William Balkwill Puddicombe

1875 - 1906  (31 years)

• Name	William Balkwill Puddicombe
  Born	31 Jul 1875	, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203223706
  Residence	1891	New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Anglican
  Occupation	1901	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Farmer
  Misfortune	1906	near, Azilda, Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada
  	killed in train accident
  		RailroadAccident-1906-Azilda.jpg A train crash killing 12 people took place in Azilda in the early morning of Wednesday, Sept. 12, 1906. At the time, it was one of the worst CPR crashes on record.
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-78978
  Died	12 Sep 1906	near, Azilda, Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Buried	Saint James Anglican Cemetery, Wilmot Township, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Person ID	I78978	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Father	Robert B. Puddicombe, II,   b. 11 Apr 1844, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 17 Sep 1904, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 60 years)
  Mother	Jane Collum,   b. 18 May 1848, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 22 May 1936  (Age 88 years)
  Married	29 Dec 1873	Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4, 5]
  Family ID	F27026	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Emma Helena Louisa Stiefelmeyer,   b. 29 Apr 1877, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 14 Feb 1923, Stratford, Perth Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 45 years)
  Married	21 Aug 1902	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  Children	1. Dorothy Florence Puddicombe,   b. 2 Mar 1903, New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1972, , Ontario, Canada  (Age 68 years)   2. Robert Henry Puddicombe,   b. 30 Oct 1905, Westwood, Manitoba, Canada ,   d. 1996  (Age 90 years)
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F27025	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  One item of melancholy interest, which it is impossible to pass over, occurred during Mr. Owen's term. On the 12th of September, 1906, the whole Country was horrified as the news came over the wires of a most disastrous collision on the Canadian Pacific Railway, near a place called Azilda, on the north shore of Lake Huron, between a heavily loaded tourist train, speeding west, and a freight. Of a long death list the largest number from any one place was furnished by New Hamburg and vicinity, four of our best known families being drawn upon. The victims were Thomas B. Puddicombe, of Haysville, Wm. B. Puddicombe, of New Hamburg, Louis Pfaff , of New Hamburg, and Henry Herman of North Easthope. The funerals and memorial services of these unfortunate men were the occasions of the largest gatherings of recent years. Church of England, An Historical Sketch of the Parish of Wilmot 1828-1913, Diocese of Huron, Ontario, New Hamburg, Canada by Charles James Fox Sep 1913 __________________ Town Mourns Citizens' Death Four New Hamburg Citizens Killed in Awful C. P. R. Wreck near Sudbury. Seven Others Killed New Hamburg's Dead are: LOUIS PFAFF THOS. B. PUDDICOMBE WM. B. PUDDICOMBE HENRY HERMAN THE OTHER SEVEN DEAD ARE : Two daughters of Leonard Schade, Moncton, Ont. Frank Blackwell, Toronto. J. J. Noble, Barrie. Percy Baker, Collingwood. Dr. Milne, South Woodslee. Charles Palmer, Toronto. A gloom was cast over our village on Wednesday evening when the sad intelligence was received here that five people of our village are numbered among the dead in the awful catastrophe on the C. P. R. at Azilda, just west of Sudbury, in which twelve people were: killed and many fatally injured. The unfortunate men were among the party that left here on Tuesday morning bound for Manitoba and the Northwest. The first tidings of the sad affair came in a message stating that Walter Kerr was slightly injured in a train wreck near Sudbury. Then came the report that Henry Herman, of North Eastope was killed and general anxiety was felt for the others who were on the ill-fated train and news from them was anxiously awaited, but every message added another chapter to the sorrowful tale. Wm. Puddicombe and Louis Pfaff were next reported to be dead. On Thursday morning the report came that Thos. B. Puddicombe was also killed. As far can be learned these four were killed outright. Nelson Schatz is also reported dead, but no official news has been received and it is feared that the report is only too true. A message was received from Sudbury yesterday morning that he was seriously injured. Great sorrow is felt for the grief striken families, who were prostrated with grief when the sad news were broken to them. The remains of the deceased will probably arrive here this afternoon. Just before going to press a message was received that Mr Nelson Schatz was not among the death list, but is in a critical condition in the hospital at Sudbury. A gloom prevails over the village that will not readily be removed, all the victims being active business men in the best of health. Their places will be hard to fill. It only seems a moment ago that they were bidding good-bye to everybody in town before taking the train, little thinking that it was their last goodbye. STORY OF THE ACCIDENT. The second section of No. 2, the C. P. R. limited, crashed into the third section of No. 1, a passenger harvesters' excursion train at Azilda on Wednesday morning, a little after seven o'clock and twelve persons were instantly killed and forty injured. The dead were all in one car, the impact telescoping a baggage car into the sleeper. The inmates were caught like rats in a trap and had no chance of escape or warning of their danger. Four doctors from Sudbury were soon on the scene of the wreck and they did all in their power to alleviate the suffering of the injured. The injured were removed to the Sudbury hospital as soon as they could be transferred. The harvesters' special was fifteen cars long, and had nearly nine hundred persons aboard. Had both trains been travelling at their usual speed, the death rate would have been something terrible. Behind the engine was the refrigerator car, followed by an express car, and a baggage car. It was the latter that telescoped the sleeper. The cause of the accident is a mystery. The train had orders to cross at Azilda. The special was to take the siding and was slowing up about 75 yards from the switch when the limited came crashing into them. Engineer Thurlow, of the Limited, says that the air brakes of his train refused to work, and that he could not control the train. He intimated that they must have been tempered with. The Limited appears to be entirely in the fault. As far as can be learned nearly all the killed came from Ontario, and many from Western Ontario. New Hamburg seems to have suffered the worst. Woodslee lost two men, and several other places have lost a citizen. A letter received from Mr. Edward Ruppert received by his father and written immediately after the accident, says that the collision occurred at 8 a. m. 80 miles north of North Bay, which place they left a 4 a. m. Mrs. Stueck, her husband, John Bechtel and himself had just taken a hearty breakfast. Their train comprised 14 couches, the other 7 There were a large crowd of people surrounding the wreck Louis Pfaff, Henry Herman, Thos. Puddicombe and Nelson Schatz were sitting in two seats. Poor Schatz was suffering from injuries, the others were killed. He stood beside them as they pulled Herman from under the baggage car. People were held fast some screaming to be cut out. The Late Louis was highly respected resident of New Hamburg for the past twenty-five years, being about 40 years of age, and proprietor of the local bus and baggage line, and was widely known to the travelling public. He was a member of the Lutheran church. He leaves to mourn his sudden demise a widow and four small children. The late Mr. Wm. Puddicombe was the eldest son of the late R. B. Puddicombe of this town and about 30 years of age. He was a member of the local Lodge of A. F. & A. M. and resided several years in the west where he was an extensive land owner. He was married to the daughter of Mr. H. J. Stiefelmeyer, who with two small children are bereft. He is also survived by his mother, three brothers. He is also survived by his mother, three brothers and four sisters. The late Mr. Thos. B. Puddicombe was one of the most highly respected citizens of this neighbourhood residing at Haysville. He was a director of the Standard Loan Co. and connected with many other monetary intitutions Mr. Puddicombe was a prominent member of the A. F. & A. M. Lodge and member of the church of England. He leaves to mourn his sad death a wife and five children. The late Mr. Henry Herman was a prosperous farmer in North Easthope, about four miles west of the village. He was respected and beloved by all who knew him. He was about 54 years of age and leaves to mourn him a widow and five grown up children. New Hamburg Independent 9 Sep 1906

  
  

• Sources

  [S133] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1901, Wilmot H-1 Page 15. [S320] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - St. James Anglican CC#4571 Internet Link. William B. Puddicombe/ 1875-1906/ At rest/ His wife Emma/ 1878-1923/ Puddicombe [S140] Census - ON, Waterloo, Wilmot - 1881, Div. 4 Page 1. [S699] Census - ON, Waterloo, New Hamburg - 1891, Section 1 Page 17. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 009897-74. Robert Puddicombe, 29, occ. Farmer, b. Wilmot Twp, res. Haysville Village, son of William and Johanna B. married Jane Cullum, 25, b. Wilmot Twp, res. Wilmot Twp, daughter of William and Ellen, witnessed by: William and Margaret Cullum both of Wilmot Twp, 29 December 1873 at St. James Church in Wilmot [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. William B Puddicombe Age: 27 Est. Birth: abt 1875 Father: Robert Puddicombe Mother: Jane Colleun married Emma Stiefelmeyer Age:: 25 Est. Birth: abt 1877 Father: Henry Stiefelmeyer Mother: Bertha Krens married 21 Aug 1902 Marriage Place: Waterloo, Galt

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 31 Jul 1875 - , Ontario, Canada Residence - Anglican - 1891 - New Hamburg, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1901 - Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 21 Aug 1902 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth