CHAPTERS IN THE HISTORY OF ECCLES
By
T. SWINDELLS
THE FIRST PASSENGER RAILWAY
At the
time when electric cars and motor vehicles of all descriptions are to be seen in
our streets, we can hardly realise the
storm of opposition that was raised when it was proposed to construct a railway
connecting Manchester with Liverpool. Agriculturists objected that it would be
an invasion of their peaceful surroundings, that the smoke would spoil the
fleeces of the sheep grazing in adjacent fields, and that it would be a
dangerous and delusive speculation, and was not known to the Constitution.
Medical men joined in the opposition to the proposal, depicting the horrors and
dangers to human life that would attend it; whilst the existing Canal Companies
contended that sufficient facilities for travelling and the conveyance of goods
already existed. Landed proprietors joined in the cry, urging that the scheme
was altogether visionary and impracticable. So strong was the opposition that
after a discussion in committee extending over thirty-seven days the first
clauses were negatived, and the Bill was withdrawn. A second Bill was introduced
and passed in 1826. In the first scheme it had been intended that the line
should cross the canal at Barton. Coming across the moss the course lay past
Barton Old Hall, crossing the canal by a draw-bridge about midway between
Patricroft Bridge and Barton; intersecting Barton Lane in a cutting, and so on
between the New Road and river to a point near to Regent Bridge, the terminus
being at the Water Street end of Quay Street. In the scheme of 1826 the present
route was suggested and adopted. Amongst the events which influenced Parliament
favourably towards the Bill was the fact that the Marquis of Stafford, to whom
the Duke of Bridgewater had left the Worsley and Brackley estates, took a
thousand shares in the company. The preamble was proved by 43 votes against 18,
and on April 8th, 1826, the Bill was read a third time in the House of Commons.
When the line was opened there were 63 bridges, under and over, between
Liverpool and Manchester. The local bridges were Sandy Lane, now New Lane,
Winton, Winton Skew Bridge, the Canal Bridge, Monk’s Hall (now Albert Street)
Bridge, Eccles Station, Whittaker’s “Mill Dam” Bridge, and Stothard’s (now Stott
Lane) Bridge. Monton Road Bridge, and Cock Robin Bridge were built afterwards;
but the one at Weaste Station was not built until 1851. Cock Robin Bridge was
built because two children were killed at the level crossing that preceded the
bridge. The construction of the line was commenced in June, 1826, when the
drainage of Chat Moss was entered upon. Here the greatest difficulties were
encountered, and thousands of loads, of material were used before a foundation
could be obtained. At one place, named Blackpool Hole, over 70,000 cubic yards
of spoil were tipped and disappeared, and still there was no sign that the
bottom had been reached. Ultimately a number of young larch trees were obtained
from the adjoining Botany Bay woods. These were laid together, herring-bone
fashion, and in the framework thus formed loads of soil and rock were deposited.
By this means the difficulty was overcome. The four miles of line from Eccles
cost £37,000 to make. The line was opened on September 15th, 1830, by the Duke
of Wellington, and as the ceremony has been so often described, we may turn our
attention rather to some of the early conditions of railway travelling. We may,
however, note that the day previous to the opening the Duke and a large party
numbering 750 dined at the Assembly Rooms in Mosley Street. The proceedings
commenced at six, and extended over five hours. No fewer than twenty-four toasts
were drunk, and seeing that our newspaper report tells us that bumpers were
frequently called for, one wonders in what state many of the guests would be at
the close.
The
opening was marked by a serious accident at Parkside, where a stop had been made
in order that the engines might take in water. Many of the passengers alighted,
and on re-entering his compartment Mr. Huskisson, M.P., slipped, and was run
over by the Rocket engine. At the unfortunate gentleman’s suggestion he was
brought to Eccles Vicarage, where he died the same evening.
In the early days of railway travelling many of the customs observed in stage coach travelling were adopted. Passengers were booked by having their names entered on a way bill. These were printed on yellow paper and stitched in books. They were in duplicate, the counterfoil being given to the passenger. The way bill was carried by the guard, who booked any passengers who were picked up on the journey. He also collected the counterfoils when passengers completed their journeys. He signalled the starting of the train by blowing a horn from a seat fixed at the back of the last carriage in a manner resembling the driver’s seat on a hansom cab. He wore a tall hat, and a drab-coloured long coat. There were two classes of carriage, and separate trains were composed of each class. The first-class carriages were yellow in colour, and consisted of three compartments, the centre one being shaped like the body of a coach and the end ones resembling the old time post chaise. The fare was seven shillings in a compartment holding four passengers, and five shillings in one holding six persons. The second class carriages resembled oblong boxes painted blue, some having covers and others being open. The fare charged in the former was five shillings, and in the latter, which were without seats, 3s. 6d. Four first class and three second class trains ran each way daily. For the convenience of passengers, omnibuses ran between the Company’s offices at the corner of Market Street and New Cannon Street, Manchester, to the Station in Liverpool Road, bearing the word “Auxilium”; the fare charged being 6d. for second-class passengers. Those who booked first-class were carried free. At first there were no stations en route except at Newton, where a stop was made for the engine to take in water, but after a few months sixteen stopping places were announced. Prior to that being done, the train would stop to pick up any passenger who might be waiting alongside the line, the waving of a handkerchief or an umbrella being the signal. For the convenience of passengers a waitress met the trains at Patricroft with a tray bearing a jug of ale, glasses, and Eccles cakes; whilst near Chat Moss a stop was made to enable passengers to alight, and visit a country public house that stood about a hundred yards from the line.