Sha Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Came across this sad tale of Sankey. Source; The Liverpool Mercury Feb 22nd 1848. James Fairclough son of Richard Fairclough drowned in Sankey canal. He left a letter saying; "Drowned through a broken heart! Drowned through a broken heart!Drowned through a broken heart!" James Fairclough of Bank Quay, Warrington, formerly of Billinge, has drowned himself from a broken heart. "On Sunday morning I started to go to church on 22nd April. But I was suddenly seized by a complaint which struck me to the heart. I cannot live. Friends mourn for me. I am gone, but you know not the reason why, - James Fairclough son of Richard Fairclough Billinge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Ok.. so I'm not feeling very sorry for him yet... was the church shut or had he been fishing first and not caught anything Maybe if Gary had written the newspsper report we may all know a little bit more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LymmParent Posted May 8, 2010 Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 Seems a terrible waste though, doesn't it? If even his friends had no idea what was bothering him, then presumably it actually WAS survivable. What a shame he didn't just talk to someone first instead of going straight to the Canal option. I wonder if he was gay? Back in 1848, that might have been grounds for such terrible despair, which is an awful thought, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted May 8, 2010 Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 Maybe he was a Tory and after hearing what happened the day before he killed himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted May 8, 2010 Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 Well it's been over 24 hours since 'Sha' posted this rahter strange topic.... you don't live near the Sankey Canal do you Sha... ARE YOU OK.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted May 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 Fine thanks Diz. No I don't live near the Sankey canal, and if I did you needn't worry I can swim! I thought the story sad rather than strange, waste of a young life and he doesn't say why. I did wonder at first, like LP, whether the secrecy could have been because he was gay, maybe it was, but in 1848 there were lots of other social pressures as well so it could have been something else? The bit "friends mourn for me" I think is very sad, he obviously had friends and sounds like he didn't really want to leave them. I also wondered whether he may have been related to the Fairclough family of Bank Quay from whom Dicky Fairclough's school takes it's name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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