Norman Sephton (1914-1939) - A Shooting Tragedy
Norman Sephton GPZL-24T was born on 14th October 1914 to Annie Thomson G1DH-JYK (originally from Halsall) and William Sephton G1DH-HJ3, a farm labourer of Halsall Lane, Aughton. Norman was the youngest of 5 children, his siblings being Hilda LLMB-DFP, William GM43-PTG, Thomas G2X8-PQT and Margaret Ethel G1DH-V21.
During WW1, William Sephton Snr joined up and was a Private in C Company of the 1st Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment. Sadly, he was killed in action in France on 4th May 1916 aged only 33 years. He was buried in grave A16 at Bruay Communal Cemetery, France. He is also remembered on the family gravestone in Christ Church graveyard, Aughton.
William’s widow, Annie was left with their five children – all under 9 years old. However, five children sadly became four in 1919 when Hilda, Annie’s oldest daughter, died aged 12 years old. She was buried at Christ Church, Aughton.
In 1921, Annie and her family were still living at 15 Halsall Lane; the children attended school and Annie carried out home duties as well as looking after her children.
As is the way, the children grew up and left home. In the 1939 Register, William jnr was living with his wife in Conway, Wales and Norman was living with his young family in Halsall. Thomas and Margaret Ethel ( the two redacted records) were still at home with their mother Annie.
Norman married Florence Mary Aspinwall GPZL-KQZ in 1937. Florence’s parents were Kate Tinsley 984B-JZV and George Aspinwall KCPV-VZB, a farmer; the Aspinwalls lived at Barn House Farm, Carr Moss Lane in Halsall. After their marriage, Norman and Florence moved into one of the farm cottages, Moss View, Carr Moss Lane (the property adjoining what is now Carr Moss Lane Kennels). The couple went on to have two children.
We can see that they were still living in Halsall when the 1939 Register was taken at the beginning of WW2.
One Autumn evening Norman decided to go out into the garden and shoot some of the rats that had been plaguing his poultry stock. He approached his van which was parked at the back of the cottage and retrieved his gun. Unfortunately, Norman didn’t realise the gun was loaded and as he picked it up, he touched the trigger and shot himself in the abdomen. Staggering to the cottage, he alerted his wife to what had happened. According to the newspaper reports, farmer Albert Pilkington GPZL-612 from Heather Farm just down the road, rang for an ambulance. Bleeding profusely, Norman was taken to Ormskirk Hospital but sadly he died in the ambulance on the way there. He was only 25 years old. An inquest was held in Ormskirk and was attended by Florence and Norman’s older brother William who had travelled up from Wales. Mr. Bolton, the coroner stated the verdict was that of ‘misadventure’. Norman was buried with his sister, Hilda at Christ Church, Aughton.
Florence remarried, a Walter James Martin in 1948 at Southport and she passed away in 1996 in Macclesfield, Cheshire.
Annie Sephton died in 1968 and was buried with her daughter Hilda and son Norman.