The Midland Railway Study Centre - Ashchurch Staff

Gatekeepers and Crossing Policemen

There were crossing gates at three locations, operated by railway persons who lived at railway lodges at the locations. The first was at Northway, just to the north of Ashchurcn station, operated by a dedicated railwayman. The other two were south of the Ashchurch Road at Fiddington and Homedowns and on at least some occasions these were operated by the wives of railwaymen with other tasks (platelayer etc). All three were housed in a house ("lodge") probably owned by the railway.

All three lodges continued to be occupied until at least the 1930s, presumably by railwaymen, but there is as yet no detail of their precise jobs (or those of their wives!) after the war.

Northway Crossing

Accommodation Northway Lodge

This crossing was operated by a man whose sole job this appeared to be. He is recorded from the beginning of the record until at least 1925
Name	Joined from	Pay increments	Next posting
Crump E			17 April 1860 deceased
Newell, Thomas	20/10/1860		Rugby, porter; in Rugby, retired, in 1871
Bassano J	before 1871	1873,1879	superannuated 30/12/86, see footnotes
Wood AJ	20/1/87 Wakefield Joint	1892
Pike, Arthur	10/7/89
Arnold, Harry George	7/4/99		resigned 18/11/99
Shepherd, Samuel Stephen	12/7/99		see footnotes
Hawkins, Charles Howard	20/10/99
Jolly H	4/6/1900Fish Ponds gateman		deceased 2/3/01
Roper G	18/11/01 Ashwell signalman		Bristol; St Philips gateman 20/2/02
Beacham J	20/2/02 Draycott signalman		see footnotes
Footnotes:
James Bassano lived at Northway Crossing in 1871. For full biography see under Signalmen
S S Shepherd only briefly. Became porter in Nov 1999, goods checker July 1900, resigned October 1902
John Beacham lived in Northway Lodge to at least 1925, presumably working as gatekeeper

Fiddington and Homedowns Crossings

With the Fiddington and Homedowns crossings the men and their wives occupying the lodges are known from the 1870s to the inter-war years as shown in the following tables. Four of the seven wives appear in censuses as gatewomen. Two are also listed as such in railway documents. Mrs Leach is shown in Ashchurch station staff lists as earning 4/- (four shillings) a week and Mrs Webb, also listed in Ashchurch station records with her initial appointment shown in railway central records. She was probably recruited locally and appointed centrally.

Fiddington

Accommodation Fiddington Lodge, referred to once as Claydon Lodge.

Leach, Mrs	1859-66		deceased 18/7/76
Bullock, Hannah	1871	wife of John, labourer	no occupation shown
Elizabeth Hancock	1881	wife of James, platelayer	no occupation shown
Hannah Hampton or Anna Maria	1891-postwar	wife of Henry, platelayer

Homedowns

Accommodation Homedowns Lodge

Elizabeth Webb	1871	wife of Charles Webb, platelayer
Mary Trapp	1881-1891	wife of John, platelayer
Elizabeth Stephens	1901-postwar	wife of Frederick, platelayer	no occupation shown

Crossing Policeman

In the early days there was a post called called Crossing Policeman, presumably with a function at level crossings. This post was regraded to Porter.
Vernon J	4/1/76 from FJ Joint Line		discharged 12/11/76
Dainty W	15/5/76 not shown	1877	resigned 19/5/77
Rickards J	16/10/77 Brightside porter		discharged 26/3/78
post redesignated as Porter