Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X95/291/113
  • Title
    From: Caroline Sworder, Westmill Bury; To: Thomas Sworder, Hertford
  • Date free text
    26 Sep1857
  • Production date
    From: 1857 To: 1857
  • Scope and Content
    From: Caroline Sworder, Westmill Bury; To: Thomas Sworder, Hertford "I have just returned from Buntingford where I saw Mr.Berkley who had just returned from Retford bringing as favourable an account of our poor travellers as we could expect though he found them, or George rather, worse than Charles's letter had given us cause to imagine. The fracture is just above the ancle [sic] & is going on most favourably. His arm is quite powerless but no bone is broken nor can they discover any symptom of internal injury his head & face are terribly cut, but still no injury below the surface, for he is very cheerful & collected & conversed freely about his farm & other subjects. Lucy is very much bruised but was able to be removed to a sofa this morning. Charles hobbles about, his leg narrowly escaped severe injury. Mary Ann is scarcely injured & has borne up most bravely. It was indeed a terrific scene for those who were able to witness it. Charles rose from the shattered carriage & saw George stretched senseless at his feet on the other side a female with her head crushed & whom at first sight he thought was Lucy but another glance round shewed him her form, senseless, but not mutilated at a short distance. How he and Mary Ann ever recovered nerve to write I cannot tell. Most providential. Now it appears that Lucy, especially, was insensible to it & to this time neither she nor G. have an idea of the hours of that horror, or that they were spared while on each side of them fellow creatures were ushered into eternity. I feel as if we had received them all from the grave & though it will be weeks, if not months, before poor George can hope to leave Retford our feeling is such that tomorrow we hope, if spared, to return public thanks to Almighty God, for his rich mercies to us as a family. I am sure my dear uncle your praises will ascend with ours to that throne, which earthly feelings cannot approach. I often recall the morning more than ten years since when our tears mingled on a sad & solemn occasion. No unkind feeling has ever lingered in our hearts towards him who was the first visitor to the fatherless children. Would that this awful visitation (which might have removed half that family at one blow) might prove the means of showing to all of us, who are now spared to praise God for his mercies, the folly of indulging any feelings of pride or sensitiveness [sic] for imagined affronts. For we all hope to meet in heaven & there nothing that defileth may enter. For then it would not be heaven. For myself & family I can safely answer that it is our first wish to be in love & charity with all men, more especially those who are so intimately connected with us. With some members of the family the breach is greater but not insurmountable & "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted". Each side will think the task harder than it is, but I believe love still remains on both sides for the others. On one, I know it does, else why the frequent allusions to early days & the pleasure at seeing your children, which is vainly attempted to be smothered. Do not think, my dear Uncle, I am undertaking too much. A long protracted period of weakness has led me to think much of things, which before were to me but a dead letter. I can now, after many a struggle, place myself in God's hands unmurmuringly knowing that whether in sickness or health, in poverty or riches to do his will as far as in me. His is my duty & I pray that it may be my delight & wherein can I serve him better than in striving to restore "peace & good will amongst men" for God often chooses very unworthy instruments to accomplish his will. Oh! that none whom I love may ever resist it! I must conclude with our king love to Aunt & all & hoping you will receive my letter in the same spirit in which it is written & place all defects to errors of my head rather than the heart". [The Bedfordshire Times of 26 Sep 1857 reports a fatal railway accident on the Great Northern Railway on 24 Sep on a viaduct two miles from Tuxford [Nottinghamshire], it was presumed due to axle failure. Four people were killed - Hon.W.M.Windsor Clive, Miss Letitia Paget of Garston, Liverpool, Mrs.Heaton of Lancaster and Mrs.Pitman. Listed amongst the injured are: Mr.Sworder of Hertford with a fractured ankle and Charles and Miss Sworder, slightly injured "the head of one of the ladies killed was crushed quite flat; the face of another was cut in two from top to bottom; a gentleman's boot, wet with blood, was seen on the road, as it had been cut off"]
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