Mersey tunnel collapse 1928

Hi all, this will be first post so it may need to be moved, if so apologies.

I just thought I should pass on a family story involving the death of my great uncle during the building of the first Mersey tunnel.

His name was James Herbert Brown and he was killed on 29.11.1928 at the age of just 18.

He was employed as a labourer on the site and was in the tunnel during blasting for the ventilation shafts. before blasting the workers were warned to retreat to particular point that was deemed safe which he did, unfortunately what the engineers were not aware of was a large void (that was supposed to have been created by attempts to undermine the outer wall of Liverpool castle during a conflict ) above this area, that collapsed as a result of the nearby blast, sadly dropping numerous tons of rock onto my relative.

As a result of this tragedy and perhaps his young age his colleagues requested that they be allowed to attend his funeral but the directors refused this, as a mark of respect the whole workforce took the day off without pay and attended his funeral. I remember my grandad telling me it was a sight to behold as scores of men escorted his coffin down Smithdown Road to Toxteth cemetary.

Sadly there was never any memorial to the workers who were killed during the construction of the tunnel but at the Birkenhead end there is a large frieze dedicated to one of the directors who died( not on site !) whilst it was being built, I guess that shows the difference in classes at that time in history.

My dad was named after James and started to cause a fuss about the lack of a memorial and was victorius when a plaque naming all those who lost their lives was erected on the ventilation shaft at Mann island during the tunnels jubilee celebrations.

My great uncle has at times been wrongly called Bert Jones in some books, but no one of this name died that I can ascertain.

Hope this is of some interest.

Thank you for your post, fascinating. A warm welcome by the way.

Kev

There is also a plaque, with 9 names, for those who died during the construction of the Kingsway tunnel. The plaque is on the tunnel vent by Seacombe ferry terminal.

The worst I came across in this contempt for people being killed in construction, was at Kariba Dam in Zimbabwe. There was an old newspaper cutting giving the names of the men that died, mainly Italian as an Italian company built it. Their full names were there and the local blacks who died were in a sentence, "and 20 local men" - I can't recall the number so just put 20 in. It was if they didn't matter and were nameless.

Great first post and story Jon b, and welcome to Yo.

Memorial details:

JOSEPH BONNER 26th July 1926 Aged 26
JOHN JOSEPH McNULTY 17th September 1928 Aged 29
JAMES HERBERT BROWN 29th November 1928 Aged 18
JOHN WILLIAM BLAKELEY 7th July 1929 Aged 34
JOHN McNICHOLAS 13th September 1929 Aged 55
HENRY FRANCIS GARRETT DE MOUL 28th September 1929 Aged 25
JOSEPH COLLEGE 11th December 1929 Aged 62
JAMES MICHAEL WILMOTT 27th December 1929 Aged 42
JOHN CARBERRY 24th March 1930 Aged 26
ALBERT WHITE 27th November 1930 Aged 42
ALFRED PITMAN DUKE 16th July 1931 Aged 45
HENRY DENTITH 15th September 1931 Aged 24
PATRICK JOSEPH DURR 29th September 1931 Aged 33
THOMAS ARTHUR BECKINGHAM 16th May 1933 Aged 57
JOHN CARR 14th July 1933 Aged 23
JAMES GREEN 14th November 1933 Aged 22
DONALD LESTER 15th September 1934 Aged 24


THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED AS PART OF
THE QUEENSWAY TUNNEL DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
IN REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE WHO DIED DURING
ITS CONSTRUCTION.
WORK ON THE TUNNEL WAS COMMENCED
ON 16TH DECEMBER 1925 AT THIS SITE
BY
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MARY
AND THIS GREAT FEAT OF ENGINEERING
WAS OPENED AT OLD HAYMARKET ON
18TH JULY 1934
BY
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V

If you go over the road from where Gerrard gardens used to be but not as far as Norton Street just over from the sand castle (TGWU centre) There is a small area off the road that is designated to the monument erected by the building workers union.The statue is of a hod carrier who died during the building of the tenements Gerrard Gardens. The cast for the sculpture is taken from the original frieze that was over the arched entrance to the Gardens. I attended the unveiling on a damp Sunday morning in Liverpool. The depiction of the hoddie who died was put on the frieze by the designer as a mark of respect, and the memorial is dedicated to Liverpool building workers who have died in the trade.

Some great posts, and it would good to hear from any other members who relatives may have worked on the tunnels.

Members as in Trade Unionists?

Yo members, or Trade Unionists. These deaths and injuries were largely unreported, with only 'good news' stories released to the media. I would be interested to hear from anyone whose familiy where affected by the tunnels construction. This includes families whose communities were broken up by the building of the tunnels.

Sorry to be pedantic, but the Queensway tunnel was the first ROAD tunnel. The first mersey tunnel was the mersey railway tunnel opened in 1886. Don't know how many died building that tunnel. I know some died from silicosis due to the Beamont boring machine, causing dust, that the men breathed in. Anyone know of any casualties during building of the loop & link in the 70's

My grand father was Patrick Joseph Durr - he was from Elphin in Roscommon in Ireland - he left to fight in the Great war and settled in Liverpool to raise a family. He died in the tunnel, the local Paper at the time said he was Patrick Dare, he left behind a wife and three kids. Their tragedy did'nt end there, my gran died in childbirth and Mum and her brother and sister were orphaned and split up as kids. They did'nt reunite as a family until the early 1960's - Mum and her brother Tom have passed on but Aunt Mona still lives in St Helens. Granddad is buried without a headstone to mark his grave, such was the poverty then

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marky

Memorial details:

JOSEPH BONNER 26th July 1926 Aged 26
JOHN JOSEPH McNULTY 17th September 1928 Aged 29
JAMES HERBERT BROWN 29th November 1928 Aged 18
JOHN WILLIAM BLAKELEY 7th July 1929 Aged 34
JOHN McNICHOLAS 13th September 1929 Aged 55
HENRY FRANCIS GARRETT DE MOUL 28th September 1929 Aged 25
JOSEPH COLLEGE 11th December 1929 Aged 62
JAMES MICHAEL WILMOTT 27th December 1929 Aged 42
JOHN CARBERRY 24th March 1930 Aged 26
ALBERT WHITE 27th November 1930 Aged 42
ALFRED PITMAN DUKE 16th July 1931 Aged 45
HENRY DENTITH 15th September 1931 Aged 24
PATRICK JOSEPH DURR 29th September 1931 Aged 33
THOMAS ARTHUR BECKINGHAM 16th May 1933 Aged 57
JOHN CARR 14th July 1933 Aged 23
JAMES GREEN 14th November 1933 Aged 22
DONALD LESTER 15th September 1934 Aged 24


THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED AS PART OF
THE QUEENSWAY TUNNEL DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
IN REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE WHO DIED DURING
ITS CONSTRUCTION.
WORK ON THE TUNNEL WAS COMMENCED
ON 16TH DECEMBER 1925 AT THIS SITE
BY
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS MARY
AND THIS GREAT FEAT OF ENGINEERING
WAS OPENED AT OLD HAYMARKET ON
18TH JULY 1934
BY
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V

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Welcome to Yo,Desi. A sad event.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by desi bannon

My grand father was Patrick Joseph Durr - he was from Elphin in Roscommon in Ireland - he left to fight in the Great war and settled in Liverpool to raise a family. He died in the tunnel, the local Paper at the time said he was Patrick Dare, he left behind a wife and three kids. Their tragedy did'nt end there, my gran died in childbirth and Mum and her brother and sister were orphaned and split up as kids. They did'nt reunite as a family until the early 1960's - Mum and her brother Tom have passed on but Aunt Mona still lives in St Helens. Granddad is buried without a headstone to mark his grave, such was the poverty then

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Hi Desi,
welcome from me. Good story but so sad too.

Desi,wondered where you got that list of names? There's a memorial plaque on the tunnel ventilator building,near the Pier Head,and I could take a pic' if you wanted?

Some real sad story's on this thread, telling reminder of how great a cost the Tunnel was built at,
BrianD

Good stories guys.

Hi Desi, took a few (not very good) pic's of the memorial stone,but with the height,reflection,and a parking attendant heading my way,it was a bit of a rush! Nice to see fresh flowers, had recently been placed there!

Many thanks for taking the time and energy to post these photographs, it is very much appreciated and very kind of you to do so. As you say it is nice to see that people still remember those young men who tragically lost their lives trying to earn a crust for their families, often times they had survived the great war, poverty and other tribulations only to sadly fall in the tunnel

I have just made contact with a distant cousin in Australia and his grandfather so the story goes died during the construction of the mersey tunnel. Things get a bit confusing as there are many tunnels.

His Grandfathers name was Michael Mitchell year of death 1930, he was meant to be buried in Tranmere Cheshire on the 14th of June 1930.

Michael was Irish, cuts it down a bit!!!! can anybody help.

regards Eddie.

His name is not shown on the memorial above Eddie. Is there a memorial at the Birkenhead end? Did he die because of the construction or during it of natural causes etc?

The following was on Rootsweb. I will contact the lady to make sure she knows her father is listed on the monument:

Hi everyone,

I am trying to locate ancestors or family of my father, Henry Francis Garrett De Moul. He was born in Ireland in 1904/1905 and as a child came with his mother to live in Liverpool. He was an only child and was known at that time as Harry St. Leger - his mother's second husband's name. His mother married for a third time to a Beardmore. My father was in the Irish Guards as a young man and married my mother in 1925. He was crushed by falling rock when employed building the Mersey Tunnel in 1929. He was buried in Liverpool Catholic Cemetery, Yew Tree, West Derby, which I believe is now closed. His mother was buried with him a few years later. I have been searching off and on for the last 15 years and cannot even find the name De Moul.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.


Patricia [Williams]

Kingsway Tunnel Memorial, Seacombe.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...Seacombe_V.jpg
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/e...Seacombe_V.jpg

Thanks Marky. I wasn't even aware of anyone being killed on such a more modern way of tunnelling with the 'mole' machine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marky

Kingsway Tunnel Memorial, Seacombe.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...Seacombe_V.jpg
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/e...Seacombe_V.jpg

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There is already a reference on Yo to another, earlier accident that resulted in the death of 18-year old James Herbert Brown on 29/11/28, caused when rock fell during blasting under the site of the old Liverpool Castle, here:

http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/sho...-collapse-1928

i dont know Ged but can see why u ask. seeing as he is not mentioned on any memorial is it likley that he died of cause sunrelated to construction? or have names been missed form the memorial.

It is poss that Michael didn't die during construction (ta Ged) if this was the case how could i find out if he did die in the liverpool are as all we have is a family story. if he did die during construction then what construction was in process during 1930 and is there a memorial.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eddiegibb

I have just made contact with a distant cousin in Australia and his grandfather so the story goes died during the construction of the mersey tunnel. Things get a bit confusing as there are many tunnels.

His Grandfathers name was Michael Mitchell year of death 1930, he was meant to be buried in Tranmere Cheshire on the 14th of June 1930.

Michael was Irish, cuts it down a bit!!!! can anybody help.

regards Eddie.

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Good morning
I was just wondering where I could find more information on the tunnel collapse. My Grandfather John McGing was a labourer and died in General Hospital in 1932 from the complications of injuries received during the collapse of the tunnel. I have tried Google but all that pulls up is the Wikipedia insert. I was wondering if there was anything more detailed including records of workers etc

Many thanks

There is this of general tunnel interest...

http://www.tunnelusers.org.uk/history.htm

Just wondering, any ideas on where would I start to try to get my Grandads name on the plaque? He was involved in the collapse of 1928 and then spent the next four years suffering before dying of his injuries in 1932. There are stories of him bending the bedposts when the pain in his legs got too much. My nan lost a baby girl(third one) just after his death as well and couldnt afford to pay for the funeral, got turned away by the Catholic church for having no money so had to beg another church to bury the baby. My nan then had the job of raising five boys on her own. Apparantly before the accident my grandad used to go to the pub and if he was 'skint' would turn his glass upside down and someone would have to fight him!!! God it scares you to think this was only 80 years ago. My grandad is buried in public grave at Ford Cemetery, I think General Hospital, Bootle may have buried him if nan had to beg the church to bury the baby. I dont mind paying to get his name added to the plaque but I am guessing I need permission firstlol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marky

Kingsway Tunnel Memorial, Seacombe.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...Seacombe_V.jpg
http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/e...Seacombe_V.jpg

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Thank you very much for that info and photograph, I was never aware of the existence of this memorial showing my cousin's name.
I shall have to check and see whether other family members know of it's situation.

Michael Mitchell was my grandfather, he died June 16th 1930 following illness, that started while rescuing two workmates while working in the tunnel. He was rumoured to have been put forward to for a George medal but never recieved it because of his death. An elderly workmate of his collaborated the story, where his funeral was attended by thousands of his workmates walking the route to the cemetery. I understand this was in Tranmere, he was a Roman Catholic, but have been unable to locate cemetery. He was born in Ardrossan Ayr Scotland , but his Father was born in Ireland. Any help in locating plot and cemetery would be very much appreciated. Tony Mitchell. Albany Western Australia

Hi Sept1,

I would recommend you put this request on rootschat.com as there are plenty of members who have access to parish/cemetery records.

It is a free website and the researchers are very helpful.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Also Ste on here is our cemetery expert and may be able to help you.