Rambles on Railways

by Sir Cusack P. Roney

But how are the 14,000 men, women, and children, who now constitute the population of modern Crewe, lodged and otherwise provided for? When, in 1849, they numbered 8,000 they were lodged in 514 houses, a number which we expect the Registrar-General would have put his finger upon and objected to—nearly 16 persons in each small habitation. Now, the number of houses is about 2,000, of which 720 belong to the company. They are built along commodious and pleasant streets; well lighted with gas; well Macadamised or paved. As signs of civilisation, there are gay and lively shops, brightly lighted up on winter evenings, replete with modern fashions for the ladies, and, for the rougher sex, there is everything at hand for everyday work, and for Sundays. All the usual signs of civilisation prevail within town boundaries. There are dancing masters and dancing mistresses, music masters, and music teachers of the gentler sex, barrel organs and German bands, occasional theatrical performances by the artistes of the “circuit,” balls, dances, flirtations, marriages and their usual consequences, and, to wind up, there are four lawyers, seven policemen, a weekly newspaper called the Crewe and Nantwich Guardian, and two undertakers! The gentleman who has so kindly furnished us with most of the information herein given respecting modern Crewe, wishes it specially to be noted, that “the undertakers do not make this their sole business, but are also drapers,” a request that we have great pleasure in complying with, adding thereto a hope on our own parts, that the worthy drapers may long find it more profitable to wait upon Crewe living, than to follow it, when dead, to its last resting-place.

In a work published at the commencement of this year by Messrs. Tinsley Brothers, entitled “Some Habits and Customs of the Working Classes, written by a Journeyman Engineer,” the writer alleges that working men cannot write letters for the reason that “they were very good scholars once, only they have forgotten all their education,”—hence it is, continues the author, “they usually regard letter writing as a soul-depressing business fit only for the gloom and involuntary confinement of a wet Sunday.” But this is not the case at Crewe, for we find, by a postal return presented to Parliament in August last, that the Post Office distributes 6,350 letters every week. Of course this number is exclusive of the legion beyond number that the locomotive department receives and sends out “on company’s service.” The service correspondence of the traffic and of the stores departments must also be very considerable. All these letters are conveyed solely by the company’s trains.

Crewe is now even better off, as regards its water supply, than it was in 1849. The whole of it comes, at present, from Whitmore, close by the station of that name, eleven miles from Crewe, where it is pumped out of the red sand-stone into a reservoir. Now, it happens, fortunately, that Whitmore is 580 feet higher than Crewe, so that the water gravitates in pipes laid along the railway, and it is so pure at its journey’s end that it requires no filtering whatever. The consequence is, that not only is there an abundant supply for Crewe Works, but every house in the town is also well furnished. Recently, considerable additional demand has been made on the water supply of the town, owing to the opening of some large and convenient modern baths. These consist of a capacious swimming bath, the cost for which is 2d. each bather. A first-class warm bath at these baths costs sixpence, a second fourpence; but at the baths inferior in point of style and elegance, the price is only 1½d.

Formerly a medical man was appointed to attend the workmen and their families in sickness, or when accidents occurred. Of late years the doctor is no longer provided by the company, as far as sickness is concerned, as the system was found to cause much dissatisfaction, many of the workmen being connected with societies which provided special medical attendance for the members. For accidents, however, an hospital has been erected, the expenses of which are partly defrayed by the railway company, and the medical man appointed by the company still attends to the surgical cases of the men themselves, for which each man pays one half-penny a-week.

The town was governed in 1849 by a council of fifteen members, two-thirds of whom were nominated by the workmen, and one-third by the directors. Now the government is vested in a Local Board of Health consisting, as in the previous arrangement, of fifteen members, who are elected altogether by the ratepayers. The time has not yet arrived, in the opinion of the leading persons in the town, for applying for a Charter of Incorporation; at all events, nothing is thought about it at present.

We have left to the last a brief description of the arrangements which have been made for Divine service, religious instruction, and for moral cultivation and improvement. In 1849 there was only one church at Crewe. It was capable of accommodating about 800 persons. In 1867 the original church had been enlarged, and had become capable of receiving 1,200. In 1865 Mr. George Duncombe, of London, presented an iron church for the use of the inhabitants—a noble act, for which God will for ever bless him and his. But the Parish Church and the iron church having proved inadequate for the number of members of the Established Church who present themselves to hear God’s word, the site for the construction of another church has been secured, and the work will be commenced before the close of the present year.

Besides the Episcopalian churches, there are fourteen places of worship for other denominations—equal to the accommodation of over 4,000 persons. The Town Hall and Mechanics’ Institution is supported by about 400 members. It contains a large reading room, a gymnasium, and a library, which now numbers upwards of 3,000 volumes. In addition, there are several commodious and well lighted class-rooms in which evening classes are held for the higher education of those pupils who are unable to attend the ordinary schools in the day time. The number of such pupils exceeds 150. The drawing class is a branch of the Chester School of Art. The pupils are examined annually by the Government Examiners. There is also a science and art class, a tributary of the South Kensington system.

The Mechanics’ Institution receives a free grant of patent specifications from Government. These are greatly esteemed by the pupils, who have made much use of them during the last few years.

The ordinary schools established by the company, and attached to the Episcopalian Church, have recently been enlarged. The daily attendance of children at them is about 700. The schools belonging to the other denominations of worship are attended daily by over a thousand children.

Crewe boasts of a handsome and substantial market hall, which covers an area of 14,000 superficial feet. Saturday is market day. There was no private manufactory of any description in the town until 1865, when Mr. Compton, of London, established a factory for making up the clothing worn by the company’s servants. Upwards of 250 persons are now employed in it.