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-...
#OnThisDay 1914 GWR fireman Grant was injured en route between #Waterford, #Ireland, & #Fishguard, #Wales. He hurt his shin, slipping on a ladder. He would have been a ship's stoker, as the GWR operated shipping between Waterford & Fishguard. #Railway200
#OnThisDay 1913 Barry Railway locomotive cleaner J Seaward, 14 1/2, was injured at #Barry loco sheds, #Glamorgan, #Wales. Walking along the footplate, he slipped & fell, bruising his right ankle. His was off work for 1 day; his daily wage was 1/6. #Railway200
#OnThisDay 1906 Barry Railway crane driver R Mallett was injured at #Barry, #Glamorgan, #Wales. He put his left arm through the spokes of the crane wheel to oil it, just before the crane was set in motion. His arm was badly squeezed. He was off work for 11 days. #Railway200