that would have caused samuel to want to talk urgently to Robert whom he knew was working in the treatment works, and would have meant that they could have it out without anyone else around. Could they have got into a fight during a heated argument ? It's just supposition but would explain his out of character actions?
The fact that 'Robert' told the inquest that he'd suggested Samuel pay a visit and bring a bottle means almost certainly that the suggestion was overheard by at least one other person, it's very unlikely that 'Robert' would have admitted to that otherwise, it simply shows him to be making an irresponsible suggestion.. yet we didn't hear of a statement being made by whoever overheard it as to whether that would be considered a joke.. Neither did we hear any evidence relating to an autopsy, confirmation that Samuel had drowned, any evidence of injuries that may have been incurred at the time of death. It all sounds as though the inquiry was a very perfunctory affair. I believe Robert knew far more than he was admitting to, whether it was of criminal intent we'll never know.
I'm convinced that they'd met up regularly for a drink and never needed to cover their tracks until a tragic accident happened.Robert gave the statement to the inquest so that he wouldn't lose his job. Remember it was dark, they'd already had a few pints in the pub before they started work and it appears that he left the signal box in between the occasional trains that passed through the night on a regular basis. In my mind he went to the treatment works, Tipsy, tripped and fell.
Working at that time in the morning there would be very few people about. If Sewerage worker did this on a regular or semi-regular basis he's not going to let anyone know as he'd be sacked. As the signalman had no history of mental illness the most likely thing is he tripped and fell in. either going there or coming back. He wouldn't have had a light with him as he wouldn't have wanted to get his mate in trouble. We can be over confident in our ability to find our way in the dark, I know if I have to walk around at home at night, I think I know where everything is, not always right in this assumption!!!!
It's a strange case. I agree with Vicky, I wonder if the night watchman had to place him there in case someone had seen him. Therefore he mentioned they had spoken about it meeting up. If he did go there would he not have used a oil light for vision? Its a bizarre story. Well presented guys. So many unanswered questions.
Having weighed up the whole thing, I can’t understand why the Signalman would want to get himself into the sewage works. No sense whatsoever. The other oddity is that he was able to effectively leave his post unwatched so as to go off to the pub for a jar or two. Sounds very lax. The mystery just digs itself into an even deeper hole.
I wonder if Samuel did chase someone all the way along to the sewage works. It could be that Robert knew Samuel would be chasing someone because it was arranged with a person. So if he was lured there to be killed, then Robert or this unknown person had something to gain. I think Samuel was murdered by the unknown person, and then his body was dumped into the pond. The idea of the visit was just a spur of the moment thing to give a reason for Samuel to be at the sewage works. That's why Robert had to back peddle on realising he made a serious gaff. I don't know who benefited from Samuel's death, but maybe the real reason was just to get Samuel out of the signal box. If so, Samuel may have outrun the unknown person, and Samuel's murder had to happen because Samuel, being an honest man, would have reported the incident. He may have recognized who he was chasing or realized he'd been tricked by someone he knew. Whatever way it occurred, Samuel had to be silenced.
Hello. I had to step in here and give a jury members side of what could have happened on that night! Very good story by the way. As Vicki said they hay have agreed to buy a bottle of drink to share together while playing an illegal game of cards to while away the long hours! Maybe Richard the nightwatchman was a bit lax in the number of rounds he made around the treatment works during his shifts and maybe the signalman felt bored between each train journey that passes by his signalbox and that he'd agreed to a game or two if cards before the signalman needed to return to his signalbox! Let me say this if i may? Nearly 30 years ago, i was on just such a jury of an inquest of an unfortunate accident at a beach called Barmouth in North Wales. It was for a man who had fallen off the back of a fast moving twin engine soeed boat! This unfirtunate man fell as i said off the back of the said speed boat in between the two fast running engines and when he did, he unfortunately had his entire head mangled by the propellars of both engines. The photos that were shown to myself and the rest of the jury were extremely grusome, as you can imagine. We the jury members all decided that like you said about the unfortunate signalman was declared as a misadventure a term for accidental death where nobody was directly at fault! We were told that the term "Accidental death" fell out of favour at the turn of the last century and that "Accidental death" was therefore to be called "Missdventure" from that time going forward! Sorry to correct you but i thought to tell you why it was called differently? Very good vudeo as every one if your videis are. Appologies for my very long comments here. Easier tonexplain?
It was written and the inquest clearly put as accidental death and that is why we have called it this during the video. When we research we will always put the wording we find. Thanks for watching and you long comment for all our community to read. 😊
I agree with Vickie, there's a lot more sinister to this than meets the eye. Robert knows way more than he's letting on. A man of good character with a good job and decent family life, does not end up in a tank of sewage by accident! What an horrendous end to a young man's life.
It's such a bizarre story. I personally think Samuel possibly had visited the works before, but the nightwatchman was too worried for his own sake to admit to this. Worried that he would lose his job and worried that he would be held accountable with Samuels death, accidental or not. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)
What about parish records for Haslingdon to find where Samuel and maybe his family are buried? You can request to see parish recods from the "town clerk?" Ask to talk to the town clerk about any possabilities of wherecthey could be buried even ifcthey are buried in a pauper's grave they can usually be found with the town clerk's help? Before i retired i spent the last 2 years of my working life working as my town's clerk!
Hi Christine, there is a chap who volunteers for St. James, but he only works there a couple of days a week and to be honest, we left it a little late in the day to get in touch with him. We will keep trying to locate the graves though, and I'll be in touch with St. James next week.
@@DaysofHorror I always enjoy your videos and this one story in particular has struck me as mysterious being so unsolved as it were? Thank you for replying. I commented on this video in particular because of well, because of serving on an inquest jury? Interesting. I mentioned parish records because my Mother could not remember in which graveyard that ger parents were buried in? She is a 90 year old ladyvso i can forgive her lapse in memory. Anyhow i contacted a Parish Council Clerk for help. There were 3 graveyards to choose from and i was very lucky to trace my grandparents grave plus my mothers siblings graves as well. She wanted to visit her family one last time while she was able to?
Sounds like these blokes spent every available moment at the pub during their working hours. Nobody breaks into a sewage treatment plant, he would have been there drinking with his mate.
That was an easy turn then !! Signal a train at 8pm then nothing until 2 AM ! In-between spend all the time in the local boozer talking your mates !! It was an easy life on the railways !! I know I did 25 years , 1984 to 2010 ! Sometimes I had it easier than this !
Very good story guys so sorry about your lovely dog 🐶 it was not only a dog but a character we will all miss him To the story it hard to know I think it was an accident my be he had time to spare and had a spare supply emergency went down to his friend and slipped in not much was given away by the post-mortem and I think there is nicer ways to go than drown in raw green water and after all it was only one and half foot deep maybe it was damp grease wet missed his step and slipped in but the plant worker knew more than his prayers But you know drinking involved accident increases examples been so many farmers have fallen into slurry tanks after the pub in the past and as far as I have been told it don't take much for dangerous levels of gas to build up As regards burial he could be placed in with his child or in his parents grave as a young spouse would be buried with their own family to give the other spouse chance to marry again and funerals are expensive so at that time a young woman with 3 children she need help a new grave would be out of the question And the names to it sounds like a mixed marriage of catholic and Protestant the names of the children sounds catholic his name Samuel more Old Testament not a usual catholic name also at that time preempt Vatican ii he would not be able to be buried in catholic grounds and she not in Church of England grounds a catholic can only marry outside the church so long as the children are bought up catholic God Bless guys
i'd say robert the nightwatchman's testimony can be disregarded, if he'd said anything else he would have lost his job. I would imagine that he and samuel met in the pub most evenings and probably met up during the night as well, helping each other pass the time.But there's no indication of bad blood between them.Some sort of accident then. You don't say what the weather was like that night or whether there was a moon.
A fascinating tale that I certainly haven't heard before, made all the more interesting by you visiting the place where it actually happened. I agree, there seems to be more than meets the eye to this one!
The one thing we do pride ourselves in, is that we do try to visit the places where these stories took place. There are a lot of other channels that cover similar stories, but from in front of green screens, WHICH we aren't complaining about, but we feel its more worthwhile by actually visiting the places and taking all you kind folk with us.
Sadly, people walking along the track still happens today - and I've even seen a couple of total headcases riding in between the rails, on mountain bikes, in the pitch dark, on days when the East Lancs. Railway was running trains! As our American cousins say: "There ain't no cure for stupid."
To me, I think Mr Bugler could have been seen to guide Robert into saying that he, meaning Robert, was aware of the rules regarding his job as a night-watchman, in order that the two of them would not lose their jobs, because, as Mr Bugler said, it was highly illegal to allow people onto the premises, and maybe the scandal of an accident or murder would guarantee that. Robert contradicted himself, in that he said he invited Samuel to the purification plant, then stated at the enquiry that he knew the rules, which were as stated above. I believe Samuel was easygoing and trustworthy however Robert comes across as a devious liar. There was no reason why Samuel should have lost his life that night. A bit long winded but that’s how I see it.
That is a really tough one though I think Robert does not come out of it well. If he had spent some time with Samuel and Robert was employed at the treatment works how did Samuel get in there without help. Robert is highly suspicious in my opinion, Samuel would have had to be taken there in the first place. Was Samuel intoxicated in some way, he was a responsible man seemingly. Did Robert slip something in Samuel's drink?? The idea of suicide is ludicrous in my opinion no Robert got away with murder in my opinion. Thank you for another great episode, they get better and better.
Sadly very little of this makes much sense, railway signalman especially back in the day wouldn't just leave their box / duty for a crafty drink with a local night watchman and as previously mentioned in the comments Samuel's coat was left in the signal box which would suggest a hasty departure with little thought of the consequences of a cold night, and that his body was later found in a sewage tank it could well have been as a fastidious employee of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway that he could have been in pursuit of some trespasser on the railway and during this pursuit he tripped and feel into the sewage tank and drown. Robert could have been totally oblivious to this if the chase had brought the trespassers and Samuel into the treatment works from the railway embankment, and it could earlier have just been an off the cuff statement by Robert about if your about later don't forget to bring me a drink 'knowing full well this wasn't going to happen because of both men's duties and their knowledge of their respective responsibilities.
It's frustrating that there is very limited information on the story. We had to dig deep to get the info we did for this video using old newspaper archives and ancestry. Its a pity that there isn't anything on his family after his death either, such as his wife Frances. We know she died two years later in 1913, but nothing else is written.
Vicky has it.... that Hargreaves guy definitely knew more than he declared at that inquest....Vicky, you are a suspicious woman, but on this occasion, i think you cracked it. The signalman was an easy going straight forward type of man, with little to indicate he was "dodgy".... in fact, from the description of him , he was a harmless chap...who was viciously relieved of life, by someone in that area whom he knew.
It's a very strange case indeed. Depending, I think it merely an accident, BUT it still doesn't answer the question as to why he left his cabin box, leaving behind keys, a jacket and also when trains were still coming and going. I guess we will never get to the truth.
Some churches hold records of burials, or at least a map of how the graves or headstones are laid out. But, for example, some councils now ask for an extortionate payment just for them to give you some details. Today, we found out it will cost us £39 for some details of a burial nearby to us for a story we are going to cover. There is no way on this Earth, are we going to pay that. We will instead just visit the cemetery and spend a few hours looking.
I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but I think Samual and Robert were not as conscientious as they have been portrayed. What were they doing in a pub when they were supposed to be, or about to be, at work? Was Samuel often wandering about between trains? I have heard of a signalman who used to invite his lady friend to the box, and others who had card schools. As long as they did what they were supposed to when the trains came through, who is going to be checking up, in the middle of the night? I don't think this was a one-off, I think this was a quite regular occurrence. I think something happened, an accident. and Samuel fell into the tank. Had they been drinking? I assume no one checked to find out, and after 3 days would alcohol still be present in a corpse? Also, what was the Club? I don't think he meant the pub, and I think Robert knew Exactly what he was referring to. We are assuming he meant he would be unable to get a drink, but what if it was the opposite? What if the "Club" being closed meant he couldn't leave the signal box without being discovered? I don't think Robert was involved in anything sinister. If Samuel never reached him, he would not have known he was on site, and as he was not expecting him, why would he look for him? Alternatively is Samuel had left, he would assume he had got back to the box.
they were drinking buddies maybe they often had a drink around 1 in the morning at sewage works and maybe also at sinnal box sometimes and samual when invited said no but the thought i will suprise the railwayman the railwayman changed his story because he new he was in trouble wether samual went to suprise his freind then fell in tank by acsedent or some one or people murdered him we dont know dont know what time trains ran probly about 2 or 3 hours apart at midnight time dint bring bottle because he might get one ther or a cuppa tea or just a blether to pass the time
I think robert lied but not in the way you think. Those night shifts must have been very boring,i guess they had met before at the waterworks but obviously he'd be sacked if hed admitted that. Samuel just tripped in the dark, sad tale
Another good one folks but you've got me wondering but heres my theory for what its worth- I think Samuel got a bottle, went over to the works for a drink- but got somewhat drunk, and left to go back to the signal box but managed to fall into the tank ,as it said in the clipping that the tank was 3 inches off the ground_- in the dark he tripped, went head first into the tank, hit his head and knocked himself out- then drowned in the sewage- dont think Robert knew this had happened at the time, but when the body was found he was scared of losing his job so didnt admit to him being there - think that might be feasible dont you? Well it was a good one and thanks folks for giving my brain a work out!! Look forward to next weeks feast - cannibalism get it? Sick I know ,sorry!😂 Stay well peeps ,see you next week x
another great video by the archive hunters who need history book with criss and Vicki I think Vicki is right she general is good to see Vicki with more input just keep doing what you do
I wonder if Robert knew more than he was admitting the thing is was there ever a bottle found in the sewer tank where the body was found also if Robert had seen what happened he would of not of got Samuel out as he himself would have got filthy and would have had to explain it, he certainly would of lost his job as a trusted employee. It all sounds a bit suspect to me! 🤔
I agree with vicky, Robert knows more what if Robert already had a bottle and Samuel went for a drink and went to leave, fell in and robert never seen him fall, or did but didnt report it for fear of trouble?
I think he saw someone and chased them. He fell or was pushed. I think the water treatment friend and he would sometimes have a chat in the evenings, between trains and knowing this was a stackable offence, covered it up. Back then, with no welfare state, losing your job was potentially a ticket to the workhouse. My grandfather was in the work house as a child and family story says that's not somewhere you wanted to end up. So, he lied. But I think it was an accident.
I'd like to know what happened to the Watchman and Samuels wife after the event. A signalman when on duty would be duty bound NOT to leave his charge MORE then than now and could result in a suspension or dismissal. It would be interesting to know if there was some form of 'Tryst' going on between the Watchman and the wife or whether Samuel knew something about the Watchman which resulted in a fight and the death of Samuel. Don't forget, unlike todays media which is reported almost minute by minute, the media then depended on a great deal of hearsay and speculation over a longer period of time. We'll never know the truth behind the REAL relationship between Samuel and his wife as domestic abuse was NEVER reported on in those days as was very much a 'Taboo' subject and women just assumed that putting their man in a good light, no matter WHAT the truth was the right thing to do. Those days were totally different from today as were the people, the standards and the truth behind such incidents? Francis died in 1913 after long term bad health?.....could that bad health be due to abuse from Samuel?...maybe the watchman found out and having a soft spot for Francis he murdered Samuel after a showdown at the sewerage works with the idea of getting together with her?.....who knows. Great video and story though...loved it!
Unfortunately , information on Frances or anyone else involved in this story after the inquest just isn't in the public domain. There are no follow-ups as far as we can find. We always look ahead in the old newspapers for any other information that may have been written weeks and months after a story has taken place. Sometimes, we find the odd snippet, but more often than not, news moves on, and what was yesterday's news is today's chip shop paper. I think that's the old saying 😅
kev i agree this is a proberbility ,maybe there were members of his wifes family that wanted to sort him out and it went to far. i wonder what happened to the children, l hope someone finds something out and shares it.
Got to admit it does seem strange when Robert was challenged about inviting him into the waterworks he said he had seen 4 men out some time before now don’t get me wrong but how many people brake in to a sewerage works Im sure there is better places to rob
Given the high moral views of society at the time. One may wonder if there was a possibility of a secret went tragay tryst between the two men that went tragically wrong
It sounds like poor Samuel was lured to his death at the treatment works, but what was the motive? Robert lied about the invitation being a joke, I think.
I think its possible 🤔 you are closer to it than Vicky. I see no reason for foul play directly. If you follow your line of story though and chasing someone along the line Sam may have chased someone into the treatment works and after thier conversation in the pub, Robert Hargreaves wouldn't want to admit it as he'd lose his job.
knows more. Definitely not suicide, who kills themselves by drowning themselves in a pile of shit. You're putting too much faith in Bob telling the truth. He has no reason to tell the truth because he would lose his job. Bob's lying, and I wouldn't mind betting it was a regular occurrence. They've got pissed, for some reason Bob lost sight of Sam, he may have fallen asleep, and Sam fell in the shit, hit his head and drowned. in any case, he kept quiet about the death because he wouldve faced the sack. Telling the truth wasn't going bring Sammy back, soche lied to the inquest
Who was the signal man's replacement and could he have been related to the night watchman could he have lured the signal man to the wast treatment place and left him to his own devices hoping he could fall in one of the treatment pits.
A very strange event. I have checked and found a death registration under the name of Samuel A Gainn Haslingden. I think this is the same Samuel. I hope this information helps.
Is it the one showing Volume 8e, Page 163? If so, we have that. I think thats why we presume he is buried at St. James' in Haslingden as the register shows death registration place as Haslingden.
@DaysofHorror Yes, that's the one I found. It might be that the burial record is missing or has not been transcribed. Or it could be under a different spelling.
@gingermolly234 it's a weird one. But we do have that gut feeling he is in Haslingden. When we next have a free weekend, I think we may just pop on over and spend some time looking at the headstone.
I love a good Americano and latte, but found in Disney florida that had no idea how to make a good coffee, but the diners do! Thanks for watching Crystal. How do you like your coffee?
@valeriewalker3886 aww thank you. We do not really focus on subscriber count, but when you near 10k, it is a big achievement and not something we ever dreamed would happen to our channel and to be honest we are f Proud that we have done this through our website, youtube and instragram and without replying on Facebook. Thank you ❤
@@DaysofHorrorI apologise because I thought you were from Yorkshire so I need to go back and look at where you're from and try and get my facts right next time sorry
Just an opinion, could there of been a few pranksters and he went over to shoo them away. They might of thrown him in, thinking who is he to meddle in their fun.
This is why I personally love covering these lesser known stories. They have hardly ever been discussed or written about, and apart from a small handful of people, they have never really seen the light of day.
@@DaysofHorror i say don't contact me. Because I'm sure you have more important things to do. I love sitting in front of the fire. And lazing to stories. Strange things happen in my house. My father was dying of prostrate cancer and I was the only person in the house .caring for my father. All his medical files were stacked in. One place. And about four or three times the do not ressuciate files had disappeared and they kept accusing me. Which made my blood boil. Why would want my father to live .the cancer was in his brain. This house is haunted. But I do believe also that things in this reality just fall out of this reality into another reality of they just disappear to nothing
Aww how lovely sitting watching stories in front of the fire. We are sorry to hear about your father 😥, sending hugs. I bet that was spooky files going missing, I do (vickie) believe in energy but I'm more sceptical than Chris. Thanks for sharing this with the community. Take care from Vickie & Chris
@@DaysofHorror a long time ago wene I was a toddler I bought psychic books from the book shop in fakenham .my father was aprentise in Walsingham foundry I believe we do not see reality has it is. The house I live in. You used to hear people laughing down stairs wene there's no one there. Foot steps come up the stairs .and from the bed room you sense some ones on the landing and they know you are in the bed room but no one Is there I have another story and I noticed the look of fear in this house painters face. Has he told me his story. He was on the second story on the outside of a mansion .and looked up and a ghost lady scared him. The owners of the mansion told him the gardener often saw the ghost lady.
@@DaysofHorror you can imagine at Christmas wene it's pitch black outside I love watching the BBC programme of the classic ghost story a warning to the curious and my house is like a ghost house. It looks like a ghost movie. Film set. I may add the ghosts in this house. Are all kind
Hi all. Many thanks for the comments on this video. We will try and get around to replying to you all shortly. We are both working, but we do read all of your comments during our brew breaks 😊 We will reply shortly.
@@DaysofHorror about the sewage farm. I doubt any one would go to a sewage farm .to retch at the smell of shit. So he could have been murdered a sewage farm in those days would smell worse than sewage farms now. They could have had dead animals dumped there. I believe the paranormal is every where. So spending a night in a haunted room. Would be tedious. Wene I could have a warm good night's sleep
I agree that Robert's statement sounds suspicious in light of what happened to Samuel that night. I wonder if they'd secretly met up in the wee hours for a drink and a chat before, but something went wrong this time, maybe an accident that left Samuel dead and Robert needing to cover himself? There's something about being left in a tank of raw sewage for three days that says "foul play" to me, but with no evidence or motive, all I've got is a gut feeling. Either way, it's a nasty way to go...
Thanks for another interesting mystery accompanied by a lovely walk!
Thanks for watching and commenting...😊
New subscriber in Nashville, Tennessee. American, yes, but a veteran explorer of out-of-the-way English places. I love the small towns and villages of England and the rich fascinating history one finds just about everywhere. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to break in to or trespass a sewage treatment plant for any reason. Maybe in this current era of terror threats and paranoia but in 1911? I agree with Vickie that someone wasn't telling all they knew. Strange case. I'm of no help I'm afraid.
Thanks Jim, we appreciate your support. Thanks for commenting and glad you enjoyed the video 😊
I'm surprised that didn't merit mention that his shift started at 8pm, but at 9pm he was in the pub. He even stopped for more than one drink, having "a few". Doesn't sound like an ideal empolyee to me.
No, I would not want him working for me..
Nothing compares to a late-night visit to a sewage works
Emma, grieve for your dog as you should, but comfort yourself with the fact that he had a long, lovely life and thats down to you- if he could speak to you now he'd say""wipe your tears mum and smile, for we walked together for a little while" stay strong , memories never fade xx
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I know your pain as my furbaby had to be put to sleep in November, he had cancer of the spleen. Cherish your memories and it is very painful, but your pupper showed you unconditional love and that's a precious thing 😢. Xx
Great wee video. I love these sort of vidios ...all history.
There are just has many sightings of animal .ghosts so I'm sure they are young in the after life
@@Xxx-k4q thank you
Loved this story,I agree with Vicki,more to this than meets the eye, I love your art work you put up during the stories 😊😊
Thanks Carol. Yes Chris is putting alot more work into the videos as it shows and together we bring you guys the video that we are happy with. We are no professional, but enjoy what we do and enjoy it more when you guys are enjoying the videos 😊
Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent video 👏🙏 I have a suggestion with regards to what happened. It's a long shot. The signalman nay have upset someone back home in Ireland. He moved away. They tracked him down. I'm thinking something political, maybe he was an informant to the British army?
A signalman wouldn't normally leave the cabin except to light signal lamps.
The train driver going to the signal box was a requirement. If the train was held at a signal for more than a few minutes the crew (usually the fireman) would go to the cabin, they were then to check that the signalman had protected the train by putting other signals to danger and used lever collers to remind him he had a train standing.
They were then supposed to sign the train register.
So, why? What would make him leave his signal box? These are questions even us will never know.. 🤔
So sorry on the loss of your pet its horrible and heartbteaking
Emma stay strong remember your dog had the best life with you. 🐕
Another great story well done. 👌👏
Thanks Sarah ❤
Hi Emma, thinking of you during this difficult time, and we are sinceley sorry to hear of your loss tonight. Just think of the lovely times you had. Lots of love from Vickie & Chris and all from the days of horror community 💔💔
Thank you Chris and vickie and all our days of horror friends I'm devastated my little boy is completely lost she was his best friend xx
@@emmajulian8716give him a hug from me x
@emmajulian8716❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@emmajulian8716 awww hunny, just keep talking about the happy memories..
Many thanks to both of you very very sad.
Thanks for watching Chris 😊
Another great video. I had a gut feeling it would be a night shift and a pub involved. I've known one occasion whilst a work colleague was hand signalling and told by the signaller he could go home and come back in the morning. He was seeing a woman. The railways would have been more stricter back then. Signallers to the older blokes are known as bobbies like the police when the railways were first built
We couldn't get it out of our heads how or why a signalman would leave his cabin when trains were operational. Unless, as I touched upon in the video, there may well have been long gaps in between trains passing by? Was it allowed back then to leave the cabin?
A signaller leaving a box would have notified one of the boxes either side he was leaving his post and would have said why. I assume they had phones back then. They also use a bell system even to this day even in modern power boxes. A 3 /1 is a local yokel and a 4 bell is an express@@DaysofHorror
A bizarre incident.The mystery is similar to the Charles Dickens tale of The Signal Man !! An 1861 crash at the Clayton Tunnel near Brighton, Sussex in 1861 may have inspired the tale.
Thanks Roy for watching and commenting 😊
As always, a great story. Many thank to you both. I think Robert, to avoid being sacked, told a story that was not true and he did invite Samual to the water works. Something happened at that place that led to Samuels death, perhaps even murder and Robert knows at lot more than he is saying. Its also possible that Samual had been a regular visitor to the water works.
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Totally agree Robert. Thanks for watching 😊
@@robertdiamond2830 Gay forbidden love affair?
@@theculturedthug6609 I agree, makes good sense.
Just Looked at the "Bridge Inn" (as was.)...on Google.... info dated May 23.....Couple of vans parked up and the three ground floor windows boarded up.
Obviously in the process of being converted into flats. The middle window is now the door as you showed in the video. Love it when I can have a look round these places!
(That Motorcaravan was there then too as on your video!....Three Axle Job....Tasty!)
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I've just come across your video, a very intriguing story , I think Robert's definitely knew more than he told the inquest, but as you said, we'll never know mow, well done, I enjoyed that. a lot.
Thanks Mick, glad you enjoyed the video
Very interesting video and story. I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve just discovered your channel and it’s just my cup of tea. I love mysteries. So I’ve subscribed. I’ll have to give this baffling case some thunk. Definitely food for thought. Thank you and I look forward to watching your other videos. Well done. 😊
Aww thank you for subscribing and glad your enjoying the videos. We release new videos every Monday at 8.05pm and are normally in the premiere chat too. 😊
Thanks, and welcome onboard. Yes this one got us all thinking and commenting on why he left his signal box..
Lots of videos in our playlist and new videos weekly. Thanks 😊
Strange happenings for sure, murder of accident for me. Another superbly documented story and brilliantly researched as usual.
Many thanks Mike. We both like looking into the stories of people whose lives weren't as famous or infamous as some of the others we have covered. Margaret Knight, Ruth Clarkson and Margaret Allen are stories that many have covered, but Samuel Gains - I doubt anyone else knows of this story.
Maybe the night Watchman went to the signal box with a bottle then walked back together...... Great video thanks for sharing 😊
Definitely could have occurred! That's something we never even considered.
That makes a lot of sense!
Very strange story once again and quite hard to fathom out. Obviously theres something that doesn't quite add up. But I agree with Vicky what she says seems to add up even more. Thanks for sharing 👍👍
Thanks Shirley for commenting and yep I agree Robert knows more.😊
Sorry for your sad news, great story intresting as always Thank you
Thanks Wendy 😊
Hi guys..I agree with Vicki 100% I'm sat here saying the same thing. What a interesting story. Did you hear about this story when your dad worked there?? I'm working my way fru your videos being a new subscriber & I'm enjoying everyone.I find these kind of stories so interesting. Love that Vicki gets involved it's so lovely. Your both brilliant
Hi Dawn. My father worked there for years, and as far as I'm aware, he never spoke to my mother about it. I'd never heard of it until we started going out filming these stories either. Thanks for the kind comments too.
Thanks Dawn for subscribing and enjoying the content along with your lovely comments. We upload new videos every Monday at 8.05pm. Have a great week 😊😊
@Daysofhorror-vickie thanks a bunch guys. The way you do these stories together Vickie it just warms the soul. It's so nice..I think that & the way you tell the stories makes you stand out
@@DawnMorley-w8o ❤️❤️
So there'd been previous unauthorized access to the works before this incident. It sounds like the works were some kind of informal meeting spot. Maybe he tripped in the dark, or there was an altercation at the works, or perhaps something occurred outside the works and he was dragged down those very stone steps that Vicky discovered and dumped in the works in the dark.
The gates were closed but never locked, so I guess anyone could really have trespassed if they wished to do so. What makes this story strange is that is was completely out of character, from all accounts, of Samuel. But how true is that? Perhaps Robert had seen Samuel at the works before but obviously didnt want this to get out, especially after the death of Samuel.
Chris, I think your theory about Samuel leaving the signalbox because he saw somebody walking along the tracks makes sense. Why else would he leave his coat, signal-lamp and keys behind?
A struggle must have occurred during which Samuel lost his life, and his body then dumped where Robert found him.
I was thinking along the lines of him leaving his jacket and keys behind, like he had to rush out quickly or something. I guess we will never find out the real truth 😞
Another brilliant tale from Lancashire!
Thanks Jim 😊
When the train driver went into the signal box discovering it empty, but noticing Samuel's coat still there and the fire low, it was obviously cold enough to need a fire, why then would Samuel leave without his coat? Something made him leave maybe in a hurry that he didn't even bother to put his coat on!
Good point raised.
NO ONE would throw themselves in a sewage tank as a suicide method.
Exactly 💯 agree with you Julie
This is a true mystery. and thanks for highlighting it in your video. It could be the case that alcohol played a part in this. In fact, I'd say it was a given. Back in the day it was commonplace for railway workers to visit pubs and consume intoxicants. It's well documented and is exemplified in the comment "And bring a bottle." If this had happened today you'd have better evidence like toxicology tests, probably CCTV and better scene examination. For example, did Samuel's boots appear scuffed on the toes? Boots would have been highly polished as it was part of the pride and uniform of a signalman. This may have indicated whether Samuel had tripped over an obstacle such as a coping stone, hit is head and drowned. Also, today the pond would have been drained and searched for evidence, for example a bottle of booze or an implement used to commit a crime. We also don't know the exact extent of Samuel's injuries, for example was there bruising on his body?Ifr there had been a fight, today's forensics would probably show the identity of the other person(s) from examination of Samuel's clothing. Were his clothes intact or dishevelled as a sign of a struggle? Was any property missing from his person? The reality surrounding his death will probably never be known, but if the L & R knew he had left his signalbox to go for a drink, Samuel would probably have been sacked. There are too many 'if's and but's', but very intriguing all the same!
Love this, yeah again very plausible, we just will never know. Thanks Ruby for watching and commenting 😊
We can never know, but I honestly think Samuel had an accident and slipped into that tank, possibly still feeling the effects of the alcohol and drowned in there. Another strange and mysterious tale!
Very plausible. Thanks Storm 😊
wonderful story chris and vicki and a mystery thank you both so much we loved it cheers from trev and christine down south xx
Thanks Trevor & Christine, glad you enjoyed the video 😊
My great uncle was a signalman and very proud of his job. One thing he made clear was that he was not allowed to leave his signal box or have anyone visit under any circumstances unless it was an emergency. A signalman was a very respected member of the community and they took their job very seriously, and it was only given to the most responsible. This makes me think that this would have been very out of character given the other things that you said. I am wondering if there was a reason such as gossip about an indiscretion on Roberts behalf that would have caused samuel to want to talk urgently to Robert whom he knew was working in the treatment works, and would have meant that they could have it out without anyone else around. Could they have got into a fight during a heated argument ? It's just supposition but would explain his out of character actions?
Ooh love this theory 😊
Great story although I am puzzled as to why Samuel left the signal box thank you both 👏👏👏👏🤩🤩
Good question, so are we. Thanks for watching from Vickie & Chris 😀
The fact that 'Robert' told the inquest that he'd suggested Samuel pay a visit and bring a bottle means almost certainly that the suggestion was overheard by at least one other person, it's very unlikely that 'Robert' would have admitted to that otherwise, it simply shows him to be making an irresponsible suggestion.. yet we didn't hear of a statement being made by whoever overheard it as to whether that would be considered a joke.. Neither did we hear any evidence relating to an autopsy, confirmation that Samuel had drowned, any evidence of injuries that may have been incurred at the time of death. It all sounds as though the inquiry was a very perfunctory affair. I believe Robert knew far more than he was admitting to, whether it was of criminal intent we'll never know.
Thanks for commenting and watching. Yet definitely think Robert holding back some information in my opinion. 😊
Another excellent video, thanks.
In my opinion I don't think Robert was at all honest in his account of the events and was definitely holding back.
Yes, I'm with you Janet. Not saying Robert did anything wrong as such, but knows more than letting on I think. Thanks for watching 😊
Very entertaining video, thanks 👍👏
Thank you for the kind comment and thanks for watching and commenting 😊
Glad you enjoyed it
I'm convinced that they'd met up regularly for a drink and never needed to cover their tracks until a tragic accident happened.Robert gave the statement to the inquest so that he wouldn't lose his job. Remember it was dark, they'd already had a few pints in the pub before they started work and it appears that he left the signal box in between the occasional trains that passed through the night on a regular basis. In my mind he went to the treatment works,
Tipsy, tripped and fell.
Working at that time in the morning there would be very few people about. If Sewerage worker did this on a regular or semi-regular basis he's not going to let anyone know as he'd be sacked. As the signalman had no history of mental illness the most likely thing is he tripped and fell in. either going there or coming back. He wouldn't have had a light with him as he wouldn't have wanted to get his mate in trouble. We can be over confident in our ability to find our way in the dark, I know if I have to walk around at home at night, I think I know where everything is, not always right in this assumption!!!!
Thanks commenting and watching 😊
It's a strange case. I agree with Vicky, I wonder if the night watchman had to place him there in case someone had seen him. Therefore he mentioned they had spoken about it meeting up. If he did go there would he not have used a oil light for vision? Its a bizarre story. Well presented guys. So many unanswered questions.
Thanks Diddy 👍
My idea of a good night out is not in a sewege works in the middle of the night. An interesting watch.
Thanks Peter 👍
Great work guys... something not right with this one, and i think Vickie is bang on about Robert 👍
Thanks Mick for watching, commenting and agreeing..😊
@@Daysofhorror-vickie Always a pleasure Vickie 🙂
@@micksmusicchannel😊
Having weighed up the whole thing, I can’t understand why the Signalman would want to get himself into the sewage works. No sense whatsoever.
The other oddity is that he was able to effectively leave his post unwatched so as to go off to the pub for a jar or two. Sounds very lax. The mystery just digs itself into an even deeper hole.
Look into Quintinshill 1915. Some signalmen were VERY lax!
I wonder if Samuel did chase someone all the way along to the sewage works. It could be that Robert knew Samuel would be chasing someone because it was arranged with a person. So if he was lured there to be killed, then Robert or this unknown person had something to gain. I think Samuel was murdered by the unknown person, and then his body was dumped into the pond. The idea of the visit was just a spur of the moment thing to give a reason for Samuel to be at the sewage works. That's why Robert had to back peddle on realising he made a serious gaff. I don't know who benefited from Samuel's death, but maybe the real reason was just to get Samuel out of the signal box. If so, Samuel may have outrun the unknown person, and Samuel's murder had to happen because Samuel, being an honest man, would have reported the incident. He may have recognized who he was chasing or realized he'd been tricked by someone he knew. Whatever way it occurred, Samuel had to be silenced.
Ooh now you have got a vivid imagination- love it!
But yes, plausible. Thanks Stephanie for watching and commenting 😊
Hello. I had to step in here and give a jury members side of what could have happened on that night! Very good story by the way. As Vicki said they hay have agreed to buy a bottle of drink to share together while playing an illegal game of cards to while away the long hours! Maybe Richard the nightwatchman was a bit lax in the number of rounds he made around the treatment works during his shifts and maybe the signalman felt bored between each train journey that passes by his signalbox and that he'd agreed to a game or two if cards before the signalman needed to return to his signalbox! Let me say this if i may? Nearly 30 years ago, i was on just such a jury of an inquest of an unfortunate accident at a beach called Barmouth in North Wales. It was for a man who had fallen off the back of a fast moving twin engine soeed boat! This unfirtunate man fell as i said off the back of the said speed boat in between the two fast running engines and when he did, he unfortunately had his entire head mangled by the propellars of both engines. The photos that were shown to myself and the rest of the jury were extremely grusome, as you can imagine. We the jury members all decided that like you said about the unfortunate signalman was declared as a misadventure a term for accidental death where nobody was directly at fault! We were told that the term "Accidental death" fell out of favour at the turn of the last century and that "Accidental death" was therefore to be called "Missdventure" from that time going forward! Sorry to correct you but i thought to tell you why it was called differently? Very good vudeo as every one if your videis are. Appologies for my very long comments here. Easier tonexplain?
It was written and the inquest clearly put as accidental death and that is why we have called it this during the video. When we research we will always put the wording we find. Thanks for watching and you long comment for all our community to read. 😊
I agree with Vicki.
Something kicked off between them but we will never know what.
I agree with Vickie, there's a lot more sinister to this than meets the eye.
Robert knows way more than he's letting on.
A man of good character with a good job and decent family life, does not end up in a tank of sewage by accident!
What an horrendous end to a young man's life.
It's such a bizarre story. I personally think Samuel possibly had visited the works before, but the nightwatchman was too worried for his own sake to admit to this. Worried that he would lose his job and worried that he would be held accountable with Samuels death, accidental or not. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)
What about parish records for Haslingdon to find where Samuel and maybe his family are buried? You can request to see parish recods from the "town clerk?" Ask to talk to the town clerk about any possabilities of wherecthey could be buried even ifcthey are buried in a pauper's grave they can usually be found with the town clerk's help? Before i retired i spent the last 2 years of my working life working as my town's clerk!
Hi Christine, there is a chap who volunteers for St. James, but he only works there a couple of days a week and to be honest, we left it a little late in the day to get in touch with him. We will keep trying to locate the graves though, and I'll be in touch with St. James next week.
@@DaysofHorror I always enjoy your videos and this one story in particular has struck me as mysterious being so unsolved as it were? Thank you for replying. I commented on this video in particular because of well, because of serving on an inquest jury? Interesting. I mentioned parish records because my Mother could not remember in which graveyard that ger parents were buried in? She is a 90 year old ladyvso i can forgive her lapse in memory. Anyhow i contacted a Parish Council Clerk for help. There were 3 graveyards to choose from and i was very lucky to trace my grandparents grave plus my mothers siblings graves as well. She wanted to visit her family one last time while she was able to?
@christinehulmes thanks for your support Christine and enjoying the video. Have a lovely week 😊
Sounds like these blokes spent every available moment at the pub during their working hours. Nobody breaks into a sewage treatment plant, he would have been there drinking with his mate.
Very plausible. Thanks Jeane for watching and commenting from Vickie & Chris
I think Vicky is absolutely correct
Thanks Shellie 👍
Again brilliant story but I'm in agreement with Vicky Thank you both
Thanks Sharon for watching and commenting 😀
Maybe he did take a bottle to the sewerage works they got drunk when he left he got lost ,stumbled and fell into the tank
I always enjoy your content
Thank you so much Jenn 💓
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That was an easy turn then !! Signal a train at 8pm then nothing until 2 AM ! In-between spend all the time in the local boozer talking your mates !! It was an easy life on the railways !! I know I did 25 years , 1984 to 2010 ! Sometimes I had it easier than this !
Very good story guys
so sorry about your lovely dog 🐶 it was not only a dog but a character we will all miss him
To the story it hard to know I think it was an accident my be he had time to spare and had a spare supply emergency went down to his friend and slipped in not much was given away by the post-mortem and I think there is nicer ways to go than drown in raw green water and after all it was only one and half foot deep maybe it was damp grease wet missed his step and slipped in
but the plant worker knew more than his prayers
But you know drinking involved accident increases
examples been so many farmers have fallen into slurry tanks after the pub in the past and as far as I have been told it don't take much for dangerous levels of gas to build up
As regards burial he could be placed in with his child or in his parents grave as a young spouse would be buried with their own family to give the other spouse chance to marry again and funerals are expensive so at that time a young woman with 3 children she need help a new grave would be out of the question
And the names to it sounds like a mixed marriage of catholic and Protestant the names of the children sounds catholic his name Samuel more Old Testament not a usual catholic name also at that time preempt Vatican ii he would not be able to be buried in catholic grounds and she not in Church of England grounds a catholic can only marry outside the church so long as the children are bought up catholic
God Bless guys
Thanks you for sharing this with us all, very interesting 😊
i'd say robert the nightwatchman's testimony can be disregarded, if he'd said anything else he would have lost his job. I would imagine that he and samuel met in the pub most evenings and probably met up during the night as well, helping each other pass the time.But there's no indication of bad blood between them.Some sort of accident then. You don't say what the weather was like that night or whether there was a moon.
Unsure of weather conditions as nothing logged. Thanks John for watching and commenting 😊
A fascinating tale that I certainly haven't heard before, made all the more interesting by you visiting the place where it actually happened. I agree, there seems to be more than meets the eye to this one!
The one thing we do pride ourselves in, is that we do try to visit the places where these stories took place. There are a lot of other channels that cover similar stories, but from in front of green screens, WHICH we aren't complaining about, but we feel its more worthwhile by actually visiting the places and taking all you kind folk with us.
Sadly, people walking along the track still happens today - and I've even seen a couple of total headcases riding in between the rails, on mountain bikes, in the pitch dark, on days when the East Lancs. Railway was running trains! As our American cousins say:
"There ain't no cure for stupid."
And they are 💯 right! Thanks Jack 😊
Poor Samuel, but his body must have stunk after three days in raw sewage. Not a smell you want in a pub.
To me, I think Mr Bugler could have been seen to guide Robert into saying that he, meaning Robert, was aware of the rules regarding his job as a night-watchman, in order that the two of them would not lose their jobs, because, as Mr Bugler said, it was highly illegal to allow people onto the premises, and maybe the scandal of an accident or murder would guarantee that. Robert contradicted himself, in that he said he invited Samuel to the purification plant, then stated at the enquiry that he knew the rules, which were as stated above. I believe Samuel was easygoing and trustworthy however Robert comes across as a devious liar. There was no reason why Samuel should have lost his life that night. A bit long winded but that’s how I see it.
Make them as long as you need. We are loving the interactions with this story as it seems to have got people curious and thinking. It's a bizarre one.
That is a really tough one though I think Robert does not come out of it well. If he had spent some time with Samuel and Robert was employed at the treatment works how did Samuel get in there without help. Robert is highly suspicious in my opinion, Samuel would have had to be taken there in the first place. Was Samuel intoxicated in some way, he was a responsible man seemingly. Did Robert slip something in Samuel's drink?? The idea of suicide is ludicrous in my opinion no Robert got away with murder in my opinion. Thank you for another great episode, they get better and better.
Ooh love this thought process 👍
Thanks Linda for watching and your kind words ❤
Good one. Cant wait for next one. And maybe a spooky one for halloween!❤
Watch this space... so looking forward to Mondays episode 😊
Sadly very little of this makes much sense, railway signalman especially back in the day wouldn't just leave their box / duty for a crafty drink with a local night watchman and as previously mentioned in the comments Samuel's coat was left in the signal box which would suggest a hasty departure with little thought of the consequences of a cold night, and that his body was later found in a sewage tank it could well have been as a fastidious employee of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway that he could have been in pursuit of some trespasser on the railway and during this pursuit he tripped and feel into the sewage tank and drown. Robert could have been totally oblivious to this if the chase had brought the trespassers and Samuel into the treatment works from the railway embankment, and it could earlier have just been an off the cuff statement by Robert about if your about later don't forget to bring me a drink 'knowing full well this wasn't going to happen because of both men's duties and their knowledge of their respective responsibilities.
It's frustrating that there is very limited information on the story. We had to dig deep to get the info we did for this video using old newspaper archives and ancestry. Its a pity that there isn't anything on his family after his death either, such as his wife Frances. We know she died two years later in 1913, but nothing else is written.
Maybe they were having an illicit affair. Obviously he couldn't disclose this information.
Again we will never know, but in papers reports happy life with his wife. Thanks for interacting 😊
Vicky has it.... that Hargreaves guy definitely knew more than he declared at that inquest....Vicky, you are a suspicious woman, but on this occasion, i think you cracked it. The signalman was an easy going straight forward type of man, with little to indicate he was "dodgy".... in fact, from the description of him , he was a harmless chap...who was viciously relieved of life, by someone in that area whom he knew.
Thanks Norman 😊
Could it have been the four men he through out before.
They might've came back for some kind of retaliation.
It's a very strange case indeed. Depending, I think it merely an accident, BUT it still doesn't answer the question as to why he left his cabin box, leaving behind keys, a jacket and also when trains were still coming and going. I guess we will never get to the truth.
Another great video. Something definitely dodgy with the night watchman story.
Thanks for watching 😊
Is there no county records office or archive that you can look in to find old church records of baptisms and funerals?
Some churches hold records of burials, or at least a map of how the graves or headstones are laid out. But, for example, some councils now ask for an extortionate payment just for them to give you some details. Today, we found out it will cost us £39 for some details of a burial nearby to us for a story we are going to cover. There is no way on this Earth, are we going to pay that. We will instead just visit the cemetery and spend a few hours looking.
I think it was rule 55. Once the engine has been standing for a period, the fireman is sent to the box to query the hold. Normal for Railway safety.
I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but I think Samual and Robert were not as conscientious as they have been portrayed. What were they doing in a pub when they were supposed to be, or about to be, at work? Was Samuel often wandering about between trains? I have heard of a signalman who used to invite his lady friend to the box, and others who had card schools. As long as they did what they were supposed to when the trains came through, who is going to be checking up, in the middle of the night? I don't think this was a one-off, I think this was a quite regular occurrence. I think something happened, an accident. and Samuel fell into the tank. Had they been drinking? I assume no one checked to find out, and after 3 days would alcohol still be present in a corpse?
Also, what was the Club? I don't think he meant the pub, and I think Robert knew Exactly what he was referring to. We are assuming he meant he would be unable to get a drink, but what if it was the opposite? What if the "Club" being closed meant he couldn't leave the signal box without being discovered?
I don't think Robert was involved in anything sinister. If Samuel never reached him, he would not have known he was on site, and as he was not expecting him, why would he look for him? Alternatively is Samuel had left, he would assume he had got back to the box.
Thanks Shelagh for commenting and watching and sharing your thoughts with the community 😊
they were drinking buddies maybe they often had a drink around 1 in the morning at sewage works and maybe also at sinnal box sometimes and samual when invited said no but the thought i will suprise the railwayman the railwayman changed his story because he new he was in trouble wether samual went to suprise his freind then fell in tank by acsedent or some one or people murdered him we dont know dont know what time trains ran probly about 2 or 3 hours apart at midnight time dint bring bottle because he might get one ther or a cuppa tea or just a blether to pass the time
Thanks for sharing this with us all, yes very plausible again. Thanks Lawrence for watching and commenting 😊
I think robert lied but not in the way you think. Those night shifts must have been very boring,i guess they had met before at the waterworks but obviously he'd be sacked if hed admitted that. Samuel just tripped in the dark, sad tale
Plausible. I just think Robert knew more than he let on. Thanks for watching and commenting, loving all the comments about this video 😊
Sorry about ur dog he wil b a 🌟 in the sky good story Thanx
Hi hope you are both well. Sending love from Glasgow 🙂. X
Thanks Muriel, we are well, hope you are too. Have a great week ❤
Another good one folks but you've got me wondering but heres my theory for what its worth- I think Samuel got a bottle, went over to the works for a drink- but got somewhat drunk, and left to go back to the signal box but managed to fall into the tank ,as it said in the clipping that the tank was 3 inches off the ground_- in the dark he tripped, went head first into the tank, hit his head and knocked himself out- then drowned in the sewage- dont think Robert knew this had happened at the time, but when the body was found he was scared of losing his job so didnt admit to him being there - think that might be feasible dont you? Well it was a good one and thanks folks for giving my brain a work out!! Look forward to next weeks feast - cannibalism get it? Sick I know ,sorry!😂 Stay well peeps ,see you next week x
This sounds a more feasible outcome. Robert would have stayed quiet just to keep his job and denied ever seeing Samuel at the works. 🤔
Agree, thought the same myself! 😊
Thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, good work out for the brain isn't it. Have a great week. See you Monday in the premiere ❤
another great video by the archive hunters who need history book with criss and Vicki I think Vicki is right she general is good to see Vicki with more input just keep doing what you do
Thanks Roy for the lovely comment 😊
I think so too, she brilliant. Thx
I wonder if Robert knew more than he was admitting the thing is was there ever a bottle found in the sewer tank where the body was found also if Robert had seen what happened he would of not of got Samuel out as he himself would have got filthy and would have had to explain it, he certainly would of lost his job as a trusted employee. It all sounds a bit suspect to me! 🤔
💯 seems very suspicious. Thanks for watching and commenting Jack from vickie & chris
I agree with vicky, Robert knows more what if Robert already had a bottle and Samuel went for a drink and went to leave, fell in and robert never seen him fall, or did but didnt report it for fear of trouble?
Thanks Dennie for commenting and yes that Robert seems a shady character in my opinion
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I think he saw someone and chased them. He fell or was pushed. I think the water treatment friend and he would sometimes have a chat in the evenings, between trains and knowing this was a stackable offence, covered it up. Back then, with no welfare state, losing your job was potentially a ticket to the workhouse. My grandfather was in the work house as a child and family story says that's not somewhere you wanted to end up. So, he lied. But I think it was an accident.
Thanks for watching. Yes I do think Robert knew more. 😊
I'd like to know what happened to the Watchman and Samuels wife after the event. A signalman when on duty would be duty bound NOT to leave his charge MORE then than now and could result in a suspension or dismissal. It would be interesting to know if there was some form of 'Tryst' going on between the Watchman and the wife or whether Samuel knew something about the Watchman which resulted in a fight and the death of Samuel. Don't forget, unlike todays media which is reported almost minute by minute, the media then depended on a great deal of hearsay and speculation over a longer period of time. We'll never know the truth behind the REAL relationship between Samuel and his wife as domestic abuse was NEVER reported on in those days as was very much a 'Taboo' subject and women just assumed that putting their man in a good light, no matter WHAT the truth was the right thing to do. Those days were totally different from today as were the people, the standards and the truth behind such incidents? Francis died in 1913 after long term bad health?.....could that bad health be due to abuse from Samuel?...maybe the watchman found out and having a soft spot for Francis he murdered Samuel after a showdown at the sewerage works with the idea of getting together with her?.....who knows. Great video and story though...loved it!
Unfortunately , information on Frances or anyone else involved in this story after the inquest just isn't in the public domain. There are no follow-ups as far as we can find. We always look ahead in the old newspapers for any other information that may have been written weeks and months after a story has taken place. Sometimes, we find the odd snippet, but more often than not, news moves on, and what was yesterday's news is today's chip shop paper. I think that's the old saying 😅
kev i agree this is a proberbility ,maybe there were members of his wifes family that wanted to sort him out and it went to far. i wonder what happened to the children, l hope someone finds something out and shares it.
I wonder if his descendants would know about him ??????
I wonder 🤔
Like Charles Dickens story….
I see that 👀
Got to admit it does seem strange when Robert was challenged about inviting him into the waterworks he said he had seen 4 men out some time before now don’t get me wrong but how many people brake in to a sewerage works Im sure there is better places to rob
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Given the high moral views of society at the time. One may wonder if there was a possibility of a secret went tragay tryst between the two men that went tragically wrong
Yes, it is very plausible. Thanks, Ian, for watching 😊
It sounds like poor Samuel was lured to his death at the treatment works, but what was the motive? Robert lied about the invitation being a joke, I think.
Me too Michael. Robert I think hiding more than he let on. Thanks for watching 😊
Sounds fishy to me. Thank you so much.
Yes, something didn't add up imo. Thanks for watching 😊
I think its possible 🤔 you are closer to it than Vicky. I see no reason for foul play directly. If you follow your line of story though and chasing someone along the line Sam may have chased someone into the treatment works and after thier conversation in the pub, Robert Hargreaves wouldn't want to admit it as he'd lose his job.
I just think Robert knows more than letting on. love these stories which keep you thinking/discussing. Thanks for watching Luna
Yes I think the man knew more but it not be nothing to do with gambling,as he had no history of gambling
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knows more. Definitely not suicide, who kills themselves by drowning themselves in a pile of shit. You're putting too much faith in Bob telling the truth. He has no reason to tell the truth because he would lose his job. Bob's lying, and I wouldn't mind betting it was a regular occurrence. They've got pissed, for some reason Bob lost sight of Sam, he may have fallen asleep, and Sam fell in the shit, hit his head and drowned. in any case, he kept quiet about the death because he wouldve faced the sack. Telling the truth wasn't going bring Sammy back, soche lied to the inquest
Love this 😀
I think Vicki is right there is much more to the story.
Thanks Donna for watching and commenting 😊
Who was the signal man's replacement and could he have been related to the night watchman could he have lured the signal man to the wast treatment place and left him to his own devices hoping he could fall in one of the treatment pits.
Again, questions we will never know the answers too. Thanks Sean for watching and commenting 😊
Maybe they met more regularly and he didn’t want anyone else to know
Good point. 😊
Nice One Guy.s it Certainly a Mystery
I love a good mystery... thanks Jon for watching 😊
@@Daysofhorror-vickie Thanks and keep them Coming
@JonfitzFitzjohn-k6s that's the plan 😊 have a great week 😀
A very strange event. I have checked and found a death registration under the name of Samuel A Gainn Haslingden. I think this is the same Samuel. I hope this information helps.
Is it the one showing Volume 8e, Page 163? If so, we have that. I think thats why we presume he is buried at St. James' in Haslingden as the register shows death registration place as Haslingden.
@DaysofHorror Yes, that's the one I found. It might be that the burial record is missing or has not been transcribed. Or it could be under a different spelling.
@gingermolly234 it's a weird one. But we do have that gut feeling he is in Haslingden. When we next have a free weekend, I think we may just pop on over and spend some time looking at the headstone.
Hello Vickie, how did you like American Coffee? I've heard British like it because it's smooth. ❤
I love a good Americano and latte, but found in Disney florida that had no idea how to make a good coffee, but the diners do! Thanks for watching Crystal. How do you like your coffee?
@@Daysofhorror-vickie yeah Florida is for Disney lol. In the North West we make good coffee. White choc moca is my favorite.
@@crystalburton9412noted,I will have to try that!
I agree with Vickie I think Robert was lying. If he's a night watchman it was his job to notice if anyone entered the sewerage works.
💯. Thanks Valerie for watching and commenting. 😊
@@Daysofhorror-vickie love your videos. You work very hard and I hope it won't be long till you reach your 10,000 target.
@valeriewalker3886 aww thank you. We do not really focus on subscriber count, but when you near 10k, it is a big achievement and not something we ever dreamed would happen to our channel and to be honest we are f
Proud that we have done this through our website, youtube and instragram and without replying on Facebook. Thank you ❤
Which part of Yorkshire are you from
We are both Lancashire 😀
@@DaysofHorrorI apologise because I thought you were from Yorkshire so I need to go back and look at where you're from and try and get my facts right next time sorry
@VICTOR-pf9eg my great grandparents lived in Skipton and regular haunt of ours and loads stories coming from yorkshire next year..
Just an opinion, could there of been a few pranksters and he went over to shoo them away. They might of thrown him in, thinking who is he to meddle in their fun.
Yes, see where your going with this Sandy 😊
I wonder if a gambling game had been arranged and he won but someone killed him to get there money back
Plausible
yes in a way i had heard about this as my uncle worked at a sewerage works {ha }
Interesting...
This is why I personally love covering these lesser known stories. They have hardly ever been discussed or written about, and apart from a small handful of people, they have never really seen the light of day.
Dont bother about contacting me. I love lazing back. And enjoying stories
Thanks, but a very strange opening comment 😕
@@DaysofHorror i say don't contact me. Because I'm sure you have more important things to do. I love sitting in front of the fire. And lazing to stories. Strange things happen in my house. My father was dying of prostrate cancer and I was the only person in the house .caring for my father. All his medical files were stacked in. One place. And about four or three times the do not ressuciate files had disappeared and they kept accusing me. Which made my blood boil. Why would want my father to live .the cancer was in his brain. This house is haunted. But I do believe also that things in this reality just fall out of this reality into another reality of they just disappear to nothing
Aww how lovely sitting watching stories in front of the fire.
We are sorry to hear about your father 😥, sending hugs.
I bet that was spooky files going missing, I do (vickie) believe in energy but I'm more sceptical than Chris. Thanks for sharing this with the community. Take care from Vickie & Chris
@@DaysofHorror a long time ago wene I was a toddler I bought psychic books from the book shop in fakenham .my father was aprentise in Walsingham foundry I believe we do not see reality has it is. The house I live in. You used to hear people laughing down stairs wene there's no one there. Foot steps come up the stairs .and from the bed room you sense some ones on the landing and they know you are in the bed room but no one Is there I have another story and I noticed the look of fear in this house painters face. Has he told me his story. He was on the second story on the outside of a mansion .and looked up and a ghost lady scared him. The owners of the mansion told him the gardener often saw the ghost lady.
@@DaysofHorror you can imagine at Christmas wene it's pitch black outside I love watching the BBC programme of the classic ghost story a warning to the curious and my house is like a ghost house. It looks like a ghost movie. Film set. I may add the ghosts in this house. Are all kind