Albert Baker Stuart - Railway Policeman

[v.wells]

Albert Baker Stuart marriage cert 1873 states his occupation as Railway Policeman (no company name) and resided in Christ Church, Lee, Kent. I don't know what rail company he may have been employed with and since he and his wife Janetta Daley disappeared after that date I thought that maybe he had died by accident on the job - but there is no death registration on GRO. His dob is 1851, Devon.

I have found a possible re-marriage for Janetta Stuart in 1879 but I would rather find out what happened to Albert. I have looked for all variations of Albert and Stuart - no joy. Not even wild cards work.

I have looked TNA under Railway Policemen and the links but have no clue as to what company he would be working for. Any Ideas? Thanks

[Jan1954]

Here are some railways to be going on with: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mickssrsource/tpagesrs/tsecrbutton.html

It might be easier to find his death... :(

[Mutley]

Vanessa, do you know where in Devon he was born, wasn't Whimple was it?
It's just that I cannot find your Albert either, though I keep tripping over an Edwin B Stuart who, on one census was a porter at the Army and Navy Stores.
I think another member of your family worked there didn't they?

No connection, I suppose?

[v.wells]

Albert Baker Stuart is in fact Edwin Baker Stuart's brother making Albert my great uncle. He was born in 1851 Ottery St. Mary. Edwin b 1849 Whimple, did work at Army/Navy and Harry Walsh was also there who has conveniently disappeared too. Harry Walsh is great uncle on my mother's side.. I have all of Albert's census, birth and marriage records but not a death. He was a servant in Tiverton in 1871 and a Railway policeman on his marriage cert in 1873. Some of my rellies I could just shoot!

[Mutley]

This was very interesting

http://www.btp.police.uk/History%20Society/Publications/History%20Society/The%20history/History%20of%20Policing%20the%20Railways.htm

Need to see if the The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway ran through the Lewisham/Lee area lines

[v.wells]

Here are some railways to be going on with: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mickssrsource/tpagesrs/tsecrbutton.html

It might be easier to find his death... :(

|5cups| I'll look after lunch. It may be an impossible task! Thanks Jan:)

[v.wells]

This was very interesting

http://www.btp.police.uk/History%20Society/Publications/History%20Society/The%20history/History%20of%20Policing%20the%20Railways.htm

Need to see if the The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway ran through the Lewisham/Lee area lines

I only read part of the other info pieces and didn't see that one and yes that is interesting:

"If you look carefully at a £5 note you can see a Railway Policeman on horseback, carrying a flag before an early steam train." I shall have to buy a fiver to see the image now.
:)

[Sue Mackay]

Railway policemen were the precursors of modern day signalmen.

From 'British Railway Signalling' by Kichenside and Williams:
"Some means of signalling was necessary to indicate to an engine driver whether he had to stop his train or could continue at speed. Each railway company employed policemen posted at stations, junctions, road level crossings and intermediately where necessary to control the running of trains. They signalled to drivers by hand signals. Almost from the start many railway companies organised their policemen on a similar basis to the then new Metropolitan police. Their duties included the general maintenance of law and order on railway premises, the inspection of the way and works, the removal of trespassers from the line and assistance in the working of the station, in addition to the operation of points and the signalling of trains... By the beginning of the 1840's the railway traffic policeman's duties were concentrated more on the working of signals and points for the control of trains and less on other matters... By the 1870's slotted post semaphore signals had become standard on most lines."

Sue (married to a signalman!)

[Sue Mackay]

I have looked TNA under Railway Policemen and the links but have no clue as to what company he would be working for. Any Ideas? Thanks

According to hubby, assuming that railway policemen/signalmen never lived far from the signal box as they had to do 12 hour shifts, he would either have worked for the South Eastern Railway or the London, Chatham and Dover Railway.

[v.wells]

Thanks Sue. You would think, that if he died on duty, it would still be registered with GRO.

[Geoffers]

There is some information on this TNA research guide (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletID=336)

[Mutley]

You would think, that if he died on duty, it would still be registered with GRO.

His name is not on the national roll of honour of those who died on duty.

[v.wells]

Yes I had checked the National Roll of Honour for those who died on duty. So, I guess it's back to the beginning again searching the 1881 census and beyond. If his wife did indeed marry again, then he I think must have died. So why can't I find a death registration? They were a religious sort and neither, I feel, would commit bigamy. Which would be way cool - I'd finally have a black sheep:D

[v.wells]

Since I can't find any deaths of either of them I started researching her siblings that located a nephew living with her sister in Lambeth. He was born in Montreal, Canada so now I am positive that Albert and Janetta immigrated to Canada sometime between 1873and 1881.

So now I am extending my research outside of my comfort zone of the UK. I don't know why I have forgotten so much Canadian history! Has somethng to do with aging. I wonder if they would have qualified for "assisted passage" in the 1870's as he was a railway policeman! From what I have read they didn't make much.

[StintonLomas]

Hi

His name is not on the national roll of honour of those who died on duty.

Is that a Railway workers Roll of Honour?
Could you post a link for it, if it is, please?

[v.wells]

www.btp.police.uk

[StintonLomas]

Thanks

[michaelpipe]

Another suggestion, based only on experience from one of my family lines. The husband, totally fed up with his work environment on the railways in England applies to one of the mainly British owned Indian railway companies, who regularly recruited in London around this time, but leaves without his wife because she just refused to go. The wife remarried a few years later in England, and the husband remarried in India and ended up in Australia.

If that was the case, then it could be a very hard one to follow.

[v.wells]

|wave|Hi Michael - Welcome to B-G. We are rellies of a sort and have sent a pm regarding this mysterious lady.

Your comments certainly create some additional thinking about this. I am just now searching in Canada and ship's passenger lists from Britain.

If this was the case with Albert and Janetta what would be the timespan that she could legally remarry? I always thought it to be 7 years but in this case I did find a possible re-marriage 6 years after the first marriage.

I truly do love my ancestors|5cups|

[v.wells]

I think I may have found him! In the medal rolls Royal Engineers first as Pioneer 233056 and W/R 505066. I will have to start another thread now to find him at TNA.:)