The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster 1874- Heroes, Victims & Survivors

At Norwich Station on 10 September 1874, a momentary misunderstanding between the Night Inspector and young Telegraph Clerk resulted in an inevitable head-on collision. The residents of the picturesque riverside village of Thorpe-Next-Norwich were shocked by a 'deafening peal of thunder', sending them running through the driving rain towards a scene of destruction. Surgeons were summoned from the city, as the dead, dying and injured were taken to a near-by inn and boatyard. Every class of Victorian society was travelling that night. For many months local and national newspapers followed the story, publishing details of subsequent deaths, manslaughter trial and outcomes of record-breaking compensation claims. The Board of Trade Inquiry concluded it was 'the most serious collision between trains meeting one another on a single line of rails.' Using extensive research, Phyllida Scrivens pays tribute to the 28 people who died, revealing the personal stories behind the names.