Details of the Accident

Place Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
Date Sunday 1st July 1906, 2.40 a.m.
Railway Company London & South Western Railway
No. of Fatalities 28
Cause of Accident Excessive speed
Description A London and South Western train carrying Trans-Atlantic passengers from Plymouth to London, failed to slow on the curve at Salisbury Station and came off the track and hit a milk train coming in the other direction. Twenty-eight people died, including the driver. The obvious cause was excessive speeding, but with an experienced driver in charge, why wasn't the speed restriction observed?

Sources/Further Reading

  • Salisbury 1906, An Answer to the Enigma?, Norman Pattenden (The South Western Circle 2002)
  • Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 7th July 1906
  • The Cambrian, 6th July 1906
  • The Times, Monday 2nd July 1906

List of Fatalities

The 28 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
BARWICKWalter55K. C., Toronto, ON1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
CASSIERLouis42Bridgeport, CTDied of injuries.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 99
CHENNEOURGeorge37Train guardSalisbury, WILMilk train. Died of injuries1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 98
CHICKSidney Charles25Train fireman, Goods train. Died of injuries at 1 p.m. the same day.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 99
COSSITTFrederick Henry22, On honeymoon. Died of injuries.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 99
ELPHICKC. W.50New York, NYMarried1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 98
GADDArthur28Train guard, Boat train1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 98
GOEPPINGERLouis55, 1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
HARDINGDudley Pierpoint 30Grove Road, Balham, SRYDied of injuries.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 99
HITCHCOCKFrances70, 1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 98
HOWIESONMary F.50New York, NYUnmarried1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 98
KELLERJules40Music hall artiste, Had limited use of his legs but was famous as an acrobat (using his hands).1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 87
KINGEdward Ley35Minister of ReligionToronto, ONRev.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
KOCHWalter Franklin47Clothier and haberdasherAllentown, PATravelling with wife and daughter who survived.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
MACDONALDJohne47West 72nd Street, New York, NY1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
MCMEEKINCharles F.50New York, NY1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
PIPONCharles Ashworth49Toronto, ON1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
ROBINSWilliam John38Train driver, Boat train1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 98
SENTELLBlanche Marian26, One of five members of the family killed.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 99
SENTELLCharles Edward39Lawyer16 Exchange, New York, NYOne of five members of the family killed.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 99
SENTELLEdward William69, One of five members of the family killed.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 99
SENTELLEllen Cecilia64, One of five members of the family killed.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 98
SENTELLGertrude Maude29, One of five members of the family killed.1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 99
SMITHEleanor18, Unmarried1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
SMITHGerard24, 1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
SMITHW. W., Married
THOMPSONWilliam Henry30, 1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 97
WAITELillian Hurd50New York, NY1906/Sep Salisbury 5a 98