Tag: Royal Visit

The Dickson dynasty

Andrew James Campbell Dickson left his home in Fife, Scotland for a new job and a new life in New Swindon. By 1861 he was living at 37 Taunton Street. He could hardly have imagined this move would establish a Swindon railway dynasty that would last for more than 100 years.

By 1871 Andrew was working as an Engine Driver. However, when he died in 1876 his occupation was given as Railway Clerk. In her book Railway Voices – Inside Swindon Works Dr. Rosa Matheson suggests “Whether Andrew had to give up as an ‘engine driver’ because of an accident is not actually known but it is a probable explanation. Records show that the GWR often found light work for long service, infirm or disabled firemen and engine drivers.” Andrew was buried in St. Mark’s churchyard.

Now we move on to trace the fortunes of his eldest son Matthew.

Born in Temple, Midlothian on February 11, 1857 Matthew was a wee boy when the family moved to Swindon. On official documents throughout his long life Matthew declares his birthplace as Scotland, but he could have had few memories of that place. However, there were many men of Scottish origin in the railway village in those early years; perhaps Scottish customs and traditions (and accents) were familiar to Matthew.

In 1872 fifteen year old Matthew began a 6 year apprenticeship in the Carriage Finishing Shop. His career would last an astonishing 52 years and in 1924 he was presented to King George V and Queen Mary when they made a visit of Swindon and the Works. A commemorative photograph was taken in which Matthew stands in the 3rd row 4th from the right.

Matthew married Kate Henley at the Wesleyan Chapel, The Planks on July 23, 1881. The couple lived at 76 Commercial Road where Matthew died in 1930 and Kate in 1939 and would remain the family home until 1968. Kate is captured there on the 1939 wartime census when she is described as ‘incapacitated.’ Living with her are her daughters Ellen 54, who is also described as incapacitated and Florence 49 who is unemployed. How on earth did these women survive?

Matthew died on February 9, 1930 and was buried in grave plot C89 with his mother-in-law Elizabeth Henley who died in 1898. He was joined by Kate in 1939 and their two daughters, Ellen Kate who died in 1968 and Florence May who died in 1973.

But the story does not end there …

Edmund Miller Odey – 50 years in the railway works

In 1924 King George V and Queen Mary made a visit to Swindon and the GWR Works. The town definitely pushed out the boat for the royal visit and there are numerous photographs of them on their tour of the railway factory. This photograph is entitled Swindon Works Veterans Inspected by Their Majesties the King and Queen April 28, 1924. The photograph shows 75 men who had completed 50 years in the railway works. In the back row, second from the right, is Mr Edmund Miller Odey.

Edmund was born in Chiseldon in 1859, one of John and Matilda Odey’s five sons. As a sixteen-year-old Edmund began his 5-year apprenticeship in the Smith’s shop on March 20, 1875. Boys were often employed in the Works at a younger age but could not officially begin their apprenticeship until their 16th birthday. His daily rate of pay was 10d (that’s about 5p today) in the first year rising to 2/6 (about 13p) in his final and fifth year. Edmund worked all his life as a Smith’s striker, a physically demanding job, which he was still doing up to his 65th birthday at the time of the royal visit.

He married in 1892 and he and his wife Mary Ann had 10 children of whom 6 had died by 1911. The family lived at a number of different addresses across Swindon – their first home together was in Radnor Street, then by 1901 they were at 3 John Street, in 1909 they were at 4 John Street and in 1911 they were at 5 John Street. All this suggests to me that they did not own their own home but were renting, probably moving frequently.

Mary Ann died in 1914 and she is also buried here in Radnor Street Cemetery but not with Edmund.

So, where does Edmund lie after all those years of hard graft in the mighty GWR factory? He died in July 1928, not many years after that feted royal visit, and he is buried in grave plot C219 a public grave, once commonly called a pauper’s grave.

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