Fred Blackey is my 4th cousin 1x removed. Our common ancestors are Francis Blackah and Frances Ripley – my 4x great grandparents.
Fred was born on 5 October 1884 at Thornton in Craven, near Skipton, Yorkshire. He was the second child of Alfred Blackey and Elizabeth Pickles.
In the First World War Fred served with the Duke of Wellington’s (West Ridng Regiment) – his service number was 266733.
In the 1939 Register (taken at the outbreak of WW2) he was living at 4 New Street, Carleton in Craven. Fred was a single man working as a “general labourer”.
Eleven years later in the summer of 1950 Fred took his own life at the age of 65. The events of Saturday 24 June were recored at the inquest and reported in the Bradford Observer on Thursday 29 June (image from http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Carleton man stood in track of express train
A verdict of “Suicide by standing in the track of an oncoming railway train, the balance of his mind being disturbed at the time through ill-health,” was returned by a jury at an inquest at Skipton yesterday on Fred Blackey (65), labourer, lodging at New Street, Carleton.
Blackey was killed instantly on Saturday by an express train at a point where a footpath crosses the line at Snaygill.
Evidence was given that for some weeks Blackey had been worried over his health. On the day of his death he handed his wallet to a club steward at Carleton for safe custody, remarking that he might be going into hospital.
Fred is buried in St Mary’s churchyard at Carleton in Craven.
you don't choose your family 