Details of the Accident

Place River Dee Bridge, Chester (St. Mary-on-the-Hill), Cheshire, England
Date Monday 24th May 1847, p.m.
Railway Company Chester and Shrewsbury Railway/Chester and Holyhead Railway
No. of Fatalities 5
Cause of Accident Collapse of bridge
Description The 6.15 p.m. Chester to Holyhead train was crossing a cast iron bridge when a span collapsed. The accident brought into question the safety of cast iron.

Sources/Further Reading

  • History of the Great Western Railway, Vol I 1833 - 1863 pp 178, E.T. MacDermott (revised by C.R. Clinker)
  • Morning Chronicle, Wednesday 26 May 1847
  • The Times, 27 May 1847 p5
  • The Times, 29 May 1847 p8

List of Fatalities

The 5 fatalities are listed in the table below together with brief notes of any other information found so far.

The last column shows the General Register Office (England and Wales), Statutory Register (Scotland), General Register Northern Ireland or Civil Registration for Ireland reference where this has been identified.

Surname First Names Age Occupation Residence Notes GRO/SR/GRONI/GROIE Reference
ANDERSONThomasLocomotive fireman, Died of injuries1847/Sep Gt Boughton 19 24
JONESIsaacTailorWrexham, DENDied of injuries1847/Jun Gt Boughton 19 54
MATTHEWSJohnCoachman on the mail coaches from Chester to parts of WalesLlangollen, DEN1847/Sep Gt Boughton 19 24
NEVITTCharlesMail coach driverWrexham, DEN1847/Sep Gt Boughton 19 24
ROBERTSGeorgeRailway guard, 1847/Jun Gt Boughton 19 53