Follow
Image above Catastrophe du pont sur le Tay - 1879 - Unknown author Wiki
The Tay Bridge Disaster occurred during a storm on Sunday 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge collapsed as a train from Burntisland to Dundee passed over it, killing all aboard. The bridge—designed by Sir Thomas Bouch—used lattice girders supported by iron piers, with cast iron columns and wrought iron cross-bracing. The piers were narrower and their cross-bracing was less extensive and robust than on previous similar designs by Bouch.
There are many webpages giving full accounts of the disaster and so the purpose of this project is not to re-write what can be read elsewhere, (see References below), but to try to build family trees for those known to have died in the disaster.
Poem by William Topaz McGonagall
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say That ninety lives have been taken away On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time.
‘Twas about seven o’clock at night, And the wind it blew with all its might, And the rain came pouring down, And the dark clouds seem’d to frown, And the Demon of the air seem’d to say- “I’ll blow down the Bridge of Tay.”
When the train left Edinburgh The passengers’ hearts were light and felt no sorrow, But Boreas blew a terrific gale, Which made their hearts for to quail, And many of the passengers with fear did say- “I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay.”
But when the train came near to Wormit Bay, Boreas he did loud and angry bray, And shook the central girders of the Bridge of Tay On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time.
So the train sped on with all its might, And Bonnie Dundee soon hove in sight, And the passengers’ hearts felt light, Thinking they would enjoy themselves on the New Year, With their friends at home they lov’d most dear, And wish them all a happy New Year.
So the train mov’d slowly along the Bridge of Tay, Until it was about midway, Then the central girders with a crash gave way, And down went the train and passengers into the Tay! The Storm Fiend did loudly bray, Because ninety lives had been taken away, On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time.
As soon as the catastrophe came to be known The alarm from mouth to mouth was blown, And the cry rang out all o’er the town, Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down, And a passenger train from Edinburgh, Which fill’d all the peoples hearts with sorrow, And made them for to turn pale, Because none of the passengers were sav’d to tell the tale How the disaster happen’d on the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time.
It must have been an awful sight, To witness in the dusky moonlight, While the Storm Fiend did laugh, and angry did bray, Along the Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay, Oh! ill-fated Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay, I must now conclude my lay By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay, That your central girders would not have given way, At least many sensible men do say, Had they been supported on each side with buttresses, At least many sensible men confesses, For the stronger we our houses do build, The less chance we have of being killed.
Tay Bridge Disaster memorial Full Size
Erected in December 2013, this memorial alongside the Fife Coastal Path gives a brief description of the tragic Tay Bridge accident of December 1879 and lists the names of all those known to have died in it.
Images above and below © Copyright James Allan and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
Victims
... of the Tay Bridge Disaster, Sunday, 28th December, 1879
Bold Links are to Geni profiles; others are to external webpages.
Scotland's People reference - St Mary District
Surname; Forename; Age; Occupation; Address
Joseph Low Anderson
Compositor 13, South Ellen Street
ANDERSON JOSEPH 20 1880 282/2 308
- Annan Thomas 20 Iron turner 48, Princes Street
ANNAN THOMAS ROSS 21 1880 282/2 270
Archibald Bain
26 Farmer Mains of Balgay
BAIN ARCHIBALD 27 1880 282/2 62
Jessie Bain
22 sister of above Mains of Balgay
BAIN JESSIE 22 1880 282/2 147
William Henry Beynon
n/a Photographer Cheltenham
BEYNON WILLIAM HENRY 40 1880 282/2 119
- Brown Lizzie 14 Tobacco spinner 28, Arbroath Road
BROWN ELIZABETH HENDR 14 1880 282/2 373
- Cheap Mrs 51 Domestic Servant 121, High Street, Lochee
Possibly (only one Cheape registered) CHEAPE EUPHEMIA 54 1880 282/2 371
- Crichton James n/a Ploughman Mains of Fintry
CRICHTON JAMES 22 1880 282/2 74
- Cruickshank Annie 54 Domestic Servant Moray Place, Edinburgh
CRUICKSHANKS ANN 53 1880 282/2 109
- Culross Robert n/a Carpenter Newport
CULROSS ROBERT 25 1880 282/2 196
- Cunningham David 21 Mason 23, Pitalpin Street, Lochee
CUNNINGHAM DAVID 20 1880 282/2 53
Thomas Davidson
28 Farm servant Linlathen
DAVIDSON THOMAS 29 1880 282/2 56
- Easton Mrs n/a Widow n/a
EASTON MARY M MONTGOME 53 1880 282/2
Robert Fowlis aka Dewar,
21 Mason 23, Pitalpin Street, Lochee
FOWLIS ROBERT 20 1880 282/2 57
- Graham David 37 Teacher Stirling
Only 1 entry in St. Mary - GRAHAM DAVID 26 1880 282/2 383
- Hamilton John 32 Grocer 16, North Ellen Street
HAMILTON JOHN 32 1880 282/2 376
- Henderson James 22 Labourer 3, Church Street
HENDERSON JAMES FOSTER 22 1880 282/2 67
- Hendry Elizabeth 62 n/a Prior Road, Forfar
HENDRY ELIZABETH 61 1880 282/2 372
- Jack William H n/a Grocer 57, Mains Road
JACK WILLIAM 23 1880 282/2 20
- Jobson David 39 Oil and colour merchant 3, Airlie Place
JOBSON DAVID 41 1880 282/2 141
- Johnston David 24 Railway Guard Edinburgh
JOHNSTON DAVID 30 1880 282/2 66
- Johnston George 25 Mechanic n/a
JOHNSTON GEORGE 24 1880 282/2 71
- Kinnear Margaret 17 Domestic Servant 6, Shore Terrace
KINNEAR MARGARET 18 1880 282/2 280
- Lawson John 25 Plasterer 39, Lilybank Road
LAWSON JOHN 25 1880 282/2 89
- Leslie James 22 Clerk Baffin Street
LESSLIE JAMES 21 1880 282/2 83
- 30 Marshall John 24 Stoker 18, Hunter Street
MARSHALL JOHN 24 1880 282/2 93
- McBeath David 44 Railway Guard 46, Castle Street
MCBETH DAVID 44 1880 282/2 76
- Macdonald David 11 Schoolboy 70, Blackness Road
MCDONALD DAVID 11 1880 282/2 77
- Macdonald William 41 Sawmiller 70, Blackness Road
MCDONALD WILLIAM 41 1880 282/2 21
- McIntosh George 43 Goods Guard 25, Hawkhill
MCINTOSH GEORGE 43 1880 282/2 139
- Millar James n/a Flax Dresser Dysart
MILLAR JAMES 27 1880 282/2 17
- Milne Elizabeth n/a Dressmaker n/a
MILNE ELIZABETH 21 1880 282/2 341
- Mitchell David 37 Engine Driver 89, Peddie Street
MITCHELL DAVID 37 1880 282/2 176
- Murdoch James 21 Engineer 1, Thistle Street
MURDOCH JAMES 21 1880 282/2 113
- Murray Donald 49 Mail Guard 13, South Ellen Street
MURRAY DONALD 49 1880 282/2 374
Isabella Neish aka Bella
5 daughter of David 51, Coupar Street, Lochee
NEISH ISABELLA MARY 5 1880 282/2 87
David Neish
37 Teacher and Registrar 51, Coupar Street, Lochee
NEISH DAVID 37 1880 282/2 84
- Parents: John (Brewer) and Ann Brown - both deceased
- Married to Ann Law
- Neilson William 31 n/a 53, Monk Street, Gateshead
NELSON WILLIAM 31 1880 282/2 457
George Ness
21 Engine Cleaner Ogilvy Street, Tayport
NESS GEORGE 21 1880 282/2 79
George Ness was married to Ann Brand of Tayport.http://www.brand-dd.com/forth.html
- Ness Walter 24 Saddler 4, Bain Square, Wellgate
NESS WALTER 23 1880 282/2 64
- Nicoll Mrs Elizabeth 24 n/a 46, Bell Street
NICOLL ELIZABETH 24 1880 282/2 347
- Paton James 42 Mechanic Edinburgh
Not found
- Peebles James 15 Apprentice Grocer Newport
PEEBLES JAMES 16 1880 282/2 267
- Peebles William 30-40 n/a n/a
PEEBLES WILLIAM 38 1880 282/2 78
- Robertson Alexander 23 Labourer 100, Foundry Lane
ROBERTSON ALEXANDER 22 1880 282/2 72
- Robertson William 21 Labourer 100, Foundry Lane
ROBERTSON WILLIAM 21 1880 282/2 309
- Salmond Peter 43 Blacksmith 50, Princes Street
SALMOND PETER GREIG 44 1880 282/2 115
- Scott David 26 Goods Guard 7, Yeaman Shore
SCOTT DAVID 26 1880 282/2 394
- Scott John 30 Pipe Maker n/a
SCOTT JOHN 30 1880 282/2 68
- Sharp John 35 Joiner 76, Commercial Street
SHARP JOHN 33 1880 282/2 73
- Smart Elizabeth 22 Domestic Servant Union Mount, Perth Road
SMART ELIZA 24 1880 282/2 380
- Spence Annie 21 Weaver 62, Kemback Street
SPENCE ANN 22 1880 282/2 379
Robert Frederick Syme listed as David
22 Clerk Royal Hotel, Nethergate
(Only SYME entry found in St. Mary) SYME ROBERT FREDERIC 22 1880 282/2 60
- Taylor George 25 Mason 56, Union Street
TAYLOR GEORGE 25 1880 282/2 193
- Threlfell William 18 Confectioner 9, Union Street
THRELFELL WILLIAM 19 1880 282/2 16
- Veitch William 18 Cabinetmaker 39, Church Street
VEITCH WILLIAM 18 1880 282/2 65
- Watson David n/a Commission Agent Newport
WATSON DAVID 22 1880 282/2 15
David Watson
9 son of Robert 12, Lawrence Street
WATSON DAVID 9 1880 282/2 55
Robert Watson
34 Moulder 12, Lawrence Street
WATSON ROBERT 34 1880 282/2 14
Robert Watson
6 son of Robert 12, Lawrence Street
WATSON ROBERT 7 1880 282/2 54
References
- https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/article/tay-bridge-disaster
- http://taybridgedisaster.co.uk/
- Wiki
- http://www.brand-dd.com/taybrig.html
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-15521216
- https://setait.co.uk/blog/2011/12/20/did-your-ancestor-die-in-the-t...
Publications
- Prebble J. (1979) The High Girders. Penguin.
- Thomas J. (1970) The Tay Bridge Disaster David and Charles, Newton Abbot.
Further Reading
Getting Involved
Free to follow, request to collaborate
To join the project use the request link under "actions" at the top right of the page.