Dr Allen's Casebook

The name of Whaley Bridge's famed  DR ALLEN  appeared quite frequently in press reports of the 1880's and 1890's.  

As will be seen DR ALLEN himself was sometimes the victim

April 1881  An inquest was held at the Joddrell Arms into the death of a child whose decomposed body was found in Toddbrook Reservoir. Dr Allen had made the postmortem examination and found that the baby had lived a day or two.  He was unable to say whether the child had suffocated or died from neglect.  There was a bruise to the
head but  this had not caused death. The body 20 inches in length had been placed in a biscuit tin
measuring only 9.5inches by 8.5 inches..The police were trying to detect the perpetrator, guilty of either murder or neglect.

November 1886  A skeleton was discovered by workers at Taxal Edge Stone Quarry. The skull and bones were now in the posession of DR ALLEN who had established that they had been there for at least 100 years.

November 1886 Mrs Pennington was pitched from her trap when the horse bolted and was very badly hurt.  She was taken to the residence of DR ALLEN where she now lay.

June 1887  Charles Bagshaw was badly injured in an accident at the Buxton Lime Company's colliery. A hand was smashed, his head was badly cut and an ear nearly severed. DR ALLEN ordered his immediate removal to Stockport Infirmary where he lies in a critical condition

August 1887  Edmund Kirk, a grocers assistant admitted savagely assaulting a little boy Hoprace Wooley. On the 29th the Wooley family, one of whom was a member of the Salvation Army, in their turn attacked Kirk. He was knocked down and kicked, had two teeth knocked out, both eyes made up and his whiskers pulled out. He lost a deal of blood and later DR ALLEN had to attend to him.

February 1888  A mysterious death.  George Sawyer of New Mills left home on Tuesday to go in search of work. He was seen just before midnight on Thursday at Horwich End and was drunk. At 2 am he was heard in a brook and some time later found unconscious in a yard behind The Navigation. He was lying in a pool of blood and had severe wounds to his head, elbow and knee.  DR ALLEN dressed his wound but alas, he died on Sunday.

October 1889  An explosion at Hall Brother's bleachworks fatally injured a youth, George Goddard.  He was assisting in removing the top of a boiler filled with boiling pulp when the vessel expolded. He was hurled some distance and was severely scalded and burned.  DR ALLEN attended to him at home but he died early next day.

November 1889  DR ALLEN was walking towards Stoneheads at 8.30pm to visit a patient. It was a dark night and he carried a lantern. Whilst walking along a path across a field a gun shot rang out about 20 yards away.  Thinking of poachers he walked on only to hear another shot. From the flash he calculated that it was fired at him. A third shot struck the wall at his side. Alarmed, he retraced his steps are returned to safety. It was assumed
that he was mistaked for the constable who had recently had several local people before the magistrates.

March 1892  DR ALLEN was appointed Medical Officer Of Health for Whaley Bridge at a salary of £20 per annum. At the same time John Kirk was appointed Inspector Of Nuisances

August 1892 The annual horse show was held at Buxton.  The grandstand which seated 700 people collapsed without warning apart from mometary creaking. The occupants were pitched backwards amidst a mass of planking. Theinjured were conveyed to The Devonshire Hospital. The most seerious injury was to DR ALLEN who sustained broken
legs.

November 1892 Two boys, one 12 years old fought during their breakfast break at Botany Bleach Works where they were employed. One of the bys suffered knife wounds and was attended to by DR ALLEN who said that the injury would have been fatal if a little higher.

March 1893 DR ALLEN is caring for two men named Phillipson and Ether injured in an explosion at the Gunpowder Works.

May 1895 At a property auction at The Railway Hotel, DR ALLEN purchased two semi detatched villas and a cottage at Horwich End for £590.

June 1896  Edith Proctor the 12 year old daughter of blacksmith Thomas Proctor died suddenly after becoming paralysed.  It was thought to be caused by sunstroke but DR ALLEN who gave no hope of recovery certified death from convulsions.

March 1898  Two joiners were seriously hurt when part of the Joddrell Arms collapsed.  The front portion was being rebuit and enlarged and was supported by girders and pillars. A number of men were buried under a mass of stone and iron.. DR ALLEN attended to the injured.

December 1898 John Cotton was sentanced to death for the murder of his wife aboard a canal boat moored at Bugsworth. Mrs Cotton had been severely beaten about the head with a poker.  When DR ALLEN examined her she was unconscious and suffering from a number of wounds, was concussed and had a clot of blood on the brain and a fracture to the skull.  He considered the case to be hopeless and she died that afternoon.