G W R staff records 1901/3

[Brentor boy]

Frederick Samuel James Saunders was born in 1883. In 1901 he was living in Newton Abbot, Devon, with his parents, working as a general carter. By January 1803 he was a member of  The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, employed as a railway porter at Newport, Monmouthshire.

It seems reasonable to speculate that he commenced his railway career at his local station, Newton Abbot. Do any records exist that might support that theory?

When he married in 1909 he was then employed as a baker, living in Trealaw, Rhondda. Where, when, why the sudden change of career?

[KGarrad]

There are GWR records available on Ancestry.
Have you looked there?

[Brentor boy]

Thanks, that calls for a visit to the library. Unfortunately I am currently house bound so it will have to wait.

[sgf28]

Frederick Samuel James Saunders, dob 25th June 1883, 5ft 7 and three quarters. Registered number: 38921

Date of entering service:
19th May 1904 Newport as a porter
19th October 1906 Newport as a shunter
15th March 1907 - 13th June 1907 Penygraig as a brakesman

31st May 1907 Resigned

[mazi]

His career seems to be progressing backwards, eoither he did not like railway life or the railway did not like him.

Three months as a brakeman would make most people resign, the job involves walking along a slow moving train of laden coal wagons pinning down brakes on wagons to stop the train from running away down the inclines,

Cold hard and dangerous is the only way to describe that job

Mike

[Brentor boy]

Thanks, sgf28, for the information, and Mike, for the explanation.

 It would appear that my hypothesis is unfounded, which leaves me with the question"What prompted him to move to Wales for employment?" As far as I can determine the family had no prior connection with the area. I guess there are somethings we will never know. Yet by 1814 he was back in South Wales again, after spending the early years of his marriage in Devon, trading as a baker/confectioner for some 10/15 years.

[KGarrad]

There was a general migration to South Wales, with the opening of so many coal mines.
And coal mines needed railways, to move the coal!

My grandparents moved there from Wiltshire and Kent

[mazi]

He would likely have asked for a job on the railway at his local station, the stationmaster at newton abbott would have filled in the forms and, along with his reference, sent them off to probably Exeter.

He would go to Exeter on a free ticket for an interview, and then would be offered a job wherever there was a vacancy.

The railway were very good at not offering jobs near home, as this removed the temptation to offer friends and family free rides, a porter might well be required to sell tickets between 6am and7-30, then the regular ticket clerk would arrive for his days work.

At that time jobs on the railway were highly sought after, being a job for life and promotion as far as ones level of competence would take you.

Hope this helps

Mike

[mazi]

A bit more reading makes me think he was offered a job at Newport with a promise that he could apply for any vacancy that arose back at Newton Abbott,perhaps no vacancy occurred .