William Henry Fletcher

William Henry Fletcher died after falling from a train.

He was a ticket collector.

His body was found on the GWR line near Skew Bridge at Newton on the Sunday morning at 5.10am 17 July 1927.

He had been in good health but had suffered from deafness and earlier in the week had suffered from indigestion but had otherwise appeared to have been in good health and quite happy in his work with no worries.

His son said that he had last seen William Fletcher on the Saturday, 16 July 1927 at 1pm when he went to work on his cycle leaving for Bradford-on-Avon station in Bristol. William Fletcher usually returned home on the 10.50pm train to Bradford-on-Avon station where his duties ended.

William Fletcher was later seen by a foreman of the GWR at Lawrence Hill station at 10.35pm and said that he left at 10.37pm for Temple Meads. He said that William Fletcher had told him that he was indisposed which he put down to the thundery weather.

A GWR guard said that he was in charge of the 10.50pm train ex-Bristol and said that he didn't see William Fletcher. He said that the train was comfortably filled and that he didn't notice any third class compartments empty and that as far as he was aware all of the doors were fastened.

He said that when he arrived at Westbury he saw William Fletcher's cycle in the front van of the train and told the porter on duty about it. He said that he was told about William Fletcher's death on the following Monday.

William Fletcher was married and had three children.