A winter tragedy

St. Peter's church has four beautiful stained-glass windows, each of which has a story to tell. I have written about three of the windows before (see St. Peter's church) and this is the story of the fourth – the Joseph Bell window.

Rev. Joseph Bell was born in Cumberland in 1815. He studied at Clare College, Cambridge from 1833 to 1840 and then came to Forncett as curate to the Rev. Thomas Jack. When Rev. Jack died in 1844 (at the age of 74), his place was taken by the Rev. John Doudney Lane who was just three years older than Joseph Bell. Doudney Lane had studied at St. Johns, Cambridge from 1832 to 1839, so the two probably knew each other. Tragically, John Doudney Lane died of tuberculosis in 1846, aged just 34: a plaque to his memory can be seen in St. Peter's church. 

Two years later, in 1848, Joseph Bell moved to Aslacton and then to Bunwell. 

On the 3rd and 4th of January 1854 there were very heavy snowfalls across East Anglia leaving an average snow depth of three feet, so that the railways were brought to a complete standstill. 

The Globe - 5th January 1854

Joseph Bell had been travelling back to Norwich from Cambridge, and his train was held up at Thetford because the line ahead was completely blocked. Around 150 men, led by Mr. Isaac Howard, set out from Norwich to clear the line and by the afternoon of Thursday 5th the "up line" to Norwich had been cleared so that trains could travel with strict "one way working". Consequently, Joseph Bell and two other passengers, along with Mr. Howard, boarded a single carriage train and set off from Thetford.

However, unbeknown to them or the driver of their train, the inspector of permanent way, Mr. Ashcroft, who was keen to clear the "down line", had taken a train with labourers towards Thetford from Harling against the advice of the signalman. Rounding a bend in the line the driver of Ashcroft's train saw a train coming towards him. He initially presumed that it was on the opposite line and by the time he realised that it wasn't it was too late! The driver and fireman of the Thetford train jumped clear just before the two engines collided at considerable speed. The details of what happened were reported in the inquest into the accident which was held only a few days later.

Extracts from the enquiry - Norfolk Chronicle 14 January 1854

The roof of Bell's carriage was ripped off by the engine tender and all three occupants were severely crushed. With much difficulty, Joseph Bell was extracted from the wreckage and taken back to the Bell Inn in Thetford, where he was found to have sustained a broken left leg and internal injuries. He died on the following Sunday morning, 8th January 1854. He was just 38 years old.

Joseph Bell had previously expressed the wish that he should be buried in Forncett and the following Thursday a special train was provided by the railway company to take his body there. The newspapers reported that "not withstanding the inclemency of the weather, a large concourse assembled to pay him the last tribute of respect". 

Joseph Bell was laid to rest alongside his friend and former colleague, John Doudney Lane and the headstones of the two rectors can still be seen today on south side of the churchyard. 

The graves of Joseph Bell (left) and John Doudney Lane (right)

At the conclusion of the inquest in Thetford on Friday 13th January, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of manslaughter against Peter Ashcroft. However, at a hearing in Norwich on 23rd March, held before the Lord Chief Baron, the verdict was overturned. 

The Joseph Bell memorial window, which depicts St. Peter and St. Paul, was installed in the south chancel in 1854. The window was created by F. W. Oliphant (1818-1859) who had a considerable reputation as a designer of painted glass. His ecclesiastical work can be found in many places including King's College, Cambridge and Ely Cathedral. 

With thanks to Richard Ball (photos of the Bell window) and John Webster (photo of the graves).