Dismissed for being drunk - 1899

These chaps were dismissed by Great Northern Railway in 1899 for having a bit too much...

Pallender, J.W. - Parcels Porter, Peterboro' Passenger [station], for being asleep and under the influence of drink when on duty.

Thorndike, Geo. Wm. - Superior Foreman Prorter, Manchester Goods [station], for being under the influence of drink, and asleep in a wagon whilst on duty.

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Source: The National Archives, RAIL 236/160, Traffic Committee Minute Book, 5/10/1899, p.257

"Special Trains to London for the Duke [of Wellington's] Funeral" - 1852

This small article appeared in The Leicester Chronicle on Saturday 30 October 1852 in the wake of the death of the Duke of Wellington. The 'Mr Cook' is, I presume, Mr Thomas Cook, who in the period arranged a great many excursions in the period. Notice also that the train went via Derby, as the shorter Great Northern Main Line was at that point incomplete.

"SPECIAL TRAINS TO LONDON FOR THE DUKE'S FUNERAL - Although the arrangements for visiting London are not yet completed, it will be seen by advertisement that Mr. Cook is desirous of consulting teh convenience of two classes-those who wish for an opportunity of being in town at the Lying-in-State, and the working classes, who can only make it convenient to be present at the funeral. The Scottish newspapers announce a special train, under Mr Cooke's management, from the extreme point of the northern railway, commencing at Aberdeen, and bringing passengers from Montrose, Dundee, Perth, St. Andrews, Coupar Fife, Coupar Angus, Stirling, Edinburgh, Galashiels, Haddington, Berwick, and other towns. The whole distance from Aberdeen to London is about 570 miles. The train is arranged to reach Derby at 6 o'clock on Tuesday morning, November 16th and the party will stop here for an hour for breakfast, Mr Cuff having arranged to provide on liberal terms at the station refreshment rooms. It is hoped Mr Cook will succeed in promoting a spirit of reciprocity amongst those north of the Tweed who have benefited so much from his arrangements from these parts to Scotland."

Britain's first Dining Car - 1879

On Monday 27 October 1879, Britain's railways witnessed the first appearance of a dining car on the Great Northern Railway (GNR). This car was not how we would expect railway dining facilities to be today, and there were actually two coaches, one when the passengers ate and another where the food was cooked. This was a widely reported event, and the press heaped praise on the GNR, with poetry being produced to mark the occasion. If you would like to read more about this event, I wrote a whole blog post on it last year.

GNR 'Conditions of Admission to the Service' for new clerks- 1856 - Part 2

On Thursday I presented the first half of the Great Northern Railway's 'Conditions of Admission to the Service' for new clerks from 1856, which I found in a rule book for station masters. While that half dealt principally with wages, the second half was where potential clerks' conditions of service, qualifications and security were discussed, as follows:

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7. A candidate as a Clerk will undergo a strict examination as to his qualifications, in proportion to his age; he will be required to show a good hand-writing, suited for accounts and correspondence, and that he has a competent knowledge of mercantile arithmetic; and he must be in a good state of health.

The candidate must, on attending at the Secretary's office to be examined, produce testimonials of character.

In the case of an Experienced Clerk; and of a Junior Clerk who has been before employed - 

      1. From his last employer.
      2. One from each of two housekeepers of undoubted respectability.

In the case of a Lad Clerk; and of a Junior clerk who has NOT  been before employed -

      1. From the head master of the school at which he has been educated.
      2. One from each of his two housekeepers of undoubted respectability.

The nomination, with particulars of the examination and testimonials, will be submitted to the directors on the candidate appearing before them, and who will decide whether he be qualified and a proper person to be appointed.

The name of a Clerk, on appointment, will be added to a list, from which he will be summoned in turn for duty as a vacancy occurs, provided he has in the meantime, given security; but should he, on being summoned, refuse or neglect to join, his name will be struck out of the list, and he cannot afterwards be re-admitted to the service.

A Clerk must, immediately on appointment, give security to the amount of two years' salary, or in not less that £100, through the medium of one of the undermentioned Guarantee Societies; and he cannot subsequently, under any pretence whatever, be allowed to change from the society first selected, viz:-

The Guarantee Society, 19, Birchin Land City;
The British Guarantee Association, 9, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall;
The Times Life Assurance and Guarantee Company, 32, Ludgate Hill;
The United Guarantee and Life Assurance Company, 36, Old Jewery, City;
The United Service and General Life Assurance and Guarantee Association, 20,                                                   Cockspur Street, Charing Cross

The Railway Company pays the premium in the case of a Clerk whose salary does not exceed 21s. per week with, or 25s. per week without allowances.

GNR 'Conditions of Admission to the Service' for new clerks- 1856 - Part 1

As many of you are aware, I have a number of obsessions when it comes to railway history. Clerks are one, and rule books are another (Beer trains are also high on the list - naturally). Therefore, imagine the joy I had when flicking through my Great Northern Railway rule book from 1856, when I came a cross the 'Conditions of Admission to the Service' for all the company's new clerks. Two obsessions satisfied in one place - I couldn't ask for more. The first part of the 'conditions' were related to the clerks' pay, as follows:-

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1.Candidates for employment can join the service only in one of the following classes, viz
           Experienced Clerk Class. - Nominated by the General Manager
           Junior Clerk and Lad Clerk Class -Nominated by the Directors in turn

2. Experienced Clerks. - A candidate as an Experienced Clerk must posses railway experience, or experience in other traffic equivalent thereto.
          The salary not exceeding £80 per annum, is fixed on appointment.

3. Junior Clerks. - A candidate as a Junior Clerk must have attained 18, and must not exceed 23 years of age.
The salary on appointment, and -

For the 1st Year is ...               ...                21s per week
     "      2nd           ...               ...               22s       "
     "      3rd           ...               ...                23s       "
     "      4th           ...               ...                24s       "
     "      5th, and until promoted                   25s       "

If employed in London, but during such employment only, 4s a week are allowed in addition to the salary.

A Junior Clerk is eligible for promotion only on a vacancy occurring, and upon the head of the department in which he has been employed, and the General Manager, recommending him as qualified to fill the same.

4. Lad Clerks. - A candidate as Lad Clerk must have attained 15, and must not exceed 18, years of age.

The salary on appointment, and -


For the 1st Year is ...               ...                10s per week
     "      2nd           ...               ...               11s       "
     "      3rd           ...               ...                13s       "
     "      4th, and until promoted                   16s       "

A Lad clerk is ineligible for promotion to be a Junior Clerk until he is 18 years of age, and then only upon a vacancy occurring, and upon the head of the department in which he has been employed, and the General Manager, recommending him as qualified to fill the same.

5. All Clerks, without reference to their standing in the service, are allowed 4s a week, in addition to their pay, when employed wholly on night duty.

6. Written application at the end of year of service must be made to the directors through the medium of the superintendent of the line, or chief of the department in which the Clerk is engaged, for the authorised increase of salary, and failing such application at the proper time, increased pay will be allowed only from the date of which it is eventually made. This rule applies also to the Police and Porters.


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Part 2 to come on Saturday

Extensive Frauds and Forgeries on the Great Northern Railway Company - 1856

One of the most massive frauds in British railway history was exposed in 1856 when a Mr Leopold Redpath was found to have seriously defrauded the Great Northern Railway, the company for whom he worked as Registrar. It was widely reported and the Daily News detailed the following (this is a shortened version of the full article):

'The Great Northern Railway Company have been defrauded of an immense amount of money, in consequence of the dishonesty of one of its principal officers. Up to a late hour last night it had been proved that his defalcations amounted to 150,000l. The report is that 180,000l will not cover the amount, but no accurate estimate can be formed until the auditors can make up a report, an operation that will occupy some weeks. As soon as a the accounts can be arranged, the result will be made up for the purpose of being submitted to a general meeting of proprietors.

Mr. Leopold Redpath, of 27 Chester Terrace Regents-Park, was, until a few days since, the registrar of Shares and Transferer of Stock of the Great Northern Railway Company. Although his salary was not extensive, amounting to something between 250l and 300l a year, he lived in a luxurious style in a fashionable house, had a box at the opera, was a habitué of the theatres, a Governor of Christ's Hospital, and of the Royal Anne's Society, and a subscriber and director of many of the most prominent metropolitan charitable institutions. There was scarcely ever a fashionable party, and operatic party or a gathering of the beau monde, in which the name "Leopold Redpath Esq." did not appear...

...A warrant has been granted for the apprehension of Leopold Redpath, who is still a fugitive from justice. He is described as being about 45 years of age, 5 foot 10 inches in height, with fair complexion, brown hair. he walks in a hurried or "jolted" manner. He dresses well, but not foppishly, and his general demeanour indicates a person of extremely quiet habits and good position in society.

The directors of the Great Northern Railway appear to have been acquainted with the expensive habits of their servant, and to have been aware that 300l a year could not have met his expenses. Singularly enough, a feeling prevailed that he filled his responsible office simply of a desire of having something to do; and this opinion was confirmed by the fact that he made large contributions to many religious and charitable institutions with which the metropolis abounds.'

Taken from: Daily News , Friday, November 14, 1856

Thomas Wenham's Little Brown Book (1856 GNR Rule Book)

Believe it or not, this 1856 Great Northern Railway (GNR) rule book is now my favourite piece of what is called 'Railwayana.' Astoundingly, on a Sunday night, which, allegedly, is the best time to sell anything on ebay, I purchased this gem for a mere £10.00. "Ten pounds" I hear you say...yes, I too was flabbergasted. The item is important to me as it is an example of a rule book before they were standardised across the industry by the Railway Clearing House in 1876. Thus, it tells of a period when railways were far more individual in internal structure, operations and practice. But in addition to this, it also contains rules for railway employees other than the run-of-the-mill railway workers, for example clerks and porters, and also holds information for numerous classes of managers. Thus, it shows a railway company's management structure in the industry's early years. Lastly, it is clear that the book belonged to two individuals, John Wallis and Thomas Wenham, the latter of whom acquired it in 1870 when working as a porter and was promoted to the position of Goods Guard a year later.

A search of the census shows that Thomas Whenham was born in Deeping in Lincolnshire in either 1848 or 1849. In 1871, the year he was in possession of the rule book, he was living in Crown Street in Peterborough, was married to Mary and had one daughter, Jane. Also residing with him were two lodgers; John Snell, an engine cleaner, and Charles P. Amos, a harness maker. I have to say that it is quite an odd feeling to know where Thomas lived and about his family. It makes the rule book, which has his handwriting all over the inside covers, a really tangible part of history, a part of someone's life, an object that has been used and read. It is a feeling I rarely get, as most of what I study in my PhD does not have a very human element. However, this item truly allows me to touch a piece of a Victorian railway worker's life, and that just makes me warm and fuzzy.

N.B. I will be digitising this item soon for distribution.