The Travel Pass: Episode Five
by Peter Keen

Member Dr. John Tolson has again written on the above topic, which, according to Margaret Kennedy seemed to be indicating that the name of the travel pass was C.E. Driffield and that he could have been a coroner in the employ of the railway company.

John suggested that an examination of the local newspapers for the period 1857 to 1864 might confirm the presence of Coroner Driffield in the region. During his research into his book on the St. Helens Railways, he had found this a useful source for information about accidents on the railway. (See his article in this issue.)

A search was duly made of the local papers which are on microfilm. The first to be looked at was the St. Helens Intelligencer, from 1855 to 1857. Some of the accidents John recorded were found as small local items amongst the mainly national and international content, but there was no mention of inquests into his cases.

After a more detailed search, inquests in St. Helens at which C.E. Driffield was the Coroner were found. In July of 1856 he attended an inquest at the Navigation Inn into the death of collier as a result of a roof-fall in a local pit. His verdict was 'accidental death' probably much to the relief of the colliery owners.

Later the same month, at the Elephant Inn at Sutton, he recorded as 'death by natural causes' the case of a man found dead in bed.

In October it was back to coal mining as he examined the case of the under-manager who fell down the shaft of Croppers Hill colliery at Eccleston. For a change this was held at the house of Mrs Webster on Liverpool Road rather than a local hostelry. On this occasion Mr. Driffield adjourned the inquest until such time as the Inspector of Mines could attend.

Towards the end of that month he was in charge of a previously adjourned inquest, held at the Royal Arms, Parr, into the deaths following an explosion at Blackbrook Colliery. Again the colliery owners were found to have been blameless and a verdict of 'accidental death' was returned.

More relevant to SCARS was yet another accidental death verdict, this time upon a man found dead in the canal at Blackbrook. A stranger to St. Helens, he had previously walked across the canal bridge in daylight, but on completing his business had returned in darkness. So poor was the lighting that he did not see that the bridge had been left open for canal traffic and he unfortunately fell in.

It would seem therefore that Mr. C.E.Driffield was the local coroner, and that, whilst not employed directly by the railway company, he would have had reason to use the railway to carry out his duties as a public servant and was probably entitled to the free pass. Investigations will continue but in the meantime the Society would like to thank Margaret and John for their information and their suggestions which have enabled such progress to be made.

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