In 2025 we received a rather lovely email from Peter Kilvert, thanking us for the Railway Work, Life & Death project’s work, as it had helped him find out more about someone he was interested in. We always appreciate those emails, and in the conversation that followed it quickly turned out that Peter and others at the Friends of Salford Cemeteries Trust had been doing some really nice work to detail the lives of those interred in the cemeteries within the Trust’s remit.
As Peter noted that, over the years, they’d ‘written up’ quite a few railwaymen who’d died in accidents, we asked if he’d be willing to put something together for us. The concentration of workers who died in railway accidents in a single location gives a good indication of some of the dangers of railway work. Hopefully this post will help share the valuable work the Friends are doing, as well as show how projects can contribute to each other in useful ways. Our thanks to Peter for putting this together.
We always welcome guest blog posts, so if you have something that looks at railway workers, their accidents and their life stories, please have a look at our guidance and get in touch with us!
A gravestone ‘caught my eye’ as I wandered through Weaste Cemetery in Salford, Greater Manchester. It read ‘In Loving Memory of my dear husband ALBERT GRAYSON, accidentally killed at Patricroft Loco Shed, 17th February 1924, aged 64.’ I was, of course, intrigued. I remember those sheds adjacent to Patricroft Railway Station, in Eccles, on the world’s first inter-city passenger railway between Liverpool and Manchester. It was opened in 1885 and closed in July 1968, and was LNWR post-grouping. But why was I intrigued?
I am a Trustee and former Secretary of the Friends of Salford Cemeteries Trust and for the last twenty years I’ve been researching people buried in Weaste Cemetery, and posting a one-page mini-biog on our website. The cemetery opened in 1857 and was one of the first municipal cemeteries to be opened. It is 39 acres in area with over 330,000 people interred. So far I’ve managed to write just over 400 biographies, including seven railwaymen, killed at work. It was whilst researching Albert Grayson that I was advised to visit Railway Work, Life & Death project database.
Albert Grayson was born in 1859 in Barton-upon-Irwell, (now Eccles), Lancashire. He was the fifth child of Thomas Grayson (born 1811 at Barton) who was a Market Gardener, and Rebecca (nee Burgess) Grayson (born 1825 in Wilmslow, Cheshire). In 1861 his address was 15 Barton Lane, Barton-upon-Irwell. In 1871 his address was Peel Green Road, Barton-upon-Irwell. There is no census record for 1881.
On 16 November 1884, Albert (aged 25) married Amelia Thomas (aged 22) at All Saints Church in Gorton, Manchester. There is no detail of Albert’s occupation, but in 1886 at the baptism of their first child Mary Ann, his occupation was fireman. Their second child Thomas was baptised in 1888 and showed Albert’s occupation as locomotive fireman. (sadly Thomas died the following year, aged 1) The next child was Albert jnr in 1890, with Albert still appearing as engine fireman, and then Elizabeth in 1894 showed engine driver. Their fifth child was Amelia, born in 1897, but died aged 3 months old. Albert’s wife Amelia tragically died on 20 August 1899, aged 37, leaving 3 children.
On 12 September 1900, 40-year-old Albert Grayson married Maria Jane Forrest at Christ Church, Salford. She was a widow aged 38. In 1901, Albert’s new family lived at 1 Lord Street Salford, where Albert’s occupation was locomotive engine driver. In 1901 they lived at 81 Milton Street, Patricroft, Eccles, and in 1921 at 76 Milton Street.
At 05.00 on 17 February 1924 Albert Grayson was accidentally killed at Patricroft Loco Shed, aged 64. The RWLD report says, ‘After taking the engine to the coal stage, Grayson left the engine, but was found 20 minutes later laying on the track. He was taken to hospital with a fractured skull and collarbone, but died an hour later. There was no indication he had been in contact with an engine and it is assumed he had been on another engine and fell, hitting his head on a rail or a chair.’ Albert was buried at Weaste Cemetery, grave B17/CE/11409, on 22 February 1924.
Other railwaymen at rest at Weaste Cemetery
George Sleigh (1805-1863), LNWR locomotive driver, aged 58, struck his head on an overbridge near Broadheath on 20 November 1863. A fuller account is available here.
James Halsall (1854-1882), railway guard, aged 28, fell off a slowly moving train at Blackpool, Lancashire. An Inquest heard that at 7 pm, on 7 April 1882 the Manchester to Blackpool train was standing at a signal at Bispham, near Blackpool. Halsall and another Guard got upon the carriages to light the lamps. When the train moved off the other Guard got down, but Halsall remained on top of the carriage. Within 200 yards the train went under a bridge and Halsall was swept off the carriage and fell to the track.
George Henry Oakes (1871-1889), engine cleaner, aged 17, employed by LNWR at Ordsall Lane Shed, Salford, was crushed and killed on 4 June 1889 when he became trapped between a locomotive and tender. The Inquest heard that the loco was taken into the shed to be cleaned. Oakes was caught between the buffers of the loco and tender and was badly crushed. He was taken to Salford Royal Hospital where he died.
William Ritchie (1864-1902), carter, aged 37, employed by Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Co. Whilst taking his horse into Irwell Street Stables, Salford, on 11 April 1902, it kicked him in the stomach. He died at home the next day. An Inquest heard that the horse shied as a lurry passed. The animal began to plunge about and Ritchie lost hold of it. As it passed him the horse kicked him full in the stomach. A witness said that this horse often shied whilst in traffic on the street, but this was denied by the Stable Keeper.
Edward Fitzpatrick (1861-1909), painter, aged 49, employed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co, was hit by an engine whilst crossing tracks at Bolton station during a snow storm on 19 December 1909. A fuller account is available here.
William Bradley (1876-1904), platelayer, aged 28, employed by Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co, was knocked down and killed by a train on 16 October 1904. The Inquest heard that there was a seven-man gang working on a line near Oldfield cabin No.1 in Salford, and the Foreman had positioned a flagman. At 10.15am a train from Manchester Exchange Station to Southport came through at 30 mph. The flagman blew his whistle and the men got off the track. But Bradley was seen walking along the edge of the sleepers toward cabin number 2 where he had left his jacket, to fetch his tobacco. He was caught by the end of the buffer that smashed his skull.
Alfred Edwards (1889-1914), railway shunter, aged 24, was working at Irwell Street Goods Yards, Salford, when he was accidentally killed on 2 July 1914. He was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, where he died. (No further information.)
John Leach (1814-1867), pointsman, age 52, employer Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co. Whilst walking home along the railway track, he was killed by a train near Windsor Bridge, Salford on 3 March 1867. An Inquest heard that when Leach left work on Sunday night, shunting operations were being carried out near the station. An engine had passed along the line shortly after he left, but the driver and Firemen saw nothing of the deceased. The driver said that the usual whistle signals had been given as he came out of the sidings onto the main line. However, the engine had evidence of blood on it, which left little doubt that Leach had in some way come into contact with it. The jury returned a verdict of Accidental Death. A fuller account is available here.
Peter Kilvert
Trustee, Friends of Salford Cemeteries Trust