Bispham Station Masters

[Andy873]

I was wondering if anyone out there knows about the station masters of Bispham near Blackpool? especially around the late 1930's.

I've found Richard Turner appointed SM there late in 1937 but I can't find when he left. Help anyone?

 

[Elecman]

I was wondering if anyone out there knows about the station masters of Bispham near Blackpool? especially around the late 1930's.

I've found Richard Turner appointed SM there late in 1937 but I can't find when he left. Help anyone?

Would that be the now Layton station?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There's a news story in the "Dundee Courier" in mid April 1948 stating that Richard Turner had just been appointed stationmaster and goods agent at Lochee (Dundee) and that he had joined the railway service in 1920 and has been stationmaster at Bispham (later renamed Layton) and at Great Harwood. According to the "Dundee Courier" in September 1952, Mr. Turner then moved on from Lochee to Greenock Central in October 1952.

In late 1953, he reportedly moved on to Mallaig and in 1955 to Gourock. An article in the "Ormskirk Advertiser" in September 1967 mentions him having had appointments in Walsden in c. 1936 and at Dundee (Tay Bridge) (presumably late 1950s) before returning to England in 1962/63 where he became station master at Preston.

One last article in the "Ormskirk Advertiser" in July 1965, this at the time that he given the "plum job" of taking overall control of all railway activities in the Preston area at the age of 58, also mentions that he had grown up at a property on Liverpool Road South in Burscough and had started at Burscough Bridge before moving to Rufford, then Walsden (as station master) and had been a railwayman for some 44 years. Clearly, a well travelled individual!

 

[Andy873]

Would that be the now Layton station?

Yes, that's right.

joined the railway service in 1920 and has been stationmaster at Bispham (later renamed Layton) and at Great Harwood. According to the "Dundee Courier" in September 1952, Mr. Turner then moved on from Lochee to Greenock Central in October 1952.

Great detective work there, thanks!

You can obviously see why he's interesting to me. Didn't know he went on to run the Preston area. The article clearly states his last two SM positions, so he must have moved from Bispham to Harwood, the question is when? I just can't find it.

The curious thing is, Richard moves to Scotland, and he's replaced at Harwood by Mr. Angus Audsley - someone from Scotland perhaps? Someone else I cannot find anything about...

Going back to Richard Turner, he only did around 18 months as SM at Walsden before going to Bispham, perhaps Bispham was also another short stay? If so, then he moves 1938/1939, if it's later then I'm missing yet another SM at Harwood.

 

[stuving]

Would that be the Angus Audsley who was born in Ashton under Lyne in 1920, started work as a railway clerk (like his father Edward) when living in Chorley, and got his name in the papers in 1967? He was complaining at the TSSA conference that since station masters had become station managers, and had had their uniforms taken away, no-one - staff or public - took any notice of him or what he said. He was then an assistant station manager at Oldham.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Would that be the now Layton station?

Yes. It was renamed (was Bispham) in or around May 1938.

I've found Richard Turner appointed SM there late in 1937 but I can't find when he left. Help anyone?

Me neither. Do you (maybe) know when he was appointed station master at Great Harwood? Might have been the replacement for Francis William Cope, who seems to have gone to Great Harwood in early 1937 as a replacement for the previous station master John Bardsley, who appears to have come to an unfortunate / untimely end in late 1936.

 

[Andy873]

Would that be the Angus Audsley who was born in Ashton under Lyne in 1920, started work as a railway clerk (like his father Edward) when living in Chorley, and got his name in the papers in 1967?

Looks like it - Right name, area, profession, and position. Must be the same person who's on my list of SM's.

Me neither. Do you (maybe) know when he was appointed station master at Great Harwood? Might have been the replacement for Francis William Cope, who seems to have gone to Great Harwood in early 1937 as a replacement for the previous station master John Bardsley, who appears to have come to an unfortunate / untimely end in late 1936.

No I don't know when he arrived at Great Harwood, and that's the problem!

It was renamed (was Bispham) in or around May 1938

Wouldn't you just know it! a station name change right in the middle of the time period concerned - seems I've been looking then for the wrong station name.

This is what I've got for Great Harwood around that time 1937-1948:

John Bardsley (Did 12 years at Baxenden before).
Francis William Cope (from nearby Wilpshire station near Blackburn).
Richard Turner (From Bispahm/Layton).

John was fatally injured Wednesday 16 Dec 1936
Francis Cope (Frank) brought in quickly as replacement SM for John - I'm told by another source that this was a short lived appointment, how short I don't know.
Richard Turner then replaces Frank, and in turn leaves in 1948.

I'm wondering once more about small stations were as SM you generally got moved on quite quickly. Cope at Wilpshire station was only there from April 1935 until he moves to replace John Bardsley in Jan 1937. And I found another clue...

Mr J. Balmer was SM after Richard Turner at Bispham/Layton. Once more I don't know when he arrived there / left there, only that he went on to Featherstone as SM and left there in 1944.

My gut feeling is this - Richard Turner left Bispham/Layton around 1938 / early 1939. Mr. Balmer does early 1939 to say 1941 and then moves on to Featherstone. That's two names for anyone interested in Bispham. But unless I can confirm the years I can't say for sure. Given the pattern of movements at small stations this sounds about right?

Why do I think the above is right? because the arrival of Mr. Balmer at Bispham/Layton excludes the possibility of Richard Turner staying there for too long which fits in with the short stay of Mr. Cope at Harwood - if that makes any sense?

Can anyone find when Mr. J. Balmer arrived at Featherstone please?

 

[swt_passenger]

I found an accurate date for Richard Turner (d.o.b 13 April 1906) and his wife Hilda, they were still living at Layton Station House when the 1939 wartime ID Card Register was taken on 29 Sep 1939.

Then also, after a slightly more difficult search, Francis William Cope, (d.o.b. 23 Aug 1896 ), was recorded in the same register as a station master, with the address of 29 Harwood New Road.

 

[Andy873]

I found an accurate date for Richard Turner (d.o.b 13 April 1906) and his wife Hilda, they were still living at Layton Station House when the 1939 wartime ID Card Register was taken on 29 Sep 1939.

Then also, after a slightly more difficult search, Francis William Cope, (d.o.b. 23 Aug 1896 ), was recorded in the same register as a station master, with the address of 29 Harwood New Road.

That's some great research, thanks for taking the time and effort.

Seems I've got Balmer and Turner in the wrong order then. Looks like the station building at Layton (formerly Bispham) was the SM's house.

I didn't realise this wartime register was online, well you live and learn!

Which now leaves Francis William Cope - Thanks to some more fantastic work by another member on here, we now have a very strange situation with regards to the Barrett's 1947 trade directory for Blackburn (which includes Gt. Harwood). Both Mr. Cope (29 Harwood New Rd) and Richard Turner (20 Station Rd) are listed as SM's in Harwood.

The directory clearly captures the cross over period for Mr. Cope leaving and Mr. Turner arriving - the question is when would this directory have been compiled? towards the end of 1946? what does anyone think about this?

The other question is where does Mr. Cope go between 1947 and 1951? In 1951 he becomes SM of Millom, Cumbria until 1956 when he hangs up his cap.

 

[swt_passenger]

That's some great research, thanks for taking the time and effort.

Seems I've got Balmer and Turner in the wrong order then. Looks like the station building at Layton (formerly Bispham) was the SM's house.

I didn't realise this wartime register was online, well you live and learn!

I use it (the ‘39 register’), a lot with an Ancestry subscription, I thought it might give a good snapshot on one fairly key date. I can check it for anyone else given a full name and town or village.

It made me wonder though, if at that time not all station masters lived in railway property, so although you can conclude that the Layton Station House went with the specific job, the chap at 29 Harwood New Rd might have been in his own house, and could be managing any station within a reasonable daily travel distance, eg by bike? Having checked on streetview no 29 doesn’t seem to be a railway property, especially as it’s a distance away.

 

[stuving]

Remember that the occupation put down in a census is part of the description of the individual. It is not meant to show what post someone occupies, or even if they are out of work at the time (except in 1921) - even if sometimes that is entered. The 1939 register is specifically concerned with ID cards and possible rationing, so it was the category of work that mattered most. If you were engaged in heavy work you might get extra rations. There were detailed instructions for each case, most of which can be found, though they were not always followed very well.

 

[Andy873]

Remember that the occupation put down in a census is part of the description of the individual. It is not meant to show what post someone occupies, or even if they are out of work at the time (except in 1921) - even if sometimes that is entered. The 1939 register is specifically concerned with ID cards and possible rationing, so it was the category of work that mattered most. If you were engaged in heavy work you might get extra rations. There were detailed instructions for each case, most of which can be found, though they were not always followed very well.

Fair comments I think, thanks.

the chap at 29 Harwood New Rd might have been in his own house, and could be managing any station within a reasonable daily travel distance, eg by bike? Having checked on streetview no 29 doesn’t seem to be a railway property, especially as it’s a distance away.

Yes it seems that this was a newly built house, a semi detached with a large garden and was 0.75 miles away from Harwood station. You wouldn't want to walk that in winter.

Question please - as an SM (or indeed any railway worker) you could be moved anywhere, what would you do - rent or buy a house where you were currently based?

 

[Rescars]

Stationmasters frequently occupied accommodation which was either part of or immediately adjacent to the station building. Having them on site made it possible to summon their assistance at any time 24/7 in cases of emergency (whether or not they were officially on duty) . The pre-grouping railways sometimes found themselves having to provide accommodation for various grades to enable them to have the necessary staff available in remote locations. The most extreme example of this was surely the entire village of Riccarton Junction. IIRC the GSWR/LMS offered accommodation on particularly favourable terms to induce signallers to accept jobs in the wilds of Galloway at Loch Skerrow.

 

[Gloster]

Seeing your query on the CRA site has prompted me to put forward an unlikley possibility, but one I have heard of that might explain the ‘two houses’ situation. Could Mr Cope have dropped back to lighter duties for a period, but later recovered and gone to Millom (I wonder what grade Millom was, although it was likely to be a step up because of the iron works)? I have heard of at least one case on the SR of a station master having become so overworked during the war that their health collapsed and they had to step down to a clerk’s job on health grounds: this happened once staff started returning from the services after the war’s end. In this case he remained a clerk until retirement, but if Mr Cope’s health recovered be could have become a station master again.

 

[Andy873]

Seeing your query on the CRA site has prompted me to put forward an unlikley possibility, but one I have heard of that might explain the ‘two houses’ situation. Could Mr Cope have dropped back to lighter duties for a period, but later recovered and gone to Millom (I wonder what grade Millom was, although it was likely to be a step up because of the iron works)? I have heard of at least one case on the SR of a station master having become so overworked during the war that their health collapsed and they had to step down to a clerk’s job on health grounds: this happened once staff started returning from the services after the war’s end. In this case he remained a clerk until retirement, but if Mr Cope’s health recovered be could have become a station master again.

You know, I was playing around with a similar idea myself. Heavy workload during WW2, and not forgetting he took part in the great war, where he was wounded and a fellow comrade saved his life. I don't know what injuries he had from then, but perhaps they caught up with him, that and the heavy workload, maybe?