This guy had to be the most unluckiest in the world at the time. I understand he was a parishoner of Neston but was playing the organ at Lower Heswall when killed.
Does anyone know the full story and was he actually struck by lightning or was the building struck and he was killed by falling masonary? Was anyone else killed at the same time?
I have quite a bit of information on this incident as my great grandfather's brother, Henry Rathbone, was also killed.
Here is a shortened version of the report in the Chester Chronicle, September 1875:
A fearful thunderstorm burst over the North-Western part of Cheshire and Liverpool on Sunday evening, causing serious destruction of life and property. The storm seems to have vented it special fury upon the little village of Heswall, in Cheshire, the parish church of which was struck by the lightning, and two persons killed within the edifice during the performance of divine worship. A brilliant flash of lightning was followed by a loud report: the lights (excepting a few candles at the east end) were extinguished: plaster fell from the roof in various places (some upon the Bible in the reading desk): and the congregation became panic stricken. The rain by this time was falling torrents: but many undeterred by the fact that even then water had accumulated outside the church wall at least knee deep, rushed out of the edifice and across the road to the Black Horse Inn, where a light was visible, and where they found shelter. The rector and the less frightened of the congregation remained in the church, and it was then discovered that the gentleman who was temporarily presiding at the harmonium had been struck dead by the lightning while his fingers were on the keys of the instrument. Further search showed that a lad of 16 years, Henry Rathbone, who had occupied a seat in the pew under the gallery, was also dead: while a number of others were stunned. The shocking fate of the organist, is coupled with an extraordinary fatality. His name was John Heveran: he was about the age of 28, a native of Athlone in Ireland, and he filled the post of parish schoolmaster and organist of Neston. The ordinary organist of Heswall Church is Mr. W. Collishaw, who is also the national schoolmaster, and he had been introduced to Mr Heveran about a week before. Finding that Mr. Heveran was a proficient musician, he invited him to take part in a parochial entertainment given in the schoolroom some day last week. Mr. Heveran was obliged to decline in consequence of another engagement, but expressed a wish (the church of his own parish being under process of restoration) to play at Heswall Church on the following Sunday. His wish was willingly acceded to, and to this compliance with the poor young man's desire Mr. Collishaw doubtless owes his escape from a terrible death. A subsequent examination of the church shows that the electric fluid first struck the weather ****, shivering the staff to pieces, and partially melting the **** and the iron surroundings. The fluid then descended the east side of the tower, entered the nave at the apex of the roof, and, taking a slightly oblique direction, struck the poor organist, passed through the floor of the gallery under the harmonium, and killed the lad Rathbone. Its course afterwards appears to have been extremely erratic. The north door was open at the time, and while some of the congregation imagine that it made its way through this aperture, others are confident that it appeared to rebound and strike the ceiling of the nave. In the course of its traverse after hitting Rathbone, the fluid must have come in contact with several who were standing at the time between him and the door, and the following were more or less injured - Henry Tarbuck, assistant gardener at the rectory; William Hewitt, labourer, William and Thomas Woodward, two school lads; and Joseph Davies, baker. All of these, however, had almost entirely recovered on Monday, and only complained of a certain degree of numbness. The bodies of the deceased exhibit a ghastly spectacle. Both are deadly white, and bear mark in places of discolouration. Heveran was struck on the left ear, and the left boot is cut as if with a knife. Rathbone, who has the more placid appearance of the two, received the stroke in the throat, and there is apparently a hole about the centre of the windpipe.
The epitaph on Henry Rathbone's grave is this:
Be warned by my sudden call, That you for death prepare, Lest it should come you know not when, The manner, how or where.
So it was a very sad end for both Mr Heveran and my great uncle Henry.
