Railway Genealogy
Introduction
The Society occasionally receives queries from people asking for help in tracing relatives who worked for the
Great Northern Railway or its successors.
However, the Society does not hold staff records.
There are resources for anyone interested in tracing
an ancestor who was a railwayman.
If you have not done any genealogical research before, then joining one of the many family history societies is
recommended. There is even a society specifically for people with ancestors who were railwaymen
(see below.).
A visit to a book shop should turn up a selection of books on genealogy; most of them aimed at the beginner.
Also, look out for family history fairs held in your area -- they are a good opportunity to browse the wealth of material available and to talk to fellow researchers.
A book worth looking at is
"Was Your Grandfather a Railwayman? - A Directory of
Railway Archive Sources for Family Historians"
by Tom Richards, ISBN 1860060145, published by
Federation of Family History Societies, 3rd edition 1995, price approx. £5.50.
The book gives brief details of railway company staff records held at the National Archives (formerly the
Public Record Office) at Kew, London. It also contains an introduction that gives interesting insights into the lives of railwaymen in another age.
