Death of an Actor

At the close of the 19th century the Smallwood family were the oldest wine merchants in Birmingham having traded for at least six generations. Specialising in fine and expensive wines, their premises in Lower Priory off Old Square dated back to the mid-17th century. Beneath the grand old house ‘their subterranean premises were honeycombed with catacombs containing grand old spirits and big bins of choice vintage and wines.’

Moving from Handsworth, the family had a large house built about 1850 in Castle Bromwich just beyond the Fox & Goose which they named Stechford Hall. (The building was demolished before 1950 and the site later made into Stechford Hall Park).

Chooses Acting rather than the Family Business

Ernest, born in 1859, was the youngest of the family. His elder brother had followed his father and grandfather into the wine trade, his uncle and cousins who lived at Southfields (now The Remembrance Club) were in law and accountancy.

But Ernest became an actor with the stage name Ernest Wood and had some success. Aged 37, he had lodgings in Kilburn Square, Brondesbury, a decent enough district and less than half an hour by omnibus to central London.

Falls From An Omnibus

Three days before Christmas 1897 Smallwood boarded an omnibus in Oxford Street headed for his lodgings. He was not currently employed, although three weeks previously he had ended a run at the Princess’s Theatre in Oxford Street playing in Sutton Vane’s melodrama, ‘In Sight of St Paul’s’.

He climbed up beside the driver; fares were half-price on the open top and the weather was not particularly cold for the time of year.

Soon Smallwood began to feel faint and decided that he would get off the bus and take a cab the rest of the journey home. What caused him to fall is not known, but fall he did. He brushed against the driver and fell off the bus down to the road below.

 

Rushed to The Middlesex

The driver called the police and the unconscious Smallwood was taken to the Middlesex Hospital just half a mile away.

On regaining consciousness the following day, Ernest Smallwood found that he was paralysed from the waist down. His spine had been damaged in the fall from the top deck of the omnibus. His brother Joseph, the wine merchant was at his bedside having travelled down to London by train as soon as he was told of the accident.

The Inquest’s Verdict

Two days after Christmas Ernest Smallwood died. The inquest was held at Marylebone Coroner’s Court under Dr Danford Thomas. Death was the result of Ernest‘s fall from the bus, but what had caused the fall in the first place was never discovered. A verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ was returned.

Ernest’s body was brought back home and laid to rest in the family vault in Castle Bromwich graveyard.

 

Acknowledgements: This article has been developed from research by Terrie Knibb and the Castle Bromwich Youth & Community Partnership. For more information about the Castle Bromwich Graveyard Project go to http://castlebromwichgraveyard.co.uk/