Description:Two North Staffordshire Railway staff pose for a photograph at Uttoxeter station in around 1900.
This station was an important junction for trains to Stoke, Derby, Burton-upon-Trent, Stafford, Ashbourne, Buxton and trains to Manchester via Leek and Ashbourne, serving three lines in total.
The station master is Thomas Mellor. The woman to the left in the photo is Thomas' wife Emma Mellor, nee Mottershead. See research information below.
Station posters advertise the Imperial Laundry (for 'wonderful snow white linen') and cheap rail fares to London.
Note the tell-tale sooty residue of the gas light in the foreground and the distinctive construction of the platform canopies.
The legend on the gate warns, 'no road cross by the bridge.'
This image is featured by kind permission of the Churnet Valley Railway.
THOMAS MELLOR 1842-1921 STATION MASTER UTTOXETER
1842 Born at Cheddleton, Staffordshire
1861 Living as a lodger, aged 19, at Filly Brook Road, Stone and employed as a Railway Porter
1871 Living at 97 Oxford Street, Litchurch, Derbyshire and employed as a Railway Guard. Also present were his wife Emma, aged 28, born in Isycoed, Holt, Denbighshire and Donald his son, aged 8 months and born in Litchurch
1880 Shown in Kelly’s Staffordshire Directory as Station Master at Uttoxeter Bridge Street
1881 Living at Balance Hill, Uttoxeter, aged 39, and employed as Railway Station Master. Also present were his wife, Emma, aged 37, Donald, aged 10; Emma, daughter, aged 8, born at Litchurch; Thomas James aged 6, born at Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent; and Ernest M aged 4 also born at Shelton.
1891 Living at Bridge Street, Uttoxeter, aged 49, and employed as Railway Station Master. Also present were his wife Emma (48); daughter Emma (18) employed as a Milliner; Thomas James (16) employed as a Railway Clerk; and Ernest M (14), pupil-teacher
1901 Living at Station House, Uttoxeter, aged 59, and employed as Railway Station Master. Also present were Thomas James (26) still employed as a Railway Clerk; and Ernest M (24) employed as a Chemicals Assistant.
1911 Living at 18 Bridge Street, Uttoxeter, aged 69, as a Retired Station Master with his wife, Emma, aged 68.
1921 Death aged 80 registered at Uttoxeter.
Research information courtesy of Jim Foley and Mike Fell