The Campion Family: SMJ employees

[David Campion]

I would be grateful if anyone can let me know if there are any registers, documents or other employee information that exists where I might be able to find out more about the following members of my family:

1. Henry Campion   1830-1910  Lived in Luddington. From 1881 onwards was a plate layer.

         His son

2. John Campion     1861-1939  Lived in Stratford.     From 1891 onwards was a plate layer. Later moved to                                                                                         Butlers Marston

         His son

3. Harry Campion    1883-1970  Lived in Stratford.     From about 1905 was a railway labourer.

         His brother

4. JamesCampion   1884-1957  Lived in Stratford,     Lower Boddington then Towcester. From about 1911                                                                                             was a plate layer.

         His brother

5. William Campion 1886-1952  Lived at Butlers Marston.( By 1939 had moved to Sunderland.) In 1911 he                                                                                           was a plate layer.

         His brother

6. Albert Campion    1891-1955 Lived in Butlers Marston     Ganger on the permanent way

         Daughter of James

7. Dorothy Campion 1924-2012 Lived in Towcester    Worked also at Roade. Porter?  

James Campion was my grandfather. 

Thank you.

David Campion

(My brother, Graham, is also a member.) 

[Dick Bodily]

There's a photo of ganger  A Campion at Kineton on Page 94 of Jordan's SMJR book and ones of Jim and Harry Campion on Page 25. It says also on Page 25 that Jim was a ganger who later became an Acting Inspector at Towcester and that his daughter Dorothy worked in Towcester booking office during WW2 and that Harry worked as a ganger for 45 years.

[David Campion]

Hello Dick. I am embarrassed. I forgot to mention that I have a copy of the Jordan book but I do appreciate the fact that you took the time and trouble to respond.

I think my next step will be to visit the archives at the National Rail Museum in York.

Thank you.

[Nick Meredith]

The National Archive at Kew has the staff record book from the start of the SMJ railway through to weeks before the grouping.

It is a large format book so has to be viewed in the maps reading room.

Each employee has a section of a page, with a line entry per change of assignment or per change if pay (up or down!).

If they run out if space the final line entry is a pointer forward to a new entry for them, started on the first blank page of the book, where the first entry points back to their original page.

I’m pretty sure I saw Campions in there, last time I inspected it.

Reference: RAIL 674/11
Description:
Staff register
Note: Early entries relate to the East and West Junction Railway
Date: 1873-1923
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: SMJ 15 1
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
Access conditions: Closed For 75 years

[David Campion]

Hello Nick,

That's a very useful and a very detailed response.

I will book a day in London and hope their photocopier is working!

Many thanks for that.

I will post a reply on my return.

David

Nick Meredith said:

The National Archive at Kew has the staff record book from the start of the SMJ railway through to weeks before the grouping.

It is a large format book so has to be viewed in the maps reading room.

Each employee has a section of a page, with a line entry per change of assignment or per change if pay (up or down!).

If they run out if space the final line entry is a pointer forward to a new entry for them, started on the first blank page of the book, where the first entry points back to their original page.

I’m pretty sure I saw Campions in there, last time I inspected it.

Reference: RAIL 674/11
Description:
Staff register
Note: Early entries relate to the East and West Junction Railway
Date: 1873-1923
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: SMJ 15 1
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
Access conditions: Closed For 75 years

[David Campion]

Re: The Campion family and the SMJ

I have continued working on my family history and some information about the above members is on the Ancestry website. (www.ancestry.co.uk

I'm not sure if you have to be a member to access it but if you can then it is on my family tree viz. David Campion Tree 1 and you are welcome to look.