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Drunken train driver properly fell off the wagon during journey from Lowdham to Notts

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Local historian and popular speaker Bob Massey recently published two new books covering the history of Arnold, Mapperley and surrounding villages called Snippets of History Vol 1 and 2. 

Over the next few days Gedling Eye will be serialising Bob’s latest books. Today in an extract from one of his books, Bob tells the story of the drunken train driver in Burton Joyce who properly fell of the wagon one evening in 1846…

On the 3rd August 1846 the Nottingham to Lincoln railway passing through Burton Joyce was opened.

It had been started in mid 1844 and had taken only eight months to build. This speeded up the transport of people and goods to and from the village allowing residents to now work in Nottingham or Lincoln and be able to return the same day.

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Trains were quick and frequent but on January 1849 an incident occurred more in line with modern transport than 19th century railways.

In March of that year Alexander Ford, an engine driver with the Midland Railway, was charged with “At Burton Joyce
being unlawfully and willingly offended against the statute by being drunk and leaving the engine under his care” and
brought to court.

The first witness called was William ‘Bill’ Sims who said that on night of 28th January, 1849, he had been the stoker on the train from Lincoln to Nottingham; Ford was the driver.

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When the train reached Fiskerton, Ford said “Bill, I’ll try thee whether thou can manage it as far as Carlton. I am going into the break [van] and the guard will go on the engine”.

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Sims then drove the train to Nottingham instead of Ford. Simms had been a stoker for two years and although he could drive an engine, he had not done so before.

Bob-Massey
LOCAL HISTORIAN: Popular writer Bob Massey

At Lowdham he saw Ford but did not speak to him. Ford came up on the foot plate but he then climbed over the tender and headed towards the break van while the train was still moving. Sims did not see him again during the journey to Nottingham.

When the engine finally arrived in Nottingham, Sims noticed that Ford was missing; he went back along the line towards Carlton to try and find him.

Sims finally spotted Ford being helped along the track by two men about ¾ of a mile away. Ford appeared to be drunk and it seemed had fallen off the train during its journey from Burton Joyce. Ford pleaded with Sims to say he ‘had just fallen from the train’ and not reveal he had been drinking; Ford promised in return for as long as he lived he would make sure Sims never starved.

John Bradley, who had been the guard on the train, confirmed that he had also been asked to say Ford had just fallen from the train. He told the court Ford had said that he felt ill and was going to ride inside the train instead of driving it. He said believed it was  because Ford was drunk.

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Mr Pettifog, the Station Master at Nottingham, was told after the train had been at Nottingham for ¾ hour that they had lost Ford. He then sent the train back to look for him. When they finally found him, Pettifor said that he did not think that Ford was drunk.

The court decided that the drunk charge not be could be proved but did find Ford guilty of neglect of duty and ordered that he be imprisoned for two months.

  • Snippets of History vol 1 and 2 are available from The Bookcase in Lowdham, MSR News, Front Street, Arnold; or Fiveleaves Bookshop in Long Row, Nottingham.  Details can also be found on Bob’s website www.bobmassey.info

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