Wakefield Railway Employees

[Littletoot]

I'm wondering if anyone may know if any records might exist if an ancestor worked for the Railways? On the 1851 census my grt grt grandfather Richard Duncan  tells us he was a Railway Porter when he lived in Brunswick Street, Wakefield.  He is what I call my problematic ancestor, many thanks if anyone can shed some info about employment records.

[mazi]

Brunswick St. is very close to Wakefield Kirkgate station, which then was part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway, ancestry has some railway records, but whether they include employee records for the L Y R, I do not know.

Wakefield west gate station did not open till after 1851, despite it being shown on the 1851 map, this was part of the great northern railway, I think in 1851 there may have been a small goods shed there.

The mass of goods sidings at kirkgate makes me think your man was likely a goods porter working in and around the goods depot, rather than a porter asissting passengers with their luggage as we think of them today.

Good luck with your search, as well as the national archives Warwick university has some record, as does the national railway museum, but 1851 is very early, most staff records I am aware of are later than that

Mike

[mazi]

The lancs. and Yorkshire railway was a joining together of several smaller railways in 1847, your man could have started on the railway before then, in which case he would have worked for the Manchester and Leeds railway

Mike

[cir]

Hi Littletoot,

I too have been attempting this for some time. Unfortunately the records appear to be very hit and miss. There is an explanation in
Who Do You Think You Are?: The Genealogy Handbook    now with a later edition 2014.

This volume cites the railway workers family history society. and a website which is now defunct.


This may be of interest ....
http://genguide.co.uk/source/railway-workers-records-occupations/155/

I have two ancestors...........one of whom worked in the refreshment rooms at Kirkgate (Land Y) and another who was a porter and later a signalman...somewhere local to Wakefield, but I cannot find any records. The info has come via the census and marriage certs.

Hope this helps. C

[BumbleB]

Have you tried contacting the National Railway Museum in York?   

Also Ancestry have some Railway Employee records - not sure how far back they go - I looked at early 20th century for a relative.

Added:  Ancestry say they have Railway Employment records 1833-1963