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Railway Navvies of the SVR

1,083 bytes added, 08:31, 15 October 2019
Newspaper reports: add info (Note, 'chocking' is as the original)
*1860 "STEALING A WHEELBARROW.—Yesterday, at the Borough Police-court, Richard Jones, a labourer, was charged with stealing a wheelbarrow, the property of [[Peto, Brassey and Betts|Messrs. Brassey and Field]], and which belonged to the works of the Severn Valley Railway, and was of the value of 10s. The prisoner was brought up on remand. —On Wednesday last police-constable Cheshire was on duty in the Circus, when the prisoner accosted him, and charged some one with stealing a barrow belonging to him. The police-officer had previously observed a barrow, which he imagined belonged to Mr. Gordon, and ultimately discovered it. The prisoner claimed the barrow as his own, but it was proved that it belonged to the Severn Valley Railway, by James Thomas, an employee, who identified it from the fact that it was made of sapling oak, and the handle, which had split, was fastened with a nail in a peculiar manner. Prisoner, on being once interrogated about the barrow coming into his possession, said the policeman wanted to know too much; another time he professed to have found it in Meole brook, and latterly maintained that it belonged to Mr. Wace, lawyer.—He was committed to the sessions for trial."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000401/18600215/012/0002 Shrewsbury Chronicle - Wednesday 15 February 1860]</ref>
*1860 "BOROUGH PETTY SESSION, Monday.-Before R. O. Backhouse, Esq., Mayor, T. W. Wylde Browne, T. Smith, and T. Colley. Esqrs. —Forgery: James Turner, a navvy employed on the Severn Valley Railway under Mr James Wallis, sub-contractor, was charged with uttering a forged cheque for 3s, with the name of W. Wallis attached thereto. The said cheque was passed by prisoner to Mrs. Smith, of the Crown and Cushion public-house, in this town, on the 28th ult. for which he received goods to that amount. Suspicion was attached to the prisoner, in consequence of many forged cheques of a similar nature being in circulation, and he not coming to claim his wages on the Friday night, information was given to Chief constable Cole, who traced the prisoner to Wenlock, and took him into custody the following morning in a lodging-house, and conveyed him to the Bridgnorth lock-up. The prisoner admitted uttering a similar forged cheque, but not the one produced against him, and the bench fully committed him to take his trial at the ensuing assizes."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000401/18600309/065/0006 Shrewsbury Chronicle - Friday 9 March 1860]</ref>
*1860 "BRIDGNORTH - RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN THE TUNNEL. — On Thursday morning last a lamentable occurrence took place in the tunnel of the Severn Valley Railway, now being constructed in the new town. It appears that whilst Samuel Burton, a navvie, was busily engaged in excavating part of the rock at a place where it had recently been blasted, a large mass of the rock gave way and fell with considerable force on the back of the unfortunate fellow, who, thus prostrated, suffered from a dislocation of the spine and the fracture of several ribs. He was at once conveyed to his residence in the Cart Way, where medical assistance was immediately afforded him, but we regret to state with little effect, as the man is gradually sinking and his friends despair of his recovery from the serious injuries he has experienced."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001467/18600418/069/0006 Eddowes's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales - Wednesday 18 April 1860]</ref>
*1860 "BROSELEY - CLEVER CAPTURE.-Some few weeks back, John Fewtrill was convicted at the Petty Session, for having been trespassing in pursuit of game upon the land of Lord Forester, he was sentenced to fine or a imprisonment. The fine not having been paid, he made himself scarce for a time. Lately, he has returned, and found safer employment on the Severn Valley Railway. A warrant had been issued for his apprehension, and placed in the hand of that active police constable, Jones. This latter made his apearance at the cutting at which his quarry was employed, in the character of a mere spectator. While thus engaged, Fewtrill, perhaps thinking that the presence of the officer boded no good to him, bolted towards the river, apparently with the intention or placing the river between him and his pursuer. On reaching the bank he changed his purpose, and ran at a rattling pace down the towing-path, tumbling rather than jumping over the gate ; but Police-constable Jones was not less swift of foot, Alter a gallant chase, the foot of the policeman touched the heel of Fewtrill; who went down at his length under the policeman. To secure the quarry, the handcuffs were soon put In requisition, and he was marched off to Broseley. Later in the evening the fine and costs were paid—some 20s, odd."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000033/18600820/006/0003 Birmingham Daily Post - Monday 20 August 1860]</ref>
*1860 "MAGISTRATES COURT, TUESDAY:- Charge of Stealing Eight Sovereigns : James Bradshaw, a decent looking man, who said he came from Manchester last week, and was engaged upon the Severn Valley Railway, was charged with stealing eight sovereigns, but no good evidence being adduced he was discharged."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001467/18600905/051/0004 Eddowes's Journal, and General Advertiser for Shropshire, and the Principality of Wales - Wednesday 05 September 1860]</ref> *1860 "FALLING IN OF A RAILWAY TUNNEL.-An accident; which, had it taken place an hour sooner, would have imperilled the lives of 17 human beings, has occurred on the SEVERN Valley Railway, a new line is course of construction from Shrewsbury to Stourport. Close to Bridgnorth, an extensive tunnel is in course of excavation, which will partially run under the town. Above the entrance, and for some distance into the tunnel, there was a thickness of some 3O or 40 feet of soil, in which a number of large trees were rooted. The usual props and supports had been used to keep up this mass while the brickwork was being executed. Sixteen men were employed in the tunnel, and these had only left work about an hour when the superincumbent mass fell in, chocking up the tunnel with earth, rock, and trees, for a distance of 50 feet. It is expected that this accident will somewhat retard the opening of the line, which was fixed for next May."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001894/18601127/069/0003 Nottingham Journal - Tuesday 27 November 1860]</ref> 
*1861 On 9 January 1861 in a cutting south of [[Mount Pleasant Tunnel]], a navvy was killed when a blast hurled rocks at his head. The ganger was instructed to ensure that men were withdrawn to a safe distance before blasting.<ref name=BWJ/>
*1861 On 9 March a navvy was injured in the [[Eyemore Cutting|cutting south of Victoria Bridge]] when a 20lb clod of earth fell on him from a height of 20-40ft. He was taken to Bewdley in a fishing boat and 'immediately placed under the care of Dr Webster'. A few days later a navvy was almost killed in a cutting at [[Arley]] when three wagon loads of earth fell on him.<ref name=BWJ/>
*1862 "FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY. — An accident, which terminated fatally to one of the workmen on the Severn Valley Railway, a man named John Grosby, occurred on Tuesday. Near to the [[Buildwas]] station a siding is being constructed; and, in order to expedite the work, night relays of men are employed. About half-put three o’clock on the morning of the day named an engine passed down the line from Shrewsbury. It was stopped at the Buildwas station for a supply of water, and whilst there the discovery was made that one of the labourers had been run over. He was found close to the rails, with both his legs cut off. The engine was backed, and the poor fellow was placed thereon, and conveyed to the Bridgnorth Infirmary, where he expired about seven o’clock. The unfortunate man has left a widow and two children to mourn his untimely end. An inquest was held on view of the remains at the Squirrel Inn, Bridgnorth, before W. D. Bette, Esq., coroner, and a verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned."<ref>Shrewsbury Chronicle 17th January 1862, reported in [http://www.broseley.org.uk/Papers/Broseley%201862.pdf Broseley Papers]</ref>
*1876 "Two workmen have been killed and two seriously injured through a great fall of earth in [[Bewdley Tunnel|a new railway tunnel near Bewdley]]"<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000250/18760318/010/0002 Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Saturday 18 March 1876]</ref>.

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