#OnThisDay 1921 Rhymney Railway messenger Elizabeth Williams was killed at #Caerphilly, #Wales. She had a walking pass to be trackside. Having watched a train pass on 1 line, she was knocked down by 1 going into the Company's Works, unseen on the line she was closest too. #Railway200
#OnThisDay 1905 Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway brakesman John Blight was injured at Cymmer, #Glamorgan, #Wales. He lost a finger in the incident - presumably shunting, though the details aren't recorded. His regular weekly pay was 19/8 - c.£137 now. #Railway200
He claimed £1 compensation per week he was off - around £139 per week. In total he received £4.8.6 - around £615 today. He appears on the 1911 Census as a signalman, so presumably was found a new role after his accident. #Railway200
This wasn't John Blight's 1st workplace injury, either. On 3 March 1903, age 16 & employed as a porter at Cwmavon station, #Glamorgan, #Wales, he was unloading a wagon onto a hand truck. He twisted his foot & the truck fell on it - breaking his ankle. #Railway200
At the time he had been employed for 3 years according to the record - probably since age 14. He was paid 11/6 per week - c.£80 now. He was off for 132 days, receiving 6/- per week compensation (c.£42 now). #Railway200
Repeat occurrences of individuals in the Railway Work, Life & Death project database, like John Blight, allow us to build a better picture of working life on Britain & Ireland's railways before 1939. Not bad for a free resource & a volunteer-driven project! #Railway200
Combined with other records, like the census, newspaper report & contributions from family historians, we can see very ordinary individuals otherwise largely missed in the historical consciousness - but who formed the more typical experience of the past! #Railway200
So far the Railway Work, Life & Death project has put together a database of over 115,000 railway workers & their accidents... .... & there will be more to come! #Railway200 What we're doing is available free from our project website: www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk
#OnThisDay 1920 Cambrian Railways shunter James Howells & station foreman John Bareford were injured at #Aberystwyth, #Wales. Howells' elbow was caught between 2 coach vestibules during shunting. An engine knocked Bareford down between platforms & bruised him. #Railway200
It's unclear if the two cases were related, or just happened on the same day at the same location. Multiple accidents at any 1 location, even on the same day, were sadly common, especially if the location was large or particularly busy. #Railway200
Earlier this year we visited #Aberystwyth, and highlighted some of the railway staff found in the Railway Work, Life & Death project database. #Railway200 Read more: www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/aberystwyth-...