Details of the Accident

Place Bullhouse, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Date Wednesday 16th July 1884, 1.21 p.m.
Railway Company Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway
No. of Fatalities 24
Cause of Accident Derailment
Description An express passenger train, the 12.30 p.m. from Manchester, London Road to London, Kings Cross, with through carriages for Grimsby Docks, in connection with the evening steamer sailing, had left Woodhead tunnel and was gathering speed on the downhill gradient towards Penistone. As it entered the curve at Bullhouse, the driver felt the engine develop an uneasy roll, but before he could apply the brakes, he heard a crack. A driving wheel axle on the locomotive had snapped, and the resulting spread of the driving wheels distorted the track. The axle fracture was probably caused by metal fatigue and the axle broke.

Sources/Further Reading

  • The Manchester Guardian, 10th June 1886 (Passing reference in report of unrelated court case)

List of Fatalities

The 24 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
BARWICKArchibald2, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
BARWICKBeatrice0, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
BARWICKEdith6, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
BROMLEYMassey40Engineer, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Eastern Railway from 1878-18811884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
COATESRachel43, Married1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
DAWSONMary35, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 167
DURKANMichael55, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 167
EDELSTENCarrie38, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 167
EKINSAgnes Clotilda Constance17, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 167
GIRDLESTONEAlbert James12, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 167
GOULDAgnes17, Unmarried1884/Sep Wortley 9c 167
JONESEmma Mary17, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
LEAAnnie23, 1884/Sep Manchester 8d 175
MARSHALLRobert Aldred31, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
MARTINBertha40, Married1884/Sep Manchester 8d 175
POOLEJames Nicholas55, Died of injuries 30th July1884/Sep Manchester 8d 175
RAWLINGSAnn47, Married1884/Sep Manchester 8d 175
SHORROCKHarriet57, Wife of John SHORROCK. Buried Darwen Old Cemetery1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
SHORROCKJohn65, Husband of Harriet SHORROCK. Buried Darwen Old Cemetery1884/Sep Wortley 9c 165
SPENCERMary Ann65, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 167
STOWERMary45, Married1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166
TETLOWANN59, Unmarried1884/Sep Manchester 8d 178
THORNTHWAITEMary35, 1884/Sep Wortley 9c 167
WOODHEADJohn Proctor41Fire insurance assessorAshton-on-Mersey, CHS1884/Sep Wortley 9c 166