Former Staff

Please take time to post a message about your memories of the Malton to Driffield railway. No matter how small they are, it is always great to hear stories from the past.
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eyersey468
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Former Staff

Post by eyersey468 »

Does anyone know if any former railway people that worked on the MDJR are still alive? I don't suppose there will be many given the line closed nearly 60 years ago. Also I wonder what the names of the driver and fireman who worked the last train are.
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jael
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Re: Former Staff

Post by jael »

A letter I have got hold from a bricklayer at the start of the tunnel.

The letter is addressed to Mr. James Atkinson, Bricklayer, Long St., Thirsk and postmarked Malton April 18th 1847 and again York and then again Thirsk again both with the same date. Why the letter was written by him and then addressed to himself I don't know - something to do with who paid for it?

James was born in either Easby, Richmond or Guisbro' in about 1818. In 1841 he was possibly living in Snaith. In 1851 he is certainly in Thirsk with his wife, Jane, daughter, Hannah, and his brother David. His employment is shown as a bricklayer. In 1861 he is again in Thirsk with wife and daughter. By 1871 he is in Long St., Thirsk with wife Jane and daughter, Jane, along with 2 granddaughters Elizabeth and Emma Lee. He is shown as a builder which may be a step up from a bricklayer. By 1881 he is still in Long St. but only with daughter Jane. There was a Jane Atkinson that died in Thirsk in 1874 but then another one in 1879 - with a bit more research it should be possible to find out which one was James's wife. But he has now reverted to being a bricklayer. There was a James Atkinson that died in Thirsk in the last quarter of 1883. If anyone would like to pursue the exact details I can pass on what information I have.

All spellings have been copied as is, there are many discrepancies with modern usage, grammar and spellings (eg tunnell, weather/whether). It is possible they are mistakes or it is possible that usage etc. has changed over the years. Personally I think the fact that he could write at all is really something.


The letter is very faint, quite badly damaged and completely torn in two with possibly parts missing between the tear. Unfortunately the damaged part is the one most railway related.


The letter reads:


Malton April 18th 1847


Dear wife
I wrote on Thursday morning last to let you know were we had got to and were I was going to work at and I wrote to ????Sunday .................................... only poorly I stated to you that ????? and ???? was going to work near Malton and that I was going to work beside the tunnell on the Driffield and Malton Railway and I was told it was about 7 1/2 miles from Malton. But before I got there I found it to be 9 1/2 miles good and to give you the statement of the country I cannot make you understand for in all my life I never was in such a mountainous country in my life. I have been at Richmond and I have been at Roseberry Toppin and I have been at the top of Hambletton Hills but this surpasses all of them for a wild Barron outlandish part of the country if you if you be on the top of one of the Hill you hardly dare look down into the dale for fear of turning sick and there is such a wind blows on the top of the hills if the sun shines you are cold, I think you must tell David we are near the North Pole or else the West Pole if you be down in some of the villages you cant see over the Hill top that is you cant see up at the top of the hill unless you lay down flat on your back and then you may have a chance. ......................... out I am going to tell you how I came by this bad cold I have got, when I got up onto those hills on Thursday and joined my mates at beside the tunnell when all had to sleep in a stable among a lot of Horses and rattens and mice and the next morning when I got up I was jaw locked my throat was swelled before but I could hardly speak the next morning for my throat was nearby swelled up and I have been ????? in the toothache ever since and my cheek swelled very much now but thank god I am rather better than I was before I was frightened that I had got ........ ……….. have very little work as yet …. There will be a good deal in a little time the money at rather sweet 16.3 for 3 days plus overtime but you know a man is running risk of his life it is so cold and sleeping in a stable the farm however is a mile and 1/2 of one …….. or 2 miles we shall ………. other farthings over I think and we shall see how things is going and we shall want our wages fixing ?? a day if we stop they will want men in the tunnell very soon. Bricklayers ….. all brick there is about 100 navveys work now at the tunnell mouth and is a lot of miners at work sinking the shafts they will be giving 6 or 7 a shift that is 6 hours shift and man may work ?? shifts a day like that but I don't know weather I shall ??? in or not 12 a day is very tiring. Morgan and ??? said they want you in the tunnell we are all going to the tunell on Monday morning to work at those ?? and we are building an observatory upon the hill were the tunnell goes through it a place 25 foot high for the engineers to stand on and to ??? and read the country. I think they will want some stone masons soon there is several bridges to be built on the line and ??? ??? has got them all to do between Malton and the tunnell and there will be a good deal of stonework at them strengths and joints and such like but I will write again next Sunday and at you all the particulars so I think I shant say much more but you must tell John Leverson that there plenty of joiners work and next week they want joiners and cant get ……………….. …………………… …………………… railway waggons and they can come if they like they are sure to get a job and you must write back and tell me how you are and if you put me into the Corn Mill and if any of my onions be coming and beans and how David is getting on with tack work ……………. and will get on with leading and how ……………….. …………………. corn in the quarry and what you think about me working in the tunnell and you must get some money of navvy what you want but you must be as carefull as you can but I don't wish you to ?? yourselves and you may give mother a pint of ale a week till I come home I shall be at home in three weeks time if all be well and where ??? market Hannahs boots if they be not nice ones don't have them for I can bring her a ??? when I come I have seen a very nice ones in shop window in Malton ??? tops and some black tops now I think dear wife I can say no more but I hope you are well and both children to and mother and brothers so you must write back and let me know all particulars to James Atkinson at Richard ???? mason Malton they will send it up to the tunnell with the brick cart.

That's it. Obviously there are lots of questions it raises - I was intrigued by building the observatory for the engineers to stand on and his somewhat bleak descriptions of the landscape and the weather.
John Lidster
Charities Director
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