RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: Dragoman on Friday 09 August 24 16:08 BST (UK)
-
This is a question for all you railway enthusiasts. I am reading a book about the early days of the building of the railways in Durham, especially around Tow Law. It says that a man with the surname of Bainbridge was the first railway guard to be killed, and possibly the first public railway employee to lose his life while on duty. It would appear that while he was on top of a very early first-class carriage making sure that the luggage, which was stored on top, was secure, he forgot that the train passed under a bridge at Shildon, and the parapet struck his head and killed him. I have no more information but am assuming that the accident could have occurred around the 1890's. I did try to investigate myself and have spotted the following on the Warwick Uni site; "M. Bainbridge - labourer - New Shildon - Killed 1901 - North Eastern Railway Ref: MSS 127/Gr/4/4/2. This looks like a possibility but I can't access the file. The Bainbridge family were heavily involved in railway building.
So, this could be another family member.
-
Could it be Mark Bainbridge? There's an August 1901 burial for him in Shildon.
1901 census - Mark Bainbridge is a railway waggon shop labourer.
His birth year is 1869.
Address is 2, Back Auckland Terrace, Shildon.
-
Another Bainbridge killed in 1863..George Bainbridge was a plate layer on on the Stockton and Darlington Railway he was george Bainbridge age 22...A relative perhaps?
-
Newspaper report for the 1863 death, British Newspaper Archive
a platelayer, named Bainbridge, was riding on a train near to Bishop Auckland, on Tuesday, had occasion to jump off, not observing as he did so the approach of engine the opposite direction to that in which the train was going. The consequence ...
Published: Saturday 18 July 1863
Newspaper: Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury
County: Northumberland, England
Type: Article | Words: 909 | Page: 4 | Tags: none
Don't have a subscription so no more details
-
You might want to post your query on this forum:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/
They have a sub-board entitled "Railway History & Nostalgia." That seems the one to go for.
There experts there whose knowledge or railway history is very impressive. I am sure someone there will be able to answer your question or at least point you in the right direction.
-
The clue is in the phrase “first public railway employee” to be killed on duty.
The first public railway was of course the Stockton and Darlington so I imagine this death occurred
inthe early 1840s, when railway carriages were little more than stagecoaches on railway wheels.
Luggage on roofs would have died out by the end of the 1850s.
Mike