Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/570

 470

NOTES AND QUERIES. ui a. v. JDSK is. wi

CHURCH ALES: CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS. The following entries occur in the Churchwardens' Accounts of Wootton St. Lawrence, Hants, in connexion with Church Ales :

1600. Junii xv the Sonday next before niidsonier.

Rec' for pewter ix-s. vd.

Rec' at the tronks the same day xjs. vjd. Junii xxiiij Midsomer day.

Rec' at Tronks the same day ... ix*. mjd.

Rec' at the play at Pewter ... xs. vjd.

On the following Sunday, 29 June, 2s. lOrf. was received at the " tronks," and 9s. Gd. for the pewter ; and on Sunday, 6 July, 6s. Wd. for the " tronks," and 9s. KM. for pewter. In the expenses for the same year it appears that 13s. Id. was paid " for the Pewter."

In 1603, on the second day of the. Church Ale, 7s. was received " at trunkes," and 8s. "at ye pewter " ; and on the third day, 4s. at trunks, and 8s. Sd. at pewter.

In 1605 neither is mentioned, but 11s. was " gained by the dice and the horse*."

At Bramley, Hants, " tappyng money ^ occurs in the Church Ale accounts for 1532 and 1533.

I should be glad of any explanation of these terms, or references to any similar entries. J. F. WILLIAMS.

CHARLES DICKENS:

DICKER'S RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

(11 S. v. 263.)

THE Staplehurst accident occurred on 9 June, 1865, not on 10 June. Dickens died on the fifth anniversary of the disaster. This was rather a remarkable affair, for, unlike most railway accidents of that period, it hap- pened to a train which had a good propor- tion of brake-power, was drawn by a first- class locomotive, and made up in a proper manner, while the permanent way was kept in excellent order. The directors of the South-Eastern Railway referred to it as a " Divine visitation," but no accident would have happened had the regulations been adhered to. The Beult viaduct had been under repair for ten weeks without the know- ledge of the chief engineer, hence no printed instructions were issued to drivers to warn them to proceed cautiously when nearing the spot. The foreman platelayer misread

his working time-table, and told his gang that the iU-fated boat train (a tidal one, and, therefore, an irregular service) was due to pass at 5.20 P.M. ; that was the next day's time, this day's time being 3.15 P.M. Two lengths of rail, each 21ft. long, had been taken out of the up line when the train made its unexpected appearance. But the foreman also utterly disregarded the Com- pany's rule that, previous to any rail being taken up, a signalman was to be stationed 1,000 yds. away, with red flag, and detonators placed on the metals. He contented himself ivith putting a man 400 yds. away, with no explosive signals. The train, at the speed it was travelling, could not have been pulled up under a mile. Those were th3 days before continuous automatic brakes, but the South-Eastern was experimenting with a patent American spring brake, known as Cremer's. This brake was fitted to several coaches of the train. Unfortunately, the leading guard, when he heard the hoarse, staccato note of the brake whistle, sounded by the driver as soon as he caught sight of the watchman, got flurried, and applied the common hand-brake, which took some seconds to put on, before he applied the patent brakes, which went on quickly with a spring. The w r eather was gloriously fine and intensely hot. As the line from Head- corn station to the scene of the accident is perfectly straight for 2 miles, some sur- prise was evinced that the driver did not catch sight of the watchman's red flag until he was close upon him. The driver's explanation was that he was dazzled by the brilliant sunlight.

The coroner's inquest returned a verdict of manslaughter against the foreman plate- layer and the district inspector ; but no further proceedings were taken against them. It is interesting to note that the South- Eastern Railway then enjoyed the distinc- tion of running some of the fastest trains on the narrow gauge. These boat trains were allowed 2 hr. 10 min. for the journey between Folkestone Harbour and Charing Cross, inclusive of stops at Red Hill (the direct route via Sevenoaks was not open) and London Bridge, or 1 hr. 50 min. as between London Bridge and Folkestone Junction, a distance of 80 miles.

To-day the journey from Charing Cross to Folkestone Harbour, 72J miles, is sche- duled to occupy between 1 hr. 40 min. and 1 hr. 50 min., without intermediate stop.

The directors sent Dickens a resolution of thanks for his assistance to the wounded. H. G. ARCHER.