Of Tragedy and Valor
John Rumbelow, (UK)

John Rumbelow was born on 28 November 1847 in West Row, Mildenhall Suffolk. He was a cousin of Malen Rumbelow who would depart West Row for Australia in 1854.

The 1851 Census states John Rumbelow, at age 6 ,was living at Union Housein Mildenhall Suffolk. 

In 1870 John was 23 years of age when married Sarah Okey.

He was noted as Platelayer (railway labourer) on the birth certificate of one of his sons Tom.  

A Platelayer was employed to lay and maintaining the railway track.  It was the name used for the men who laid and maintained the ‘plateways’ that were primarily used for coal haulage. ‘Plateways’ were built using L shaped rails and the vehicles that ran on them did not have flanged wheels. Around 1830, with the coming of heavier engines and wagons, flanged wheels were used on plateways.. However, the word ‘platelayer’ continued to be used to describe those workers who laid and maintained the rails. 

John and Sarah were thought to have lived Residence Clay Way, Holy Trinity, Ely, Cambridgeshire in a cottage next to the Ely station. 

In 1911, aged 63 years, John and Sarah lived in a 6 room house with 13 children of whom 11 were still living. 

In 1915 John was tragdically killed at age 68 by a train near Ely North Junction on the Great Eastern Railways. 

John was working as a platelayer on the trainline. The accident happened about 1.30pm when John Rumbelow was screwing up bolts and he did not hear the train coming.

The police were informed of the tragedy, and Constable Bush collected the mutilated remains and conveyed them to the mortuary. Rumbelow's watch was found on the line. The Coroner produced Rumbelow's watch, and remarked that it stopped at 32 minutes past one. The glass was broken, and there were marks of a severe nature around the rim. The hands were not broken and the face was only brokena little. It had been struck very heavily.

His son Edward Rumbelow, Lynn Road, Ely, was also a platelayer with G.E.R. Company and identified the body.

Burial took place after the issue of a Coroners Certificate.

John and Sarah had 13 children.

• Emma Jane Rumbelow

• Mary Rumbelow

• Tom Rumbelow

• Arthur Rumbelow

• Edward Rumbelow

• Alice Rumbelow

• Henry Rumbelow

• Eliza Pamela Rumbelow

• Frederick Rumbelow

• Anne Rumbelow

ELY PLATELAYER KILLED. ENGINE DRIVER EXONERATED.

Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 31 December 1915

Gale That Drowned the Noise of Approaching Train.

An Ely platelayer named John Rumbelow was cut to pieces near the Ely North Junction signal box on Monday. He was working on the line with other platelayers, and it appears that, owing to the gale which was blowing, they did not hear the train approaching. Another railway employee, Tomas Day, had a very narrow escape. 

The police were informed of the tragedy, and P.C. Bush collected the mutilated remains and conveyed them to the mortuary.

The inquest was held by the Coroner, Mr. G. M. Hall, at the Shire Hall, Ely, on Tuesday. Mr. R. Lown was chosen foreman of the jury. 

The Railway Company was represented by Insp. F. Harradine (traffic department, Cambridge), Insp. Dorrington (loco. department, Cambridge), Mr. Burdett (engineers' department, March) and Mr. H. Everson (Ely stationmaster).

Evidence of identification was given by the deceased son Edward Rumbelow, Lynn Road, Ely, a platelayer in the employ of the G.E.R. Company. He said that his father was 68, and had been a platelayer for 41 years. He last saw him alive on Sunday night, when he appeared all right. Witness worked on the Cheltisham length of line. Monday was a terribly windy day. It was blowing south to north, or that way.

The Coroner: Supposing a train was coming from Peterborough and was going to pass over the Adelaide Crossing, and somebody was this side, the south side, working or doing anything, it might be difficult to hear that train?

Witness: Yes.

May I take it from you, as a man of experience in the matter, it is very easy to be at work and not hear the approaching train? - Yes.

Further questioned, witness said that four platelayers went on a length, and when they saw a train coming they warned one another. Each man was supplied with a whistle, like the one produced, and they kept looking round to see if there was a train approaching.

The Coroner: An eye on the work and an eye on the train. That is rather a difficult matter.

Witness: We do the best we can.

The Coroner: I am going to be very particular about this, as I have to make a private report to the Home Secretary. Have you got any rules?

Witness: Yes, they are printed.

The rules were produced, and the Coroner read one of them as follows; "When a train is approaching platelayers and other men at work on the permanent way must not remain on any running lines, nor between them is the spaces are less than eight feet, but must at once move clear of all lines, unless they can distinctly see they are in a position of safety and in no danger from any train approaching them unobserved. The men must stop in the position taken up until the train .... has cleared a sufficient distance to enable them to see no trains are approaching on the other lines before they re-cross the rails."

Witness went on to state that there was no one employed to keep watch.  He had been a platelayer 18 years. When a big gang was at work he remembered years ago seeing a man with a red flag, but he knew of no such precaution having been taken with small parties. His father had lost the sight of his right eye and was also ruptured. He was not slightly deaf, and was pretty sharp on his feet. He did not walk like an aged man. He ruptured himself when lifting a rail some 20 years ago. 

Thomas Day, of Broad Pieces, a platelayer, said that on Monday he was in the same gang as Rumbelow, the other members of the party being Thomas Ellingham and Thomas Plate. They went on about 7 a.m., and were working just outside the north home signal box. Several trains had passed and they got out of their way. The accident happened about 1.30. Rumbelow was screwing up bolts and he  (witness) was about a length of rail away. He did not hear the train coming.

The Coroner: How was it you were not smashed up?

Witness: I was pretty near. Rumbelow was in the four-foot way and I was in the six-foot.

Did you see the train strike him? - No, I did not.

How is it none of you were looking out? You know trains pass and repass. - It was an accident, all I know of it.

The Coroner: That is for the jury to say. How is it none of you four happened to be looking out? - I cannot say.

You must answer my question. - The train passed close to my hand.

Did not Ellingham see it? - If he did he must have been very close.

Did you not hear the train coming? - Not until it was against me.

Have you ever been nearly run over before? - Not so near as I was yesterday.

Were the other two men nearly knocked over? - They were not in the danger way.

How can you explain the thing? - I cannot say any further.

In answer to further questions, witness said that the wind was blowing hard. He did not hear a whistle until the train was against his hand. He had to jump out of the way.

The Coroner produced Rumbelow's watch, and remarked that it stopped at 32 minutes past one. The glass was broken, and there were marks of a severe nature around the rim. The hands were not broken and the face was only broken a little. It had been struck very heavily.

P.C. Rush, Coroner's officer, was understood to say that the case to the watch was picked up 100 yards away.

The Coroner: It looks to me as though the blow struck the watch, and probably 1.32 was the moment of impact.

Day added that he did not hear any cry. He went and looked for Rumbelow as soon as he could and found "the body part" first, about 60 yards from where he was struck. He found what remained of his legs about 60 yards further on.

The Coroner: Can you explain at all why you were not on the look-out?

Witness: I cannot say any more.

The Coroner: I suppose you get so used to the trains you don't think of it; or were you talking?

Witness: We were very busy and the wind was blowing.

By Inspector Harradine: He was nearer the approaching train than Rumbelow, about five or six yards from him. He (witness) had sharp work to get out of the way.

Thomas Pate, foreman platelayer, of North Junction, said that the previous day he was in charge of the men. Rumbelow was working on the high rail of the up road, and witness was about 30 or 40 yards off. He did not hear the approaching train until the engine screamed as it passed him. He heard the whistle before the engine got to Rumbelow. The train was going about 40 miles an hour. There was a long curve in that part of the line, "not over sharp." When he heard the whistle he looked up and saw Day stagger back into the six-foot way. He could not see what had happened until he noticed Rumbelow's body shoot out of the engine wheels.

The Coroner: How far had the train travelled before the body shot out?

Witness: About 60(?) yards.

Did it come near you? - No, it went the other way. I lifted the body and laid it in the six-foot way as best I could. It was blowing terribly hard and the train could not be heard. The same train passed every day about that time. Deceased knew the book time when the trains were due to pass.

Witness added that it was impossible for the deceased to get out of the way. They did not know the train was there until it screamed. Had the whistle been sounded 20 yards away, even 40 yards, he thought they would have heard it. In such a wind it was difficult to say how far off they could have heard it.

By a juror: Rumbelow would be working sideways, and his feet would be in the four-foot way.

The Coroner: Was the whole of his body in the four-foot way?

Witness: Yes.

In answer to another juror, witness stated that they could have easily heard the train had it been an ordinary wind.

By Inspector Harradine: He did not hear any whistle but the whistle just by him.

Questioned by the Foreman, witness said they could see several hundred yards.

Thomas Ellingham, of Adelaide, a platelayer, said he was working with Rumbelow the previous morning. Witness was the farthest away, and when he saw the train he shouted, but there was no time for Rumbelow to get out of the road. He did not hear a whistle 20 yards away. He only heard one whistle. After the train had passed witness saw "bits of his (Rumbelow's) body lying about."

By the Foreman: It was not left to the one nearest the approaching train to keep a lookout.

Thomas William Nelson Corby, 36, North Street, March, an engine driver, said that the previous day he left Chottisham at 1.34 p.m. and approached the north signal box about 1.37. The line curved there, but he could see for some considerable distance. Amongst other things, a driver's duty was to keep his eye in front of him to see there was no obstruction, and he was doing this. The train was going about 35 miles an hour, and he could see the men working in front of him. Witness was preparing to slow through the junction. There was only one man, Rumbelow, in the four-foot way, and when he last saw him it appeared as though he was about to step out of the road towards the left. The sun was full in his (witness's) face, and he could not see so distinctly as an ordinary occasion. He felt nothing, but he feared they had run over the man, and put the brakes on immediately, stopping short of the junction. It depended upon the length of the train as to the distance in which they could pull up. He told his mate, Bert Steels, to run back and see what it was. Witness got down and examined the engine, and saw enough on the left bogey wheel to convince him of what had happened.

The Coroner: You have heard the evidence. They all seem to say you sounded the whistle just as you approached the scene of the slaughter? - I should say about 60 to 70 yards before I struck Rumbelow.

Tell me why you did not see him before? - I could not see him in the four-foot way because of the glare of the sun. But I could see the other men. If I had done so I should have whistled before.

Is it true that you did sound the whistle once? - I whistled twice at the same time.

Witness added that he had never run over anyone else before that he knew of, only game and one or two dogs, but they did not take any notice of them. (Laughter.) He had been an engine driver for 19 years.

The Coroner remarked that there seemed to be an unwritten law about whistling.

Witness said that if a man was working in the four-foot way they sounded the whistle if they thought he was not going to move. Being on the curve he could not see so well as if he had been on the straight.

A juror: What made you stop?

Witness: For safety - examination. If we have an idea it is our duty to stop and examine.

By the Coroner: He said to his mate, "I believe we have run over him," or some such words as that.

The Coroner: There is only one thing about it; it is much easier for a man to get out of the way than for an engine.

Bertie Steels, 32, New Park, March, a stoker, said he was on the engine with the last witness, and was looking out of the left window as they were approaching the box, but did not see anyone. If it had been on the straight they would have both seen. His mate had put on the brake partially to steady up for the junction. He did not know they had struck Rumbelow.

The Coronier: What mysterious agency made you pull up?

Witness: My mate did not know whether there had been an accident or not, and pulled up to make sure. He asked me to go and have a look, which I did.

Police Constable Charles Bush, the officer in charge of the case, said that on Monday at 2 p.m., he received a report that a man had been killed at Ely North Junction, and he proceeded at once to the spot, going down on a goods brake from the station. The wind was blowing very hard. He arrived on the scene at 2.20 and saw the remains of the deceased, the head and trunk being 60 yards away from where it was pointed out to him that Rumbelow had been working. The legs and other portions of the body were lying 60 yards further south. The skull was smashed and the neck broken. He collected the remains, brought them to Ely gates on a trolley and conveyed them to the mortuary. Rumbelow's watch was found on the line. On searching the remains he found a bag purse containing three sovereigns and 3s. in silver.

In reply to the Coroner, witness said that the staion officials assisted him in every way they could. He had difficulty in finding the purse, which was in the mangled remains of the chest. He produced the instrument Rumbelow was using.

The Coroner remarked that it looked as if he had it on a screw and it was knocked and broken.

In summing up, the Coroner briefly reviewed the facts, and said that the wind was blowing against the approaching engine, thus blowing the sound away. These four men had been at their work so long and often that he was sure, like everybody else who did any kind of work in a dangerous position, they began to have a contempt for danger, like our men in the trenches. 

The driver of the train gave his evidence in a fair, straightforward manner, but he could not quite conceive a man of his experience not sounding the whistle further away, even supposing he thought they were all working in the six-foot way and not the four-foot. He said he could not see the men in the four-foot way. Of course, he did not want to be at all hard on the driver. He knew the great trouble to the everlasting whistling. If he did that he would get into a row with other people. They did not know how to act to please everybody. What caused the driver to pull up in the short distance he did? That was the only piece of evidence in the whole of his depositions that he wanted them to consider a little. For some reason or other conscience made him believe he had struck him. At any rate, he pulled up - that was quite right - but he could not get away from the fact that had the whistle been sounded further away there would have been a greater chance for this man to get out of the four-foot way. He could quite understand the men did not hear the approaching train on account of the wind, but he (Mr. Hall) stuck to that point, if the whistle had been sounded 300(?) instead of 40 yards away there was a good chance of them hearing it. That, unfortunately, was not done. They passed so many of these gangs, and they expected them to get out of the way. They must know when the signal was down a train was coming, but they all seemed to have forgotten about that. 

The platelayers were supplied with whistles and it was curious not one was sounded. They ought to be so worn that they could be sounded in a moment, but that had nothing to do with him. The question was whether, on the evidence, they could find any trace of neglect on the part of anybody. Personally, he did not think there was anything which came within the criminal law. The Coroner added that he thought his officer, P.C. Bush, had had a very repellent duty to perform. He had to search these remnants of the human body, and had to go over them very carefully in order to find the purse. He thought he had performed his duty well, and when he (the Coroner) came to see him he looked positively ill. He was sure his superior officers ought to note that he (the Coroner) was very well satisfied with the way in which he had conducted his case.

The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and added that no blame was attached to anyone.

The Coroner thanked the stationmaster and other officials for the assistance they rendered.

Inspector Harradine and Mr. Everson briefly replied.

Mr. Corby said he was very pleased at the impartial way in which the Coroner had conducted the inquiry.

The Coroner remarked that no blame was attached to him, but he was sorry the whistle was not sounded a little earlier.'

THE G.E.R. FATALITY 

Cambridge Independent Press - Friday 07 January 1916

The remains of Mr. J. Rumbelow, who was killed by a G.E.R. train, as reported in our last issue, were laid to rest in the Ely Cemetery on Friday afternoon last, amidst manifestations of respect and sorrow.

The chief mourners were: Mrs. J. Rumbelow (widow), Mr. H. Rumbelow, Mr. A. Rumbelow, Mr. T. Rumbelow and Mr. S. Rumbelow (sons), Mr. and Mrs. E. Rumbelow (son and daughter-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. F. Rumbelow (son and daughter-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. F. Williamson (daughter and son-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Simpkins (daughter and son-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. T. Cutworth (daughter and son-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. R. Rumbelow (brother and sister-in-law), Mr. F. Rumbelow (brother), Mr. and Mrs. R. Sharman (sister and brother-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. G. Oakey, Mr. W. Oakey, Mr. G. Cross and daughter (Mrs. A. Maltpress), Masters Edward and Willie Cutworth and George and Reginald Scott (grandchildren), Mr. Woodbine, Mr. Perkins, and others. Mr. Wilkinson, Inspector of the G.E.R., was also present. 

The following fellow-workmen acted as bearers(?); Messrs. T. Pate, T. Day, T. Ellingham, J. Pope, W. Jefferspm. amd G. Lythell. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. F.J. Bywater. A number of beautiful wreaths were sent by : The widow and family, in loving remembrance; Mr. and Mrs. Williamson, Doncaster in deepest sympathy; Mr. and Mrs. Howard, Doncaster, with deepest sympathy; Mr. A. and Mr. T. Rumbelow, with fond remembrance; Mr. and Mrs. R. Rumbelow, London, in deepest sympathy; Mr. and Mrs. G. Cross and family, with deepest sympathy; From his fellow-workmates. - Mr. A. Cross was the undertaker.'

BURIAL: Plot 1245 - Officiating Minister J G Bywaters.

PROBATE: RUMBELOW John of Clayway Drove Ely Cambridgeshire plate layer died 27 December 1915. Administration Peterborough 7 February to Sarah Rumbelow widow. Effects £182.3s.10d.

OCCUPATION: 

• 1871 - Agricultural Labourer

• 1891 - Railway Labourer

• 1901 - Railway Platelayer

• 1911 - Railway Labourer, Great Eastern Rail

• 1915 - A Railway Plate Layer at Ely Station, Cambridgeshire

CENSUS: 

• 1851 - living at Union House,  age 6, in mate of Union, unmarried, scholar born Mildenhall Sfk

• 1871 - head, married, aged 21 yrs., Ag Lab born Suffolk, Mildenhall.

• 1881 - head, married, aged 33 yrs. Railway platelayer, born Suffolk, Mildenhall.

• 1891 - Age 43 yrs, b. West Row Suffolk, head, married. Residence Clay Way, Holy Trinity, Ely, Cambridgeshire

• 1901 - head, married, aged 53 yrs.,Railway Platelayer, b. West Row Suffolk, Admin County Cambridge, Civil Parish Holy Trinity. Residence Clay Way Drove, Ely.

• 1911 - head, aged 63 yrs., married 40 yrs. with 13 children of whom 11 were still living, occupation Railway Labourer, Great Eastern Rail, worker, born Suffolk, Mildenhall. Residence Clay Way, Adelaide, near Ely, Cambridgeshire. The house had 6 rooms