One American’s journey to find the linking pieces in her family’s heritage two hundred years later.
From Phoenix, Arizona to Leeds, West Yorkshire, Lisa Rogers has travelled thousands of miles to connect with her ancestor through an 1811 model train of Salamanca.
A replication of famed engineer, Matthew Murray’s first commercially available locomotive, Roger’s very own third great-grandfather, worked on the original locomotive.
George Hirst, a rope haulage brake operator, was working in this infamous locomotive when it exploded in Middleton over two hundred years ago.
The following is our record of the events of the fateful day:
- On February 28, 1818, Salamanca was carrying coals near Middleton
- Steam was coming from the boiler, indicating higher-than-usual levels of pressure
- Engineer George Hutinchson lost his life in the unfortunate explosion of the boiler.
- George Hirst was one of many key witnesses who corroborated the chain of events
- Parliament investigated the explosion and there were talks of a driver may be tampering with the engine’s safety valve
“I come from a long line of George Hirsts and I still remember as a child my dad telling me that the Hirst men have been in engineering for a long time.”, Roger recalled. “[…] I started researching my family history. I thought I might find something with that link. But I certainly never expected to discover something so dramatic.”
Discovering the ancestral link
When Roger found out that the model train was being housed at the Leeds Industrial Museum, she knew she had to go.
“It’s been incredible to find out more about my family’s connections to Yorkshire and to visit some of the places linked to them.”
In addition to the 1818 Salamanca replication, visitors can find other models and machinery that showcase the city’s inventors, engineers and industrial background.
For more information on this fascinating story and other information on the Leeds Industrial Museum, please visit Leeds City Council