The re-imagined story …

Father spread the newspaper across the kitchen table. It took him some time to find the report he sought as Mr Morris had seen fit to hide it on the fifth page of his periodical. The attempt on the Queen’s life had happened two days previously and was old news by then.

Father cleared his throat before speaking. In his melodious Welsh voice he announced – ‘An attempt to shoot the Queen was made on Thursday evening at Windsor station.’

Father had a magnificent voice. I loved to hear him sing in the Baptist Chapel in Cambria Place where we attended every Sunday. Mind he had some keen competition, lot of good Welsh voices there were there.

Mother was less enthusiastic. ‘Likes to hear the sound of his own voice,” she said, which I thought was a compliment – until I grew older.

That evening he read to us the report of the attempt on the Queen’s life. In his rich tenor voice he presented the scene – the poorly clad, starving clerk and the brave Eton schoolboy who belted him round the head, the crowds, the police – it was like something out of a Penny Dreadful!

We later learnt that the Royal Train on which the royal party travelled that day was driven by a Mr. John Hudson Read. And then would you believe it, two years later he moved into the house next door to us. There’s famous he was. I used to tell the story to my children but they were less impressed. I suppose it was old news by then.

The facts …

Mr. John Hudson Read

Mr John Hudson Read recently appointed Loco Superintendent of the Newport District, entered the service of the Company at Newport in 1856, was afterwards transferred to Swansea as Goods’ Fireman, and on being promoted to Passenger Fireman, was sent t Cardiff to be again removed to Swansea on his promotion to Engine Turner. On his being promoted to the rank of Engineman he was removed to Glyn Neath, to assist trains up the famous Glyn Neath bank. After a short stay he was again removed to Swansea, where he remained until after the conversion in South Wales from broad to narrow gauge, and with others taking part in that great undertaking. He performed among other duties that of driving to and fro the men engaged in converting the Ely Valley Line from broad to narrow, leaving Swansea in the early morning and bringing them back at night after their day’s work was done. Perhaps it will be an interesting item to some of the Permanent Way readers of the magazine, who were engaged in this particular work, to know Mr Read was the driver who drove their train to and from Swansea. When the Bristol and Exeter, and South Devon Lines became amalgamated with the GWR, Mr Read was with others selected for service under Mr. John Luxmore, being, transferred from Swansea to Exeter, where he remained until transferred to Paddington.

There after a little while he became the Driver of the Royal Train, having the engine “Queen,” and driving the Royal Train, when Her Majesty travelled on the GW system. He was the driver of the train on the occasion of her Majesty being shot at at Windsor Station, he also drove the Royal Train from Paddington to Swansea when their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales paid a visit to South Wales for the purpose of opening the Prince of Wales’ Dock at Swansea.

After a long term of faith service, Mr. Read was appointed Inspector and transferred from Paddington to Swindon. He has fulfilled the various duties of his position to everyone’s satisfaction, duties which were some times of no light or ordinary character as those who were in Devonshire during the late conversion can testify where Mr Read being in charge of the Loco. Dept. at Exeter won golden opinions from all who were working with and under him by his courteous bearing to them. Mr Read has whilst occupying the post of Inspector gained the entire confidence of the staff generally, by his kindness and gentlemanly bearing. Mr Read has whilst everyone of the Loco. men realizing that in him they had a true friend. His appointments are as follows: made Fireman, Dec. 17^th, 1862; Engineman, Nov. 16^th, 1871; Inspector, May 24^th, 1884; appointed by the Directors as Superintendent of the Newport district, Aug. 6^th, 1893, the station at which he first entered the Company’s service.

Great Western Railway Magazine

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers

4,327, received 28 June 1902

Read, John Hudson, Divisional Superintendent, Great Western Railway, Newport, Mon.

Proposer:- William Dean, Member, Swindon.

Seconder:- George J. Churchward, Member, Swindon

Supporters:- William H. Waister, William H. Williams, Henry C. King.

Age Sixty, born 14 November 1841

Education:- Private school at Chepstow, Mon.

Apprenticeship:-

Subsequent Career:-

6 years, 1856-62; employed in Locomotive Department, Great Western Railway.

7 years, 1862-69; as locomotive fireman

15 years, 1869-84; as engineman

9 years, 1884-93; Chief Locomotive Inspector.

9 years; Divisional Superintendent, Locomotive and Carriage Department, 1893; and is at present Divisional Superintendent over 517¾ miles in Monmouthshire and South Wales.

46 years. TOTAL

Mechanical Engineer Records 1847-1938

Attempt to shoot the Queen

An attempt to shoot the Queen was made on Thursday evening at Windsor station. The name of the miscreant is said to be Robert Maclean, who was poorly clad, and who states that he is a clerk out of employment. The particulars of the foolhardy act are as follow :- The Queen, who had been spending a couple of days at Buckingham Palace, left London in the afternoon for Windsor Castle. The Royal train arrived at Windsor about half past five o’clock, a large crowd having assembled to witness the arrival of the Sovereign. On alighting from the train her Majesty at once entered a carriage which was in waiting to convey her to the Castle, when just as she was about to drive oft a man who had been standing with others at the entrance to the station yard suddenly fired a revolver at the Royal carriage, but happily the shot did not take effect. The fellow was about to fire a second time, when the pistol was wrenched from his grasp by a bystander, and he was at once seized by the police, who, however, had some difficulty in preventing him being lynched by the crowd. It is stated that at the moment the pistol was fired the crowd was cheering the Queen, who, it is thought, did not hear the report; but of course her Majesty was quickly apprised of the attempt which had been made upon her life, and, with her usual solicitude for others, she at once caused inquiries to be made as to whether any one had been struck by the pistol-charge. Some doubt exists as to whether a bullet was really fired or not, as no trace of one has been found. The pistol, which was a six chambered one, was found to be loaded with two blank cartridges and two containing bullets. Several other cartridges were found on the person of the would be assassin. Maclean is thought to be of unsound mind. This is the sixth outrage which has been perpetrated on the person of the Sovereign. The first occurred in June, 1840, when the Queen was fired at by Oxford. The next was in May, 1842, the would be assassin being John Francis. Two months later a man named Beau presented a pistol at her, but without firing it. In June, 1850, her Majesty was struck in the face by a fellow named Pate as she was walking out; and in 1872 a lad named Arthur O’Connor presented an unloaded pistol at her as she was entering Buckingham Palace.

The Prisoner Before the Magistrates,

Windsor, Friday afternoon.

The prisoner was driven to the Town-hall in an open fly at half-past one to-day, in charge of Supt. Hayes and a plain clothes official. He has a very wretched look, and is a man very much of the Lefroy type. He looks unclean and unshaven, and has a slight black moustache. He was immediately taken before the bench of magistrates, the Mayor of Windsor presiding Mr Stevens, solicitor to the Treasury prosecuted on behalf of the Public Prosecutor. Amongst the magistrates present were Alderman Chamberlain, and Mr G. Poole. In reply to the Mayor, the prisoner said in a most off-handed manner and in a firm voice that his name was “Maclean-Roderic Maclean.” Supt. Hayes was then sworn. – Mr Stevenson said he was instructed to prosecute by the Secretary of State.- Supt. Hayes that her Majesty arrived at the station at 5-25 yesterday. She was accompanied by the Princess Beatrice, and Mr Brown was sitting behind the carriage. As the carriage started and had got half way to the gate he heard a report, and looked to the left, when he saw the prisoner. Prisoner here asked whether he was allowed to ask any questions. The Mayor said certainly he would, presently. Examination continued: He looked to the left and saw the prisoner in the act of presenting a pistol at her Majesty. He did not hear more than one shot fired. The prisoner was about 150 yards from the carriage where the shot was fired when he first saw the prisoner. He was holding the pistol straight out in the direction of the carriage. He immediately sprung on him, and collared him by the collar and neck. He stopped to take the pistol from him when a young man named James Burnside subsequently got possession of the pistol, and handed it over to him. He produced the pistol, which had been in his possession ever since; he put it in his pocked immediately he put prisoner against the wall, assisted by Inspector Fraser and others. Prisoner said, “Don’t hurt me, I will go quietly.” A little Eton boy came up and gave him a blow on his head, and he then took prisoner to the police station, and when there he asked him his name and address. He gave his name and address, and said he had been in Windsor about a week. On the way to the Police-station in the cab prisoner said, “I was starving, or I should not have done this.” At the station when charged he said, “Oh, the Queen!” He examined the pistol. It was a German pin-fire revolver; it had two empty cartridge cases in it, that was to say exploded cartridges. Three were full whole cartridges, and two chambers empty. He drew the cartridges, and produced them. He searched the prisoner, and on him found 14 other cartridges of the same make. They were in a piece of rag. He found other articles of no value, including a pocket book, a knife, etc. Amongst other things a letter was found. It was taken from him by Inspector Fraser. The letter was then read, in which prisoner stated that he would not have dared the crime had the sum of 10s been given to him instead of 5s being offered the insultingly small sum of 6s. He was compelled to commit this crime against the bloated aristocrat, headed by that old lady “Mrs Vic.” Witness further said that at 10.30 this morning prisoner said he wished to make a further statement, “I have a complete answer to the charge.” He then wrote a letter which was now put in and read, in which prisoner said he was not guilty of shooting at the Queen with intent to do grievous bodily harm, his object was only to cause the public alarm, with the result of having his grievances redressed. Such was the pecuniary strait in which he was. All the circumstances tended to prove this statement. Had he cared to have injured the Queen he would have fired at her when she was getting out of the carriage. As it was he shot at the wheels but the pistol kicked and the bullet might have hit the carriage door. The only consolation he could offer the Queen was this statement, and he offered it if the charge of intent to do the Queen grievous bodily harm was withdrawn, and a charge of attempting to intimidate others substituted he would do all in his power to elucidate the mystery, and to bring the matter to a speed issue. At the end of the letter prisoner said that was the whole truth. The prisoner was remanded.

The Swindon Advertiser, Saturday March 4, 1882.