Robin Longbottom on how a seaside excursion ended in tragedy

SMITH Ambler was a foreman mechanic at Prince Smith & Son, machine makers, in Keighley.

On Saturday, August 28, 1875, he had taken a day's holiday to Morecambe on a special excursion train run from Bradford by the Midland Railway Company.

Together with the other holidaymakers, he was returning home sitting in a compartment in the last passenger carriage. It was nearly midnight, and he was probably dozing as the train made an unscheduled stop at Kildwick Station. It had been stopped because a signalman at Cononley had noted that one of the tail lamps on the guard’s van was not lit, contrary to regulations. A message had been sent by bell code to the signal box at Kildwick to halt the train so that the lamp could be re-lit.

As the train pulled up at Kildwick, a porter named Quincey ran down to the guard’s van and when the guard stepped out, they saw that one lamp was out. However, before it could be re-lit, there was the sound of a train whistle followed by a tremendous crash, and Quincey was thrown to the ground by flying debris. The engine of the Scotch Express, returning from Glasgow, had run into the back of the stationary train – destroying the guard’s van and the last carriage.

Smith Ambler found himself climbing out from underneath one of the axles of the carriage, surrounded by wreckage. As he clambered out, Miss Julia Redmond, a fellow passenger, was lying at the side of the train and died a few minutes later. With only the light from oil lamps available, the rescuers quickly gathered wood from the debris and lit fires to assist them to see to recover the dead and injured. Altogether five passengers, including Miss Redmond, died at the scene. The bodies, together with 41 injured passengers, were conveyed to the nearby Junction Hotel. One of those injured, William Parkin, also known as Muckel, died the following day.

With almost 1,000 passengers now stranded at Kildwick, many – particularly those who had boarded the train at Keighley – set off to walk home. The remainder had to wait until a train could be sent from Bradford to rescue them.

An inquest was held at the Junction Hotel during the first two weeks in September. The coroner heard evidence from survivors of the crash, railway staff and expert witnesses brought by the Midland Railway Company. He laid the blame for the accident at the feet of Harrison Palfreman, the driver of the express train, and concluded that he should be charged with manslaughter. Palfreman was a Glusburn man and at that time living in Leeds.

Subsequent press reports were extremely critical of the railway company, expressing concerns about special excursion trains that were ‘slotted’ in between busy scheduled services. It was said that the express train should never have been only a mile or so behind the Morecambe excursion and that it was not only an accident waiting to happen, but that it was completely avoidable. The station master at Cononley was also criticised and concern was raised that the rail company had “thronged the twenty-three carriages of the train with people”.

Harrison Palfreman was brought before the crown court in Leeds in March, 1876. The jury, after hearing all the evidence, determined that it had been very dangerous to allow the express train to leave Skipton so soon after the excursion train had left. The case against the accused was dismissed.

Palfreman returned to his work as an engine driver and Smith Ambler eventually rose to become the general manager at Prince Smith & Son.