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Railway Navvies of the SVR

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*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 [[Bridgnorth Tunnel|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 "APPREHENSION OF A NIGHT POACHER.—It may perhaps be in the recollection of some of our readers that at the March Assizes last year, George Massey, " a navvy," who had been working on the Severn Valley Railway, near Stourport, was convicted and sentenced to nine months' hard labour for poaching in Shrawley Wood, on the 15th of the previous January, when one of the gamekeepers of the late T. B. Vernon Esq., of Hanbury Hall, was shot at and severely wounded. Two of Massey's fellow-labourers on the railway were implicated in the offence, both of whom absconded, and notwithstanding that attempts were made at the time both by the usual notice in the Hue and Cry, and the offer of a reward by Mr. Vernon to find them out, they escaped detection. One of them, named John Smith, alias Baylis, alias - "Hard Head," has been lately employed at the tunnel on the Worcester and Hereford railway, near Malvern. Police-superintendent Phillips, of the Worcester division having received information, went to the tunnel, where he apprehended him. The prisoner denied his knowledge of the matter but made no resistance. He was brought to Worcester, and taken before H. B. Tymbs, Esq., when be was remanded, to go before the justices of the Hundred House Division."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000350/18600425/021/0004 Worcestershire Chronicle - Wednesday 25 April 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, [[Bridgnorth Tunnel|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>
*1860 "BRIDGNORTH - COUNTY SESSIONS A working man on the Severn Valley Railway was charged with stealing timber, the property of his employers, on the evening of Friday last. He was committed to Shrewsbury gaol for seven days."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001308/18601212/098/0007 Wolverhampton Chronicle and Staffordshire Advertiser - Wednesday 12 December 1860]</ref>
*1860 "SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY.—The rain has greatly impeded the works on this line. A few days ago, part of a high stone wall, forming a facing to an embankment adjoining [[Wribbenhall Viaduct|the viaduct over the turnpike road at Wribbenhall]], fell ; two men fell along with it, but fortunately no one was hurt."<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000401/18601228/030/0005 Shrewsbury Chronicle - Friday 28 December 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/>
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