Here is a picture taken of my great grandfather, the smallish chap taking centre stage, and, close by, my gran in her Sunday best!
We think it was around 1910, possibly even 1912. Though the NUR didn't come into being until 1913, maybe this was under the auspices of The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
The text below was taken from a contemporary NUR document which covered the orphan fund in some depth.
'THE occupation of the railwayman is one of the most dangerous in the country. Every year hundreds of men are killed, and thousands are so injured that their lives are in all probability considerably shortened. As an example," it may be mentioned that during the year 1912, according to the Board of Trade Blue Books, 420 railwaymen were killed and 27,947 injured. These terrible figures, added to those of deaths from natural causes, bring the annual mortality amongst railwaymen to a very high rate... an abnormally high rate compared with other branches of industry'.
The picture was taken in Coventry, outside the L&NWR Midland parcel office, with the clock tower behind.
