Forest of Dean FHT Forum - Coach crash in the Wye valley, 1930

Coach crash in the Wye valley, 1930 (reply)

stancoats — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:05:52 +0000

I haven't purchased the death certificate as the cost starts to add up if you buy one for every person in your tree. I might have to if I can't find an exact date else. Thanks for the help.

Coach crash in the Wye valley, 1930 (reply)

slowhands — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:54:23 +0000

Do you have the death cert - referenced in my last reply ?

From this you should be able to get a date for the accident +/- a few days - that will make the newspaper search a lot easier

Coach crash in the Wye valley, 1930 (reply)

stancoats — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:35:02 +0000

Thanks for the reply. It seems there have been several coach crashes in the Wye Valley but nobody, so far, has any information on that one. I have information on Matilda Stanford and her marriage into the Coats family but little about her accidental death.

Coach crash in the Wye valley, 1930 (reply)

DavidFromScowles — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:19:11 +0000

Fredb may well be thinking of an incident in the 50s when a coach from somewhere in the South Wales valleys rolled over while negotiating the Fidler's Elbow. This is a nasty bend on the Staunton - Monmouth road which can still be quite exciting today! I recall there was at least one fatality plus some injuries. The coach, like many at the time, was a day trip on a Sunday to take advantage of the fact that the pubs in the Forest opened on the Sabbath but didn't in Wales. It was quite a feature at the time and even carried on for a while after Sunday opening did come to the Principality.

Coach crash in the Wye valley, 1930 (reply)

fredb — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:59:07 +0000

I can't offer any information other than the fact that when I was growing up in Monmouth in the late 50's early 60's I remember people talking about a coach crash down the valley, Redbrook? Bigsweir? A coach running away on a hill and leaving the road?

This was a regular occurance where the Forest of Dean road comes into Monmouth, no M O T's required, brakes often failed. Some made it around the sharp corner at the bottom of the hill, you could hear them coming, and smell the burning brakes when they passed, but a quarry lorry demolished Mayhill Cottage, and a mobile crane crashed into the Mayhill pub. So people talked about other events and the runaway coach was mentioned, how accurate my information is I don't know. Cheers Fred

Coach crash in the Wye valley, 1930 (reply)

slowhands — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:24:15 +0000

I can reduce your search from 52 issues down to 13...

Name: Matilda Coats
Age 72
Date of Registration: Apr May Jun 1930
Registration district: Monmouth
Volume Number: 11a
Page Number: 37

"feels like "-

1881
William Coats abt 1853 Humshaugh, Northumberland, England Head Maidstone, Kent
Matilda C. Coats abt 1858 Maidstone, Kent, England Wife Maidstone, Kent
William S. Coats abt 1879 Maidstone, Kent, England Son Maidstone, Kent
Joseph S. Coats . Maidstone, Kent, England Son Maidstone, Kent

Name: Matilda Caroline Stanford
Name: William Coats
Year of Registration: 1878
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Maidstone
County: Kent
Volume: 2a
Page: 954

Coach crash in the Wye valley, 1930

stancoats — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:06:38 +0000

I wonder if any of your users have any knowledge of a coach crash in the Wye Valley in 1930. A relative of mine Matilda Caroline COATS was killed in this accident and wonder if there is any information on the circumstances or records of any inquest on the victims. It was presumably reported in the local papers but without knowing an approximate date they are very time consuming to search.

My mother's family (Thomas) also came from Lydney and I found your site very helpful. I am trying to contact a Jennifer Thomas, who posted a question back in 2007 but seems not to be a user any more.