Percy Frederick James Woolgar
1886-1926

Born on the 20 January 1886 to Thomas and Rachel Woolgar in Carshalton, Surrey.

During the First World War Percy Frederick James Woolgar or Fred as he was better known was a dispatch rider with the 25th London Regiment.
When he was away in service he sent his mother Rachel a post card, seen here below, the post-mark shows the date as 14 December 1914.

Fred married Amelia in ( March ¼ 1909 - Epsom ) and had one daughter Dorothy who was born ( March ¼ 1911 - Epsom )
but in 1926 he was killed in a motor-cycle accident when he drove into a lorry.

 A news article in a local paper reads:

ATHLETE'S HEAD ON CRASH.
TRAGEDY ON WET AND GREASY ROAD.
MACHINE WRECKED.
EWELL MAN'S TERRIBLE DEATH.

While motor-cycling through Malden on a wet and boisterous day, Mr Percy Frederick James Woolgar (39), of 14, Hook-road, Ewell, a well-known athlete, collided head-on with a motor-lorry and sustained terrible injuries from which he died later in Kingston Hospital. Fred Woolgar, as he was more familiarly known, was a son of Mr. T. W. Woolgar, of Palmerston-road, Carshalton, and the news of his untimely death came to the whole district as a great shock. His athletic prowess is shown by the fact that when with the Army of Occupation on the Rhine he won the ten-mile cross-country event promoted by the British Army, beating all-comers, including the Americans, French, and Belgian representatives. His time was fifty minutes. Woolgar was also a member of the old Sutton Harriers. He leaves a widow and one daughter, Dorothy, aged 14.

THE INQUEST

The inquest held by Dr. M. Taylor, coroner for the district, on Friday afternoon, at the Assize Court, Kingston.

Amelia Woolgar said that her husband was a male nurse employed at Roehampton Hospital. He was well used to motor-cycles. Before the war he was an "Automobile Association Scout." He was in the habit of proceeding to and from the Roehampton Hospital on his motor-cycle. On Tuesday he had to be on duty at 1.30 p.m., and he left home at 1 o'clock. Witness learned at 3 p.m. that an accident had occurred, and she went to Kingston Infirmary, where she found her husband unconscious. The journey to Roehampton occupied half-an-hour. There was no need to "rush" on this occasion.

AN EYE-WITNESS

Charles William Major, of 14, St. Marry's-road, Chiswick, Stated that at about 1.15 p.m. on October 20 he was driving a motor-car towards New Malden and noticed a motor-cycle "come off" the Ewell-road. The motor-cyclist suddenly seemed to swerve right across the road, colliding head-on with a motor-lorry that was appoching. Witness said it was raining heavily at the time and he had his head down, presumably because the rain was beating his face. The lorry was about twelve feet away when he bent his head. With that he seemed to lose control and crashed into the front of the lorry. Witness put the speed of the lorry at 12 miles an hour and that of the motor-cycle at 14 or 15 miles an hour. Further questioned, witness said the man seemed to have plenty of room. Witness would not blame the lorry-driver in the least. The accident was, in his opinion, due either to the rain or to something going wrong with the steering.

" LEAF " THEORY

Arthur Thomas Wenham, of 148, Seaforth-avenue, Merton, corroborated. The only new suggestion he could make was that a leaf might have got into the man's eye. The autumn leaves were falling at the time and the wind was blowing in his direction. The road was very wet and greasy with the leaves. Witness added that the man had 70 or 80 yards of clear oad, and agreed that the lorry-driver could not get out of his way. He had no earthly chance. It all happened in a second. John Cresey, of Forest Green, Abinger, the driver of the lorry, said his load was a light one, consisting of empty hampers. Witness was on the his correct side of the road and noticed the car driven by Mr. Major coming towards him. The motor-cycle shot out from behind Mr. Major's car.

NO SKID

The Coroner re-called Mr. Major, who said the witness must be under a misapprehension. The motor-cycle was in front of his ( Mr. Major's ) car the whole time. Cresey repeated his assertion, but, in reply to the Coroner, said: " He was coming straight along the road, and when he got to within seven of eight feet of the lorry he shot straight into me. I did not see him skid." Mr. Woolgar ( father ) remarked that it seemed strange a lorry should be knocked on one side by a motor-cycle.  Witness : You must remember that I was not going at a fast rate. It gave the lorry a nasty jar. William Dalton, of Leyland Farm, Abinger Common, who was with Cresey on the lorry, declared that the motor-cyclist swerved right into them. Witness added: He tried to save himself. In fact, he nearly did.

SMASHED TO ATOMS

P.c. W. Taylor, New Malden, who was called to the scene of the accident, said the road was very wet and he saw a lot of leaves lying about. The spot was near New House Farm, and he found the motor-cycle smashed practically to atoms, on the bank about 30 feet from the van and on the opposite side of the road. Dr. Percy Davies, medical superintendent at the Kingston and District Hospital, said Woolgar was unconscious on admission, and he died without regaining consciousness at 10.20 the same evening. He had sustained two severe scalp wounds and, on the inside, the top of the skull was fractured in two places. No fracture occurred to the base of the skull. Death was due to coma, resulting from severe brain concussion and a fractured skull.

The Coroner, in returning a verdict of " Accidental Death " expressed sympathy with the relatives. The driver of the lorry, he said, was exonerated from blame. Mr. Woolgar feelingly thanked the doctor and the nurses for doing thier utmost for his son. He was also grateful to the police for what they had done.

This is Arthur son of Thomas & Rachel Woolgar
Brother to Thomas William Horace, Henry George Charles, Ellen Mabel, Edward Arthur,
Rachel Pricilla, Walter John, Florence Louisa, May Victoria, Edith Maud, Bob, Charles Arbin, Arthur, Lillian, Ruth Lena