Richard CLARKE and Railways CAMBRIDGE/SHIRE c.1850-1856

[MudgeeClarke]

Hello:

IF my GGF Richard CLARKE did "work on the railways" in Cambridge/shire in the years before he sailed for Australia in 1856, as he once wrote, where should I look for any records of employees on the Railway ??Northern?? in that era, poss. from 1850-1856. I've tried some 'google' searches without luck.

Any clues, hints, directions would be very handy.

Cheers,
Colin

 

[juliejtp]

Hi Colin,

Try this link 'Railway Ancestors'



http://www.railwayancestors.org.uk/

 

[MudgeeClarke]

Thank you, Julie. I had been to that site ... seems like you pay to join before you can see if they have any records you may need to search. However, I will probably hand over the money ... Cheers, Colin

 

[juliejtp]

Hi Colin,

Maybe worth contacting the local studies library Cambridgeshire and see what records they have.

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/archives/visiting/localstudiesintro.htm

 

[patrickw]

Colin,
have you tried the national railway museum in york. They have a huge data base of employee records etc. You have prob already tried, but thought it worth mentioning. Sorry I dont have a link to han. Good luck with your search
Pat

 

[Kerrymac]

Hello Mudgee
I had a look for you on Railway Ancestors, and no-one matches the timescale for Richard, especially before he emigrated to Australia.The only two Clarke or Clarks at the earliest date and nearest to the area mentioned where R. Clarke 1929 Southern Railway at Newhaven Town a retired Signalman.The other R. Clarke 1958 Bromley South a retired Stationmaster. Both, way after your dates.That's checked through details, but no help I'm afraid. I think probably your best bet is the Railway Museum records as has been suggested.Best of luck, sorry couldn't be of more help. kerrymac

 

[p.risboy]

Hello:

IF my GGF Richard CLARKE did "work on the railways" in Cambridge/shire in the years before he sailed for Australia in 1856, as he once wrote, where should I look for any records of employees on the Railway ??Northern?? in that era, poss. from 1850-1856. I've tried some 'google' searches without luck.

Any clues, hints, directions would be very handy.

Cheers,
Colin

Hi Colin, have you tried here.

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CAM/

Steve.

 

[MudgeeClarke]

Thanks, KerryMac and Steve, for your kind notes and good advice.

I'll follow-up, and post if I get a whiff of a lead anywhere.

Cheers, Colin

 

[Kerrymac]

Hi Colin, had a look at Railway ancestors and could not find your Richard. However, do you know anything at all about his Clark/Clarke family in U.K. because it seems the Clarks as a family where very influential within the Railway industry.Three of them knighted and many in high positions in countries across the Commonwealth.Australia,Canada,New Zealand, aswell as other nations like India,Chile,Malawi,South Africa and Argentina.If he is of this line, he may have been sent out to Australia to develop and work in the new rail line to the gold fields, is that possible?.For research on Richard try Cambridge University Library,West Road,Cambridge, email library@ula.ac.uk or
Brunel University Library, Cleveland Road,Uxbridge,Middlesex, email library@brunel.ac.uk they both have extensive railway records. On the rail records I saw, the only Cambridge reference was to Sir William Clark, of BinnBrook, Grange Road, Cambridge. He is Director of Southern Railways in 1947 and his name is spelt both ways at different times. Best of luck on search, Kerrymac

 

[p.risboy]

Hi Colin,
Have a look at this.

http://www.cfhs.org.uk/VictoriaGoldRush/

Steve.

 

[MudgeeClarke]

Thanks, Kerrymac and Steve, for your help here. Much appreciated.

I do not know anything about my CLARK(E) family in the UK. That's the problem.

All I really have on my Richard CLARK(E) is that he arrived from the UK (Feb 1857, Moreton Bay) and that his immigrant record shows "Cambs", "mother Eliza" "dead" and "father John" "whereabouts unknown". As he arrived in the north (now Brisbane) and made his way south to Sydney before traveling inland to the Mudgee district where he purchased land, I'm fairly happy that he did not have time between 1857 and 1861 to go south to the Victoria goldfields, for example.

The suspected railway connection comes from the fact that when Richard personally provided the (paid) entry for a 'who's who' called "Australian Men of Mark' 1888, he wrote "born Cambridge, educated there, worked on railways ...". (he could certainly read and write, and became a successful farmer)

But given that he seems to have paid his way to Australia, and subsequently bought land from the government just a few years later, it is quite possible of course that he was the product of a liaison between a well-off CLARK(E) such as mentioned above, and his mother Eliza HANCOCK, and he was sent packing to the 'colonies' when he was of age. However, that is all somewhat fanciful, and I have never followed that train of thought before. (pun intended) ;-)

And all of this could still fit with my lead at the North Witchford Union workhouse.

So, here we are ... (yet still).

Cheers,

Colin

 

[MudgeeClarke]

Just thought I'd pop in and say "No further news ... " :-(

Cheers,

Colin

PS but I am having research done at the archives for his name as an employee ...

 

[MudgeeClarke]

I'm beginning to think that Richard's work on the railways was a euphemism for 'public works' as applied to the work performed by guests of HM prisons.

Not sure, but there is a Richard Clarke in the prison in Cambridge, sentenced to Transportation for 7 yrs for stealing ham/bacon (transportation which did not eventuate) which fits the time frame for Richard.

I need to find some more detail about the imprisoned Richard (mentioned in the Fulbourn Chronicles with co-defendants in 1851/2.)

 

[MudgeeClarke]

As I have now discovered, (2011) 'working on the railways' was surely Richard CLARKE's euphemism for the officially termed 'public works' while a prisoner. ) I'm not sure if the public works included building railway lines etc. - if any reader knows, please make a note here. Thanks.