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Sue Johnston had always thought that her grandfather Alfred Cowan was the driver of the ‘Flying Scotsman’, one of Britain’s most famous railway locomotives, but research revealed that this to be nothing more than a family myth. However, an earlier connection with the railways was established by examining census returns. Successive returns ranging from 1851 to 1881 demonstrated that Alfred’s father, James Cowan, had worked at Carlisle Citadel station in a variety of jobs, eventually rising to hold the position of Deputy Superintendent – though never the Superintendent, as family legend had suggested. His slow rise through the ranks from porter was confirmed in records of the London and North Western Railway Company, which ran its services through Carlisle station.
The following extracts are taken from the Minutes of the Lancaster and Carlisle Local Sub-Committee, part of the London and North Western Railway Company, and demonstrate the sort of information that can be gleaned from railway records deposited at The National Archives. In addition, there are staff registers for many of the private railway lines, although sadly none survived for either James or Alfred Cowan.
Catalogue reference: RAIL 410/497
The following documents are a selection from the Minutes of the Lancaster and Carlisle Local Sub-Committee, which was responsible for the administration of Carlisle Citadel station. The pages reveal episodes concerning staff, such as promotion, discipline and even reports of fatal accidents.
Further information about railway records held at The National Archives can be found in our research guides. You might also want to visit the National Railway Museum, York.
