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Loftus Wilfrid WHITEHEAD
1896 - 1960 (64 years)
Has 133 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name Loftus Wilfrid WHITEHEAD Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born 16 Jun 1896 Bredgar, Kent, England 
- GRO ref: Whitehead, Loftus Wilfrid q3 1896 Milton RD 2a 872; GRO online index shows mother's maiden name as Goatham
Actual date from 1939 register
Gender Male Occupation 1911 General labourer Military Service 1918 France WW1 - In France at the time his father died in July 1918 but unable to return home for the funeral.
Residence to 1960 Borden Lane, Sittingbourne, Kent, England - Noted in report of his death.
Died 29 Jul 1960 Railway Line, Bobbing Bridge, Bobbing, Kent, England Cause: Suicide - threw himself in front of a train - GRO ref: WHITEHEAD, Loftus W q3 1960 aged 64 Sittingbourne RD 5b 665
Loftus' death was described in a newspaper report of the inquest that followed:
"Feared that Police were After Him
A Milton railway worker told the County Coroner (Mr. W. J. Harris) at an inquest in Sittingbourne Town Hall on Tuesday how he saw 63-year-old Loftus Wilfred Whitehead, a bachelor, of Borden Lane, Sittingbourne, throw himself on to the railway line at Bobbing bridge early on Friday morning, straight in the path of an electric train.
A verdict of suicide while the balance of the mind was disturbed was recorded. Whitehead's body was so badly mutilated in the accident that it was not until late in the afternoon that police officers were able to trace his identity by means of a laundry mark on a handkerchief.
The railway worker, who was complimented by Mr. Harris on the way he gave his evidence, was Mr. Ronald Stanley Higgins, a lengthman, of Saffron Way. He said he was working at Mackelden's foot-crossing near the bridge when his attentin was drawn by the man he was protecting to another man on the bridge, who was behaving suspiciously.
"We walked towards the bridge, but he disappeared over the side. When we were about 60 feet away from the bridge a train passed us and we saw the man go down the embankment and straight on to the line. It looked like an intentional act and there seemed no question of him running down the bank and not being able to stop," added Mr. Higgins.
Mr. Whitehead's nephew, Mr. Albert Goatham [son of Loftus' late (half-)brother Albert George Goatham], of Bush House, Bredgar, who gave evidence of indentification, said that the deat man was a reitred motor fitter.
"I last saw him three days before his death, when he seemed about the same as usual . . . he was always a joker and leg-puller and you could never take too much notice of what he said, but one or two remarks seemed a bit strange.
"He seemed worried because he was out late after a day at the races and said that the police were after him. I told him that was nonsense," said Mr. Goatham.
Medical evidence came from Dr. John Leslie Dales, consultant pathologist to the Medway and Gravesend Hospital Group, who said that the body was disintegrated by multiple injuries. As far as it was possible to tell, nothing was revealed in the post mortem examination that led him to believe that Mr. Whitehead had a heart attack, though his heart condition was fairly bad.
"Rather a recluse"
Dr. Robert Keith Rowntree said he had attended Mr. Whitehead for three years, since he was taken to hospital with coal gas poisoning and underwent three months' treatment. He was discharged from hospital under police protection.
"He was somewhat of a recluse and a little bizarre and he was a rather solitary and lonely man. I had the impression that he had no close family ties. When I saw him in May
[2nd col]
his mental condition seemed to be fairly good. His home was comfortable for a man living on his own.
Dr. Rowntree told the Coroner that Mr. Whitehead had been worried for some time because he was deaf.
Miss Edith Mary Mannooch, of Park Road, Sittingbourne, said she had known Mr. Whitehead through her sister, who looked after him at her own bungalow in Borden Lane. On her death in 1955 she left the property to him and he had lived there on his own since that time.
"On Thursday he came to our house at about 10.30 in the evening. We were surprised to see him as it was the first time in two years.
"He said that the police were coming for him next day and asked us to help him by puttingup bail. He said he had not done anything, but he had heard everyone talking about what was going to happen. He thought he had seen a welfare officer call next door to his house and say : 'We won't disturb him now, we'll go in the morning.'
"He was worried because his garden was becoming overgrown. We advised him to see the welfare officer in the morning and we quite thought that was what he intended to do," went on Miss Mannooch.
Driver's evidence
The driver of the train, which left Sittingbourne station at 7.20 for Cannon Street, Mr. Albert Henry Saunders, of Abingdon Street, Ramsgate, said he knew the line very well and had been in charge of trains along it since 1919.
He twice sounded the whistle near the bridge and as he went under it he thought he noticed a slight movement. He was not sure what it was, but put it down to a cat or some form of wild life. He felt no impact.
"The next stop was at Chatham, where I got out to wipe the windscreen. As I went to do so I noticed a man's tie on the front of the train, but there were no signs of blood. I then had a sinking feeling that I might have hit someone earlier on."
The scene of the incident was described by P.C. Brian Reynolds, who said he found the body badly mutilated on the lince at 8 a.m. On the bridge was a cycle later indentified as Mr. Whitehead's.
Clothing was scattered along the line and he found two pocket handkerchiefs, some keys, a £1 note and a case containing glasses. One of the handkerchiefs had a faint laundry mark on it which was traced to Miss Mannooch. The body was identified when it was learned that she had loaned him the handkerchief some time ago.
"There were no notes at home indicating that he intended to take his life," said P.C. Reynolds, who told the Coroner that on 12 August, 1957, Mr. Whitehead appeared before Sittingbourne magistrates on a charge of attempting to commit suicide by inhaling coal gas. After a medical report he was place on probation for a year.
Mr. Harris said the previous history was not a good one from the mental angle, and it was very significant that Mr. Whitehead was going around during the last day before his death with a very odd story about being afraid the police were following him.
Mr. Whitehead is survived by two brothers living in Essex."
(from East Kent Gazette, 5 August 1960, p.1, col.8-9)
Coroner’s Inquest 2 Aug 1960 The Town Hall, Sittingbourne, Kent, England Siblings5 brothers Half-siblings1 half brother (family of "Unknown" and Maria Ann GOATHAM) Patriarch & Matriarch 
[ - ? - ], d. Yes, date unknown (Grandfather)
Mary FOSTER, b. Abt 1815, Horsmonden, Kent, England, d. Sep Q 1875, East Ashford Reg Dist, Kent, England (Age ~ 60 years) (Great Grandmother) Person ID I4189 All | England: Kent Group (in Go(a)tham One-Name Study), All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study , The descendants (and other halves) of George Goatham and Ann née Winch, The descendants (and other halves) of John Prior and Amy née Reynolds, The descendants (and other halves) of Richard Whitehead and Mary née Grigsby Last Modified 2 Dec 2023
Father William George WHITEHEAD, b. Jun Q 1857, Bredgar, Kent, England , d. 23 Jun 1918, Traverse Cottage, Bredgar, Kent, England (Age ~ 61 years) Mother Maria Ann GOATHAM, b. Jun Q 1857, Bredgar, Kent, England , d. Jun Q 1927, Milton Reg Dist, Kent, England (Age ~ 70 years) Banns of marriage From 25 Jan 1885 to 8 Feb 1885 St. John the Baptist Church, Bredgar, Kent, England Married 14 Feb 1885 St. John the Baptist Church, Bredgar, Kent, England - GRO ref: Goatham, Maria Ann to Whitehead, William George q1 1885 Milton RD 2a 973
Details from PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 4 April 2019)
Family ID F340 Family Group Page | Family Chart
- GRO ref: Whitehead, Loftus Wilfrid q3 1896 Milton RD 2a 872; GRO online index shows mother's maiden name as Goatham