Skegness Magazine

THE HORSE AND THE MOTOR
Valauble Car Damaged At Skegness
On Wednesday a valuable motor-car belonging to Mr. Player, of Nottingham, was damaged as a result of a collision with a horse and cart.

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It appears that the car, in which were seated the chauffeur and Mrs. Wardle, of Seacroft, was standing outside a business establishment on the Drummond Road, in which the owner of the car’s wife was making purchases.

A horse attached to a heavy cart (the property of Coun. Manton), and laden with road-making material, stood at some little distance from the car, and when the driver started it, the horse, which was young and somewhat mettlesome, reared, and then commenced to back towards the car.

The lady in the shop seeing the danger called to the chauffeur to drive on but ere he could start the car the load crashed into the rear splintering the woodwork rather badly. Fortunately this was the total of the damage, the occupants of the car and horse escaping injury.

We hear that the repair bill may be anything from £20 to £40, the car being one of the finest seen in Skegness, and rumour places its cost at £2,000.

Source: Skegness Mablethorpe and Alford News 15th April 1914

Notes: I was told some months ago that John Player, the famous cigarette manufacturer of Nottingham, had a holiday home in Skegness, possibly in the 1930s. However, as yet I have found no evidence of this. So I was pleased to discover this article, which now confirms a link between John Player and Skegness. John Player, the founder of the tobacco factory, died in 1884, and the business was taken over by his sons, John Dane Player and William Player. The newspaper story refers only to “Mr Player”, but I am tempted to believe it was John Dane and not his brother who was in Skegness, (due to the reliable source of the information about John having a holiday home in Skegness). Hopefully, more clues will come to light during my trawls in the newspaper archives!

Update: I have now found the court case which ensued some nine months after the above story. The article confirms that it WAS John Dane Player’s car which was in Skegness:

SEQUEL TO A COLLISION AT SKEGNESS
CLAIM AGAINST LOCAL TRADES MAN SUSTAINED
At the Spilsby County Court on Thursday, before His Honour Judge Sir George Sherston Baker, Bart., and a jury:
John Dane Player, tobacco manufacturer, Alexandra Park, Nottingham, claimed £9 10s., damages to a motor-car, against Herbert A. Manton, butcher, Skegness.
Mr. E. Valle, of Boston, was for plaintiff, while Mr. S. B. Carnley, of Alford, represented defendant.
Opening the case, Mr. Waite stated the facts were very simple. On April 8th last his client’s motor car was in Skegness, and his wife and one or more other ladies were in the car, which was being driven by their chauffeur. Mrs. Player had occasion to call at the shop of Mr. Mackinder, butcher, on Drummond Road, at the junction of that road with Marine Avenue. His client’s car was drawn up close to the kerb, immediately at the corner, and was stationary, while Mrs. Player entered the shop to transact business. A heavy horse and cart, laden with road-making material, the property of Mr. Manton, and in charge of his servant, was in Marine Ave., and for some reason or other the carter Allitt, backed the horse and cart down the Avenue into Drummond Road, in such a way that it went into the rear of the motor car with considerable force, splintering the back panel, and doing damage to the extent of  £9 10s.

Mr. R. Mackinder, butcher, said the car was close to the kerb.
Mr. S. B. Carnley said the main point was as to how the accident was brought about.
The carter was engaged in leading tar mac. The Marine Avenue was in course of construction and the second or small kind of tar mac was being put in. When the carter came with the second load he had to exercise considerable care. He walked by his horse. The action of the sun had caused the surface on the road in Marine Avenue to be very slippery, and when he got up the road on to the incline the horse began to slip. The natural action of the horse was to try and make the load easier to his shoulders, and it turned slightly to the right by instinct. But that did not deter the backing movement, and it was drawn in a slanting direction on to the car, which was stood at the bottom of the road. The car was projecting, and if it had not been, that accident would not have reasonably happened. He submitted there was no liability upon the defendant.
Henry Allitt, carter, and Benjamin Freshney, labourer, gave evidence, the latter stating the car  projected several feet across Marine Avenue.

Geo. Holmes, builder, Skegness, said the cart load was a rather small one, and Chas. Farmer said he noticed the car projected more than three feet beyond the footpath.
His Honour said it was incumbent that persons driving or walking along a high road should proceed with reasonable care. Plaintiff left three or four feet of his car protruding across Marine Ave. If that had been a busy thoroughfare, it would have been an act of negligence. But it was in the course of construction, and the same duty was not incumbent upon a person so they might absolve plaintiff from any negligence in that respect. What the carter should have done, was to have had a second horse put on, or else to have had a less load. It was difficult to place a clever head on an ordinary honest carter. It was for the jury to consider whether plaintiff was not entitled to a verdict. There was nothing against Allitt. It was the fault of the master, who had not given him proper instructions.
The jury retired and eventually found for plaintiff, and His Honour gave judgment accordingly for the amount claimed and costs.

Source: Skegness Mablethorpe and Alford News 17th February 1915

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