Culham station staff

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Culham Station staff 1917
Unknown photographer, author's collection

Although Culham was a small country station it had its own signal box and facilities to handle goods and parcels traffic as well as passengers, so required the staff to service their needs. We thought it would be interesting to try and find out who had worked at Culham over the years - certainly up until the end of the Great Western era. As a starting point we looked for staff transferring to or from Culham as reported in the several hundred copies of the Great Western Railway Magazine within our collection and, unless noted otherwise, this is the source of transfer information quoted in the tables below. A few GWR staff records have been found and used to fill in some of the gaps.

Reference to census records also gives an insight into employees of the railway, but these records can be difficult to trace, are often misleading, and only providing a snapshot every ten years means many people fall 'between the gaps'. The census from 1921 was not available for searching at the time of writing, the one from 1931 was destroyed by fire during the war and one was not taken in 1941, so there is a big gap. Despite the station at Appleford having closed in 1849, the census of 1861Railway staff living in Appleford in 1861
in the order in which they were recorded

Thomas Hart (21) Railway Policeman
James Townsend (28) Railway Labourer
John Cowley (27) Engine Driver Railway
George Barnett (34) Railway Switchman
John Lovelace (31) Railway Guard
Robert Pointer (36) Railway Labourer
James Reeve (43) Railway Policeman
William Reeve (20) Engine Cleaner
James Reeve (15) Engine Cleaner
Thomas Austin (37) Railway Labourer
Moses Butler (34) Greaser Railway
Benjmin Jones (34) Railway Labourer
William King (33) Railway Porter
William Norman (35) Railway Policeman
Walter Porter (24) Railway Switchman
Stephen Welch (35) Railway Guard
William Viner (16) Engine Cleaner
James Panter (47) Railway Labourer
Joseph Reynolds (22) Railway Labourer
Thomas Clifford (27) Railway Labourer
William Westlake (28) Railway Guard
Thomas Belcher (20) Engine Cleaner
James Butler (36) Greaser Railway shows the village remained home to a number of railway families. Some may have been associated with the station at Culham, but their place of work is not noted.

The photograph featured here is labelled on the back as being taken in 1917, and at first we thought it might show Station Master G.W.Townsend and staff. However, he left Culham in February 1917 and so, judging by the trees being in leaf, this could well have been taken a few months later to record the arrival of F.H.Barley, who took over from him as Station Master.

The following tables are by no means exhaustive, and may contain many errors, but they are a start and will be expanded as more information comes to light. It is interesting to note that several staff left Culham to return later. We would love to hear from any readers who may be able to provide more information.

~~ Hover over any highlighted name to see more background ~~

Station Master

	Start date	Transfer from	Left date	Transfer to
Henry Charles Fenn 1861 GWR Register of Clerks records transfer as Station Master from Hanwell to Culham. 1861 Census shows him as being a Railway Station Master, single, aged 21, and lodging with Frederick Webber (Railway Clerk) and his wife. The address given is 'Railway Station'. 1862 Under the column 'Date and Cause of leaving the Company's Service' is the entry Dismissed January 1862 with no explanatory remarks.	Feb 1861	Hanwell	Jan 1862	dismissed
Henry Blythe 1862 GWR Register of Clerks notes his transfer from Faringdon to be Station Master at Culham 1868 Oxford Chronicle report of Saturday 15th August notes him as being the Station Master 1871 Census records him, aged 30, as living in a 'Railway Cottage' with his four year old adopted son and Susannah Horne, the 21 year old Housekeeper. His occupation is recorded as Clerk - Railway Station Master. 1871 GWR Register of Clerks notes his transfer from Culham to be Station Master at Maidenhead	March 1862	Faringdon	Oct 1871	Maidenhead
William Edward Bradshaw 1873 In a report on Saturday 5th April, Jackson's Oxford Journal notes him as being Station Master at Culham	1871?	?	?	?
James Joseph Barron 1881 GWR Register of Clerks notes his transfer from the Booking Office at Oxford to be Station Master at Culham. 1881 Census records him, aged 30, as being a Railway Station Master living with his wife and four young daughters in Culham. The exact address is not clear, but the placing of the record puts it as being close to the station rather than in the village of Culham. 1882 GWR Register of Clerks notes he Resigned 13th September 1882.	March 1881	Oxford	Sept 1882	resigned
Anthony Borlase Anthony Borlase Date unknown Image - courtesy of Linden Collins 1884 GWR Register of Clerks records transfer as Station Master from Southam Road and Harbury to Culham,. 1886 GWR Register of Clerks notes transfer to Moulsford. He did move around a bit thereafter, being made Station Master at the (then) new Cholsey and Moulsford station, Basingstoke, Newbury Goods dept., and finally Thatcham from where he retired on 26th February 1919.	Dec 1884	Southam Road and Harbury	Aug 1886	Moulsford
Francis William Keys 1886 GWR Register of Clerks records transfer to be Station Master at Culham, from the Goods Dept. at Newbury. 1889 Under the column 'Date and Cause of leaving the Company's Service' is the entry Dismissed - Paid to 6 Oct '89 with an additional note See Board minute no 19 of 13 Nov '89.	August 1886	Newbury	Oct 1889	dismissed
William Frederick Knutton 1891 GWR Register of Clerks records transfer to be Station Master at Culham, from Passenger Dept. at Oxford. 1893 GWR Register of Clerks records transfer to Worcester. 1918 He did move around a bit thereafter, and on Saturday 26 October, the Reading Mercury reported that he had been appointed stationmaster at Oxford where he was to remain until 1924 when he took charge of Reading.	Apr 1891	Oxford	Feb 1893	Worcester
George William Townsend George William Townsend and family Taken at Culham in about 1914 Image - A.B.MacLeod, Chris Leigh Collection 1898 GWR Register of Clerks records transfer as Station Master from Wantage Road to Culham. 1901 Census records him, aged 34 and his wife Louise, aged 29, as boarding with Charles Lewis and family at 'Station House'. His occupation is given as Railway Station Master. 1903, 1907 and 1911 Kelly's Directory notes him as being Station Master and Insurance Agent 1911 Census records him, now 43, his wife and two young children living at the postal address of 'Culham Station'. 1917 On Saturday 17th February, the Reading Mercury carried a short report that the station staff made a presentation to Mr. G.W.Townsend, who had been stationmaster at Culham for nearly 20 Years, upon his leaving following promotion to Hanwell.	Jan 1898	Wantage Road	Feb 1917	Hanwell
F H Barley 1917 In the GWR Statement of Clerical Positions it is noted that F.H.Barley is the Station Master at Culham. At the foot of the same page it is recorded that G.W.Townsend is Station Master at Hanwell. We know he took up this position in February 1917 so it is probable that F.H.Barley was his replacement at Culham. The document is undated, but it also notes Great Bridge station as being currently closed. This station is known to have been closed for the duration of the Great War, so a date of 1917 is inferred. 1921 Census records an F.H.Barley and family living in Newbury, but no other information. If this is our man it makes sense that he would later transfer to Thatcham.	Feb 1917	?	Jan 1936	Thatcham
Arthur C Smith 1939 The National Register of 1939 shows him, aged 41, and his wife living in 'Station House, Culham', his occupation being Railway Station Master.	1936?	?	Nov 1941	Lambourn
E W Franklin	Nov 1941	Whitchurch	June 1947	Goring
Fouracre early 1950s? The only reference so far found is a mention of Mr. Fouracre being the Station Master at Culham in the book, 'Signalling Days', by Harold Gasson, a local railwayman who wrote a series of four books about his life on the railway. This third book was originally published by Oxford Publishing Co. in 1981. Whilst the reference is undated, the context suggests some period in the early to mid 1950s.	1947?	?	?	?

Signalman

	Start date	Transfer from	Left date	Transfer to
Charles Tarrant Charles Tarrant is the great grandfather of the broadcaster Chris Tarrant, and was the first signalman at Culham. 1874 No staff records have been found, but The following extract from a report in the Reading Mercury of Saturday 12th June 1915 confirms his early days at Culham. At the G.W.R. Station, Reading, on June 3rd, a pleasant gathering of railway officials took place ..... advantage was taken of the occasion to hand a suitable gift to ex-District Relief Signalman Mr. C. Tarrant who retired from the company’s service last February, after serving 42 years. Mr. Tarrant, joined the G.W.R. Company’s service in February, 1873, at Steventon, as a policeman (as signalmen were at that time termed). From there he went to Culham in July of the same year, thence he was removed to Kirtlington (now called Bletchington), and in November, 1874, he was sent back to Culham to open the new signal-box, which at that time was an undertaking of considerable importance. After being at Culham nearly four years, Mr. Tarrant was removed to Didcot as a district relief switchman...... Whilst not covering his period at Culham, census records show that in 1881 he was living in Wallingford but had moved to Reading by 1891.	Nov 1874	Kirtlington (Bletchington)	? 1878	Didcot
William Henry Hamblin He first started as a Porter at Culham and returned after working as a Signalman for a short time at Didcot. 1891 The GWR staff record confirms his brief stay as a Signalman at Culham before moving on to Savernake.	May 1891	Didcot	Dec 1891	Savernake
John Wedlake After starting as a Lamp Boy at Culham he worked as a Porter at a number of stations and spent a few months at Reading as a Shunter. The record then shows that he was Away - Ill for ten months before returning to work as a Signalman at Steventon in November 1891, quickly moving back to Culham. 1891 The final entry against his name in GWR staff records shows him returning to Culham for the third time, now as a Signalman. It is not clear what happened thereafter as no further transfers, or his leaving, are noted. However, there is a red stamp alongside Commended August 1911 which shows he was still at Culham at the time. He was born in 1866 and so he might have stayed at Culham until he retired, probably no more than a few years later. Note:- Signalman Holt also received a commendation dated August 1911	Dec 1891	Steventon	circa 1911	retired?
John Alfred Holt He returned to Culham as a Signalman after working variously as a Porter and a Signalman at a number of stations, having started at Culham as a Lad Porter. 1901 The final entry against his name in GWR staff records shows him returning to Culham as a Signalman. It is not clear what happened thereafter as no further transfers, or his leaving, are noted. However, there is a red stamp alongside Commended August 1911 which shows he was still at Culham at the time. Note:- Signalman Wedlake also received a commendation dated August 1911	Mar 1901	Bramley	circa 1911	retired?
W Lavis	Aug 1919	Colnbrook	Fritwell	Feb 1922
H Mosdell	Aug 1927	Reading	Nov 1929	Radley
G E Membury	Nov 1929	Upton	?	?
W J Reymond	Oct 1931	Eynsham	?	?
F T Rixon	?	?	Aug 1936	Oxford
W C Isles	Aug 1936	Woodhay	Feb 1937	Thatcham
A Barret	?	?	Nov 1936	North Acton
A S Lane	Nov 1936	Greenford	July 1938	Oxford
W L G West	Dec 1937	Compton	Jan 1940	Didcot
R E Neate	?	?	April 1940	Cholsey
D G Shackell No records found, but it is possible that this is the same D.Shackell who started as a Lad Porter at Culham in 1924 and went on to West Brompton.	May 1938	Woodhay	?	?
R L Bond	Aug 1938	Upton	?	?
W J Elderfield	Jan 1940	Highclere	?
D C Bevan	?	?	May 1942	Burnham
E J Butler	Dec 1946	Hampstead Norris	Aug 1947	Radley
G Collins	Jan 1947	Whitchurch (Lodge Bridge)	?	?
A R Woodley	?	?	June 1947	Radley
S A Mumford	?	?	June 1947	Oxford
H A Edwards	July 1947	Hampstead Norris	?	?
A J Bowler	Aug 1947	Chinnor	?	?

Other Staff

	Position	Start date	Transfer from	Left date	Transfer to
Charles Tarrant Charles Tarrant is the great grandfather of the broadcaster Chris Tarrant. 1873 No staff records have been found, but The following extract from a report in the Reading Mercury of Saturday 12th June 1915 confirms his early days at Culham. At the G.W.R. Station, Reading, on June 3rd, a pleasant gathering of railway officials took place ..... advantage was taken of the occasion to hand a suitable gift to ex-District Relief Signalman Mr. C. Tarrant who retired from the company’s service last February, after serving 42 years. Mr. Tarrant, joined the G.W.R. Company’s service in February, 1873, at Steventon, as a policeman (as signalmen were at that time termed). From there he went to Culham in July of the same year, thence he was removed to Kirtlington (now called Bletchington), and in November, 1874, he was sent back to Culham to open the new signal-box.....	Policeman	July 1873	?	? 1873	Kirtlington (Bletchington)
Walter Thomas Davis 1874 His GWR record shows that he first started in 'Goods' at Paddington during 1867. Several moves later saw him arrive at Culham from where he went to Hungerford, still classed as 'Goods'. From there he transferred to Pangbourne in late 1877 to become the Station Master.	Goods	Dec 1874	Basingstoke	June 1876	Hungerford
Kenneth W Deadman	Motor driver	?	?	Feb 1947	Didcot

Clerk

	Start date	Transfer from	Left date	Transfer to
Charles Longstaff 1855 The GWR Register of Clerks shows him starting as a Booking Clerk at Culham before transferring to Abingdon, Didcot, then Oxford from where he was to resign in July 1859.	Dec 1855	-	May 1856	Abingdon
Arthur Fry 1856 The GWR Register of Clerks shows him starting, aged 28, as a Booking Clerk at Didcot in 1854 before transferring to Abingdon and then to Culham between May and September 1856. From Culham he did a few months at Market Drayton before transferring to Oxford as a Goods clerk, and finally to Abingdon in 1859 from where he was to resign in February 1863. The Census of 1861 shows him living with his wife and family in Thames Street, Abingdon.	May 1856	Abingdon	Sept 1856	Market Drayton
Frederick Webber 1861 Census shows him living with his wife at 'Railway Station' with his occupation given as Railway Clerk. This implies he was working at Culham, but no other record has been found to support this. The Census also records that Henry Charles Fenn Railway Station Master was a lodger at that time.	1861?	?	?	?
C A Millington 1917 The GWR Register of New Clerks shows him starting as a Booking Clerk at Culham. He was to return to Culham later.	June 1917	-	May 1921	Oxford
L Bash 1917 The GWR Register of New Clerks shows him starting as a Booking Clerk at Culham. No other records found.	Aug 1917	-	?	?
R E Gibson	May 1921	Paddington	Nov 1921	Bourne End
C A Millington 1921 The Great Western Railway Magazine shows him returning to Culham. No other records found until the note of his transfer a few months later in the magazine from January 1922.	Nov 1921	Oxford	Jan 1922	Lambourn
H Bush	Jan 1922	Abingdon	?	?
Leslie C H Beard	?	?	June 1925	Didcot
F E Plumridge	May 1925	Didcot	?	?
F H Duke	Nov 1926	Paddington	Oct 1927	Paddington
F D Johnson	?	?	July 1929	Oxford
T May	?	?	Aug 1936	Didcot

Lamp Boy

	Start date	Transfer from	Left date	Transfer to
Thomas John Hazell 1880 The first entry found in GWR staff records is indistinct but appears to show him starting as a Lamp Boy at Culham before transferring to Moulsford as a Signalman.	May 1880	-	May 1881	Moulsford
John Wedlake 1882 The first entry against his name in GWR staff records shows him starting as a Lamp Boy at Culham before transferring to Didcot. 1884 The record shows that he returned from Oxford Pass. to Culham, still as a Lamp Boy. A year later he moved to Upton to be a Porter. He would later return to Culham a third time, as a Signalman.	Apr 1882	-	Oct 1883	Didcot
- " -	Feb 1884	Oxford	Mar 1885	Upton
Walter Ryman 1885 The first entry against his name in the GWR staff records shows him starting as a Lamp Boy at Culham before transferring to Moulsford as a Lad Porter He was dismissed in the December after only a few months there. The reason is not recorded.	Mar 1885	-	Sep 1886	Moulsford
George Wedlake 1886 The first entry against his name in the GWR staff records shows him starting as a Lamp Boy at Culham before transferring to Victoria MR. as a Signalman. Sadly all did not go well as he would return to Didcot after a few months as a Shunter, having been reduced in position after being found 'under the influence of drink and unable to fulfill his duties'.	Aug 1886	-	June 1888	Victoria MR

Lad Porter

	Start date	Transfer from	Left date	Transfer to
James Wright 1880 The first entry against his name in GWR staff records shows that he started as a Lad Porter at Culham before moving on to Didcot as a Porter.	May 1880	-	April 1882	Didcot
John Alfred Holt 1888 The first entry against his name in GWR staff records shows him starting as a Lamp Boy at Culham before transferring to Kings Sutton as a Porter. He would later return to Culham as a Signalman.	June 1888	-	Oct 1891	Kings Sutton
James Wedlake 1891 The first entry against his name in GWR staff records shows him starting as a Lad Porter at Culham before transferring to Didcot.	Oct 1891	-	Nov 1892	Didcot
Arthur Boulter 1906 The first entry against his name in GWR staff records shows him starting as a Lad Porter at Culham before transferring to Landore as a Parcel Porter.	July 1906	-	April 1911	Landore
? Hale 1914 Recorded in accident book as falling off platform on 17th March injuring his knee. He returned to work on the 19th. No other records found. Note:-The name in the book is open to interpretation but looks to be 'Hale'.	1914?	?	?	?
W R J Flack	July 1922	Bampton	?	?
D Shackell 1929 The 'GWR Register of Juniors (aged 19½ years and over) in service to be provided for in adult posts' shows him to have entered serice on 31st January 1924 and working at Culham as a Lad Porter. His 20th birthday is shown as 4th May 1929 and the adult post to which he is to transfer is a Grade 1 Porter at West Brompton. No other records found, although it is possible that this is the same D.G.Shackell who came to Culham as a Signalman from Woodhay in 1938.	Jan 1924	-	June 1929	West Brompton

Porter

	Start date	Transfer from	Left date	Transfer to
William Lynes 1868 Oxford Chronicle report of Saturday 15th August notes him as being a porter at Culham	1868?	?	?	?
Henry Rosier 1873 Interestingly, his staff record clearly shows that he started at Culham as a Porter in July 1873 and moved that same month on to Didcot.	July 1873	-	July 1873	Didcot
Charles Lewis Charles Lewis Taken on his retirement in May 1915 Image - Oxford Journal Illustrated 1874 GWR staff records first show him as a Porter starting at Newbury in October 1874. He transferred to Culham in April 1875. 1881 Census shows him living in Appleford with his wife and two daughters, Nellie and Mary, and being a Railway Porter. 1891 Census shows the family has moved to the 'Station Master's House' close to the station. (Station House was not built until 1898). The family has grown to include a young son, Alfred Thomas. 1901 Census now records him living at 'Station House', so they must have moved in when it was newly built. Of the children, only Alfred, shown as being a Railway Messenger, is still at home. There are two lodgers, George Townsend who is the Station Master, and his wife. 1911 The lodgers have left and Alfred, now 25, is a Railway Porter also now at Culham. A granddaughter, Nellie Lewis Sweetzer is living with them also. She is the daughter of their daughter Nellie who married the son of Walter David Sweetzer who was a Porter at Culham from December 1895 to August 1896. 1915 The Oxford Journal Illustrated of 19th May reported that Charles Lewis had retired after 43 years service. He was still living in Station House. 1939 The National Register shows Charles Lewis and his wife to be living in 'The Bungalow, Culham Station'. This is next to the Railway Hotel and on the opposite side of the track to Station House.	April 1875	Newbury	May 1915	retired
Thomas John Hazell 1882 The first entry found in GWR staff records shows him starting as a Porter at Culham before transferring to Moulsford as a Signalman.	May 1880	-	May 1881	Moulsford
James Church 1882 The first entry found in GWR staff records shows him starting as a Porter at Culham, aged 18, before transferring to Pangbourne.	March 1882	-	Nov 1882	Pangbourne
William Frederick Fowler 1887 The first entry found in GWR staff records shows him starting as a Porter at Culham, aged 24, before transferring to Winchester as a Goods Porter.	Oct 1887	-	Feb 1888	Winchester
William Henry Hamblin 1888 The first entry against his name in GWR staff records shows him starting as a Porter, aged 20, at Culham before transferring to Didcot as a Signalman. He would later return to Culham for a short spell as a Signalman.	July 1888	-	Jan 1889	Didcot
Alfred Shepherd 1890 GWR staff records show him starting as a Porter at Culham, before transferring to Devizes for a year. By 1895 he had become a signalman working at Tilehurst.	Mar 1890	-	Nov 1890	Devizes
Ernest Albert Meadham 1891 GWR staff records show him starting as a Porter at Culham, before transferring to Woodborough in Wiltshire, later becoming a Signalman there. He then spent four years as a Signalman before becoming variously a Passenger Guard and Inspector, mostly alternating between Paddington and Taplow. On December 31st 1892 he was cautioned for being late on duty and delaying a train.	July 1891	-	Mar 1893	Woodborough
John Owen 1892 GWR staff records show him starting as an 18 year old Porter at Culham, before transferring to Wantage Road. He transferred to Reading as a Shunter in April 1896 but was injured in the July, presumably seriously as there is a terse note simply stating Deceased 1897.	Nov 1892	-	June 1894	Wantage Road
Albert Higgs 1894 GWR staff records show him starting as an 20 year old Porter at Culham, before transferring to Didcot as a Signalman.	June 1894	-	July 1895	Didcot
Walter David Sweetzer 1895 GWR staff records show his full name as Walter David Jarveny Sweetzer and that he started as a Porter, aged 18, at Culham. He transferred to Highclere to become a Signalman.	Dec 1895	-	Aug 1896	Highclere
John Geater 1896 GWR staff records show him starting as a 21 year old Porter at Culham before transferring to Reading to become a Shunter.	Aug 1896	-	Jun 1898	Reading
William John Burr 1897 GWR staff records show him starting as a 19 year old Porter at Culham before transferring to Tilehurst.	Dec 1897	-	May 1898	Tilehurst
Herbert Edward Penny 1898 GWR staff records show him starting as a 19 year old Porter at Culham before transferring to Woodhay as a Signal Porter.	Oct 1898	-	Jan 1901	Woodhay
George William Flatman 1899 GWR staff records show him starting as a Porter at Culham before transferring to Shrivenham. 1901 Census records him, age 26, as a Railway Porter boarding with a family in 1 Station Cottage.	Nov 1899	-	July 1901	Shrivenham
Alfred Thomas Lewis He is the son of Charles Lewis, the long serving Porter at Culham. 1910 GWR staff records show him having started as a Lad Porter at Didcot in August 1902, and then as a Porter there from June 1905, that he transferred to Culham in 1910. 1914 GWR staff records show him becoming a Goods Porter in February 1914, still at Culham. It is not known when he left Culham as no other staff record has been found, but the 1939 National Register shows him and his family living in Bullingdon with his occupation being Goods Porter, Railway.	Feb 1910	Didcot	?	?
? Hudson 1914 Recorded in accident book as 'Porter Hudson, Fell from a train in motion' on 3rd October. No other records found.	1914?	?	?	?