THE MIDLAND RAILWAY
STUDY CENTRE

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Appendix: The Establishment in 1911

The 1911 census, the last available at time of writing, provides the most comprehensive list of railway personnel living in Ashchurch, as well as showing their distribution around the area in terms of accommodation. There were 82 railway employees, 87 if the staff of the refreshment rooms are included. Many are living in the railway cottages at the station, others in the community in houses westward along the Ashchurch Road. There is a group in Northway, a few at Aston Cross and in Aston-upon-Carrant. South of the Tewkesbury to Teddington road are small numbers living in Pamington and Fiddington.

The totals are generally compatible with the number of posts shown from railway records:

There were also several described as railway employees not further specified - one railway worker, four railway servants and 18 railway labourers.

Ten people worked at the Provender Stores, clearly railway company employees. These included a manager, deputy manager/clerk, night watchman, stationary engine driver, and various porters/labourers. There were also five ladies working at the station refreshment rooms, though, as suggested elsewhere here, perhaps they may have been employees of a different company. They lived at the Refreshment Rooms rather than in railway housing or in the community.

There was a concentration of employees at Ashchurch station. Each of fourteen (in 1911) cottages owned by the railway accommodated a railway family, often with one of the short-term younger employees boarding. In 1911 there was additional accommodation in the form of a nearby farmhouse in which two families were living and which would appear to have been acquired or leased by the railway company. There was also a stationmaster's house. In 1911 the stationmaster was living in a named house. It was very close to the station and it is not known whether this was the stationmaster's house renamed or a new or newly acquired building.

Railway families are also found in houses along the Ashchurch Road, westwards towards Tewkesbury; in Northway where there was a railway lodge, probably that described in 1911 as the crossing-keeper's house; to the east at Aston Cross and Aston-upon-Carrant. South of the Tewkesbury-Teddington Road there was a smaller number of railwaymen living in Teddington and Pamington, including a railway keeper's house at the former. A large proportion of those in the south and at Aston-upon-Carrant, all rural areas, were platelayers and labourers, often local men who had been born and brought up here and were themselves bringing up families.

In the following table the railwaymen's houses are shown in the context of all the houses listed

A. In the area of Ashchurch station
railway cottages
14John Harrison foreman porter
13Frederick Weavergoods guard
12James Malin goods checker
11Joseph Joel Cooper signalman
10Raymond Haynessignalman
9Samuel Stockton Evans yard foreman
8Thomas Heard signalman
7{Frederick Woolley
{Harry Collins
coal stage & night watchmen
stationary engineman

boarding
6Robert Hamblinsignalman
5{Richard H Smith
{Thomas O'Hanlon
signalman
telegraphist

boarding
4Albert Geo Saml Bamfordrelief signalman
3{Joseph Bullock
{Walter Henry Hancox
relief signalman
ticket collector

boarding
2James Pardoecorn porter Prov. Stores
1Frederick Trapprailway watchman
Refreshment Rooms {Nellie Wood
{Mary Shaw
{Lily Matthews
{Anne Aldridge
manageress
asst manageress
housemaid
housemaid
farmhouse {Henry Bassano
{Albert Granger
retd signalman
Provender clerk
sharing
West View{William Watkins
{James Watkins
stationmaster
railway clerk

son of William
B. Along the Ashchurch Road eastwards
Three 'Northway Cottages', including:
no numberGeorge Willis railway labourer
Two houses at/in Gannaway Lane, including:
no numberCharles Trapprailway carpenter
One House (The Spa)
Three Marconi Cottages including:
3Edward Harrisrailway engine driver
Seven named houses in Ashchurch Road including:
Waverley Edward H Hodkinmanager Provender Stores
Two 'Newtown Cottages
6Henry Holyoak Darerailway porter
7John Benjamin Brooksrailway signalman
Thirteen named houses in Ashchurch Road including:
Forest FernsWilliam James Colerailway clerk
Glencoe VillaJohn Smithrailway engine drivershared accommodation
NorthdeneCharles Savoryrailway inspector
Fourteen 'Newtown Cottages' (8-21) including:
11Arthur Henry Collettporter shunter
12Peter Griffiths telegraph clerksee footnote
15{Gilbert Anstee
{Raymond Leach
railway servant
railway servant
boarding
17 James Sheppardrailway guard
18Herbert Roden railway guard
19{William Rossell
{Percy Edw Rossell
{Leonard V Rossell
{Herbert H Rossell
sub-inspector
railway painter
railway labourer
railway labourer

son of William
son of William
son of William
21Northcote R Willsrailway servant
footnote: Peter Griffiths absent on census night, family staying with father in Gloucester, but this is his usual address in Ashchurch
C. In Northway
Some twelve farms, houses, cottages including:
houseErnest V S Nunneyrailway labourer
houseRaymond Allchinrailway carpenter
Crossing Keeper's
house
John Beachamrailway gatemanNorthway Crossing
D. At Aston Cross
Some fourteen residences including:
houseWilliam Kingston goods guard
Brickfields{William Davis
{Arthur H R Davis
{Francis R Davis
forage lab Prov Stores
railway platelayer
railway platelayer

son of William
son of William
The Elms {Richard Whittingham
{Arthur Cox
railway servant
railway emergency man

boarding
house railway carpenter
houseWilliam Walker railway platelayer
E. In Aston-upon-Carrant
Some 33 houses including:
houseRobert Harrisrailway worker
houseJohn Doreytrain examiner
house{Edwin James Haynes
{Frank Martin
Provender Stores
railway plate layer

boarding
houseJoseph Wm Smith railway platelayer grandson of householder
house{Charles Hutchings
{Frank Hutchings
{Harold Hutchings
railway painter
railway labourer
railway labourer

son of Charles
son of Charles
houseGeorge Saundersrailway labourer
house{George Upstone
{Walter Upstone
railway labourer
railway labourer

son of George
house Francis Geo Carterrailway labourer
F. In Fiddington
at Claydon, nine dwellings including:
Railway Lodge {Henry Hampden
{Anna Hampden
railway labourer
railway gatekeeper
also called Fiddington Crossing
Henry's wife
cottageWalter C Horsmanrailway labourer
cottageThomas Tidymanrailway foreman
cottageCharles H Walkergoods guard
at Homesdown, eleven dwellings including
cottageCharles Wheatcroftrailway platelayer
cottageJoseph Webb railway foreman (rtd)
cottageWilliam Chamberlainlab corn & hay stores
cottageJoseph Potter railway labourerson of householder
cottageJohn Griffiths railway corn porter
Railway Lodge{Frederick Stephens
{John Stephens
railway labourer
railway labourer

Frederick's son
at Natton, seven dwellings including:
cottageJesse Edward Pricerailway labourer
cottageFrederick Williamsrailway labourer
cottageVincent Newburyrailway signalman
G. at Ashchurch (probably Ashchurch Road near the school)
two dwellings including:
Newton CottageWm Henry Paynesignalman 
H. at Pamington
some 17 dwellings including:
cottage Frank Wittsrailway platelayerson of householder
cottageWilliam Chas James railway forage stores
cottageGeorge Hudmanrailway labourer

Contact

This data has been researched and produced by Brian Harringman. Comments, additions, and especially corrections would be gratefully received.