Northampton Mercury, 24th Mar 1888

ACCIDENT – About two o’clock on Wednesday afternoon, as Mr. J. Hale was driving down the street of the village with a little pony and trap, the near side rein broke just as he was passing the National [Church] School-room, and unfortunately the pony was pulled up the large embankment by the other rein until it got near the top, against Mr. Talbutt’s , the baker, and then, before it could be stopped, the animal came down the embankment, and was driven into the wall built around the Infants School with such force as to break its neck, causing instantaneous death. Mr. Hale was very violently thrown from the trap, and the fear was entertained that he was severely injured, but on coming round it was found that he was not as badly hurt as was first thought. He was able to walk back to his home. The shaft of the trap was broken into splinters. [John Hale was a farmer and churchwarden.  He lived at Sunnyside Farm, now 73 Church Street]

Sunnyside Farm