Thomas CANTY

Thomas CANTY

New South Wales Police Force

Regd. #

Rank:  Constable

Stations:  ?, ( Berrima Police Force & stationed at Nattai

Service:  From ? ? ?  to  25 June 1866 = around 5 years Service

Awards:  ?

Born: ? ? ?, Glowenties, Shanagold in Limerick, Ireland

Event date: Monday  25 June 1866

Event location:  New Sheffield (Mittagong)

Died on:  Wednesday  27 June 1866

Cause:  Fall

Age: 49

Funeral date: Friday  29 June 1866

Funeral location:

Buried at:  Berrima cemetery, Olbury Rd, Berrima

Catholic Section, Row 6, Plot 14

Memorial location:

[alert_red]THOMAS is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance[/alert_red]   * BUT SHOULD BE

Constable Canty died following a fall down a railway cutting at New Sheffield at night, as he made his way home to Berrima. He had earlier been to Bowral to warn a witness for court. He suffered severe spinal injuries in the fall and lay injured at the base of the cutting until morning. New Sheffield is now Mittagong.

The incident was reported in some detail by the Empire dated Saturday 30 June 1866.

 

FATAL ACCIDENT AT NEW SHEFFIELD.  ”An accident of a fatal character, resulting in the death of Constable Canty, of the Berrima police, occurred on Monday last. The deceased ( who was stationed at New Sheffield ) had been to Bowral to warn a witness to attend before the Berrima bench of magistrates on the following day to give his evidence in a case which was there to be brought before them and was on his return home when he fell down a cutting of the Great Southern Railway on the Mittagong side of the Gib tunnel.

The night was pitch dark and miserably wet, and it is supposed that the foot of the deceased must have slipped over some of the clay soil, which abounds in the neighbourhood. The cutting was about sixty feet deep, and the unfortunate man lay in a pool at the bottom for several hours, until some workmen were on the following morning attracted to the spot by the howling of the deceased’s dog. Having ascertained that somebody was lying below, the men took prompt measures to effect his release, and afterwards conveyed him to his home.

A messenger was immediately despatched to Berrima for medical aid, and no time was lost by Dr. Williamson in repairing to the scene of the sad and melancholy disaster.

Notwithstanding, however, that every effort was made which medical skill could suggest, the unfortunate man breathed his last at a late hour on Wednesday night. On Thursday a magisterial inquiry was held before G. H.Rowley, Esq., P.M., and a post mortem examination was made by Dr. Williamson, who found that the immediate cause of death was a spinal injury, which had doubtless been received by Canty in his fall.

The deceased had been in the police force of this colony up-wards of five years, and was always held in good repute as an efficient officer. A lasting testimony to the esteem in which he was held by residents in the district was afforded by the large and respectable assemblage which followed his remains to their resting place in Berrima cemetery on Friday last.  A wife and a large family are left to lament their loss.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60598138

 

At the time of his death the constable had apparently been a member of the police force for about five years and was stationed at Berrima.

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The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser     Tuesday  3 July 1866    p 4

Constable Canty, of the Berrima police, was recently out on duty, and in the darkness of the night fell down a cutting of the Great Southern Railway, sixty feet deep. The next morning some people were attracted to the spot by the howling of his dog and be was removed ; but on the following day he died from the spinal injury he had suffered.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18722657

 

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The Sydney Morning Herald      Wednesday  24 January 1866     p 7

ALLEGED MURDER AT NEW SHEFFIELD.

…………  Thomas Canty, being duly sworn, deposed:  I am a constable attached to the Berrima police force, and am stationed at Nattai  ‘ about 1 o’clock on Sunday morning last, John Forward knocked at my door ………..

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13125295

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