Photographic Archive

1913

The crash was reported in the Northampton Independent on January 18^th. 'Northampton was startled on Monday morning by the news that a disastrous motor collision had occurred just outside Kingsthorpe, as a result of which Mr W. B. R. Moorhouse, the airman, of Spratton Grange, was killed, and several other people injured. Happily the rumour of the fatality proved false, though the motor cars were wrecked, the occupants miraculously escaped without dangerous injury. The report of Mr. Moorhouse's death was caused by his being conveyed unconscious through the streets to the hospital, where he was detained.. The heavy fog that hung over the town on Monday was responsible for the accident. The mist was particularly heavy at Kingsthorpe, and made sight impossible at more than a few feet.' (The snow-clad road, presumably normal in January, merits no mention)

'About 9 o'clock two cars were approaching Kingsthorpe. One, a 30-40 Fiat Landaulette, contained Mr. W. B. R. Moorhouse and his chauffeur, J. G. Tookey, and came along the Welford Road from Spratton. The chauffeur was driving cautiously for more than one reason - he was due to appear at the Borough Police Court that morning on a charge of driving at an excessive speed, and Mr. Moorhouse, who had his licence suspended last week, was coming in to give evidence.

'While this car was nearing the borough boundary, another motor was leaving the town for Brampton with Alderman W George of Gayton, Mr. O.C. Wallis, J.P., of West Haddon, and Mr. J. Cooper, of East Haddon. The car belonged to Mr. Heeps, of Guilsborough, and was driven by chauffeur Frank Holt.'

'The story of the mishap, as told by Mr. Moorhouse's chauffeur is as follows:- "We were just getting to the top of the hill leading to Kingsthorpe when suddenly a large car loomed up out of the fog. It was within a few yards of us. It was so close that I realised it would be absolutely impossible for the cars to avoid one another. I was driving slowly on the bottom gear and right side. Had I been going quicker I could have avoided a collision by turning on to the grass. But the slow pace of the car prevented this, and the other car came into us with a terrible crash. I was thrown clean through the glass windscreen on to the bonnet of the car. I could feel the heat of the radiator on my face. I scrambled off and ran to the door of the car, and on opening it I found Mr. Moorhouse lying on the floor stunned and bleeding. We got all the rugs out of the car on to the roadside and laid Mr. Moorhouse on them; then I ran into Kingsthorpe for a doctor."

'The force of the impact was so violent that the heads of the car were interlocked. Mr. Wallis and the chauffeur Holt were unhurt, and the blacksmith escaped injury by jumping into the soft snow by the roadside, but Mr. Alderman George was thrown forward in the same way as Mr. Moorhouse and badly fractured his left arm. Mr. Cooper received several cuts on the face, and Tookey was cut on the temple.

'The damage to Mr. Moorhouse's car, which suffered the more, is estimated at nearly £300. In fact, the motor will have to be almost entirely rebuilt.

'Naturally the accident caused a big sensation in the district, and many alarming and erroneous accounts of it were current, not the least of which was a report circulated in one or two neighbouring villages that Mr. Lloyd George had been killed by Lord Annaly's motor!'

The other car (belonging to Mr Heeps and driven by Mr Holt, the chauffeur, seen 'repairing' the car) was a c. 1908 Daimler Landaulette poppet valve car (both the exhaust and inlet manifolds can be seen). The wheels have 12 spokes on the front and 16 on the rear, and this was a 1908 feature only. The car in the background is a c. 1906 Daimler, probably sent out to assist. Alderman W George, who was travelling in this car, was hurt in the accident. Other passengers in the car were Mr O C Wallis (J P of West Haddon) and Mr J Cooper.

Acknowledged to William Rhodes-Moorhouse VC Charitable Trust

Image Reference: 1706

Related Searches: Moorhouse family | Transport cars trains buses aeroplanes | 1910