Researching my family history, I came across William Robert Noble (born Hackness, Yorkshire, 1853), who was working as "Railway Signalman" living at Lamesley Station, Chester-Le-Street in 1881 with his wife and three children. As I understand it, he later returned to Hackness, near Scarborough, became a butler and was father to 9 children in total.
This information came from the census details, I have no direct details.
I don't know much about life on the railways and I would enjoy reading anything about that era. If anyone has any recommendations for introductory literature (books, magazines, websites, etc.) I would be most appreciative.
In a cruel irony, my other family connection to the railways is one Herbert Westerman Noble who died in the Abbotts Ripton rail crash. He was the 19 year-old son of the Victorian sculptor Matthew Noble, who died later the same year from illness apparently brought on by the tragic loss of his son. That rail crash will be known to many of you Railway enthusiasts for its impact on signalling methods and equipment. I have read the pdf of the official report into that accident, as it was linked from the Wiki page above. Does anyone know of any other online references or articles about that event that I could see. You will note that the rail crash happened in 1876, and my other relative was working signals in 1881. I have to be curious about whether he was already in that line of work before the crash. The Railway Signalman would have been first cousin to the accident victim (their fathers were brothers).
Before the 1881 mention of "Railway Signalman", most of the men in the family were either "Stonemasons" or "Gardeners". Victorian Britain and the Industrial Revolution is just the most fascinating period of history, with nothing more exciting and dramatic than the growth of the railways and its effect on ...everyone!
W.R. Noble Railway Signalman, Lamesley Station, 1881
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