Railway Jack lived a dog's life on the tracks
MEET Railway Jack, the three-legged mongrel who became the most travelled dog in railway history.
Naturally, he was a Lewes mutt.
Jack used to jump into the guard's compartment of any train leaving Lewes that took his fancy and sit looking out of the window until he reached his destination.
He then would then jump out, relieve himself against the nearest platform lamp-post and wait for the next train.
But always, every evening, he would find his way back to Lewes.
By 1880 tales of his exploits reached the ears of railway chiefs who presented him with a silver-plated collar inscribed: ‘I am Jack, the LB and SC railway dog. Please give me a drink and I will then go home to Lewes.’
In November, 1881, the Eastbourne platform inspector died suddenly. On the day of the funeral Jack arrived by train and followed the hearse to the cemetery. He sat by it during the ceremony and then paid his last respects, as only a dog can, at the graveside.
But in January, 1882, disaster struck.
Jack was crossing the line at Norwood Junction when he stopped to investigate a dead bird. He was hit by the 8.40 up-train from Brighton which crushed a leg.
Railway staff, finding him alive, put him on the next fast train to Lewes where he was met by an old pal, Mr Moore the station master.
Two vets operated and amputated Jack’s leg, just above the knee.
News of the accident spread across the railway system and Mr Moore received hundreds of inquiries from anxious railwaymen.
By the spring he was able to resume his travels, minus a leg.
In 1883, animal lover Lady Brassey presented him to the Prince and Princess of Wales when they visited Eastbourne. Jack received a silver medal on that occasion.
Finally, Mr Moore retired and took Jack with him to live in Mayfield. They made trips together as guests of the rail companies.
In October, 1890, aged nearly 13, Jack made his last journey … dying in Mr Moore’s arms.
His obituary stated that he travelled solo as far as Exeter and Edinburgh. It was even rumoured that he once spent a naughty canine weekend in Paris.
Picture: Edward Reeves of Lewes
CONSIDER yourself in the dock at the Sussex Assizes in Lewes in the late 17th Century ... a time when the Puritans scorned names like Henry, Edward and Anthony as being ‘heathenish’.
The jury before you therefore is made up of names such as Be Thankful Maynard of Brightling, Be Courteous Cole of Pevensey, More Fruit Fowler of East Hoathly, Kill Sin Pemble of Westham, Faint-not Hurst of Heathfield, Fly Debate Smart of Waldron, Fly Fornication Richardson of Waldron, Small Hope Biggs of Rye, Earth Adams of Warbleton and The Peace of God Knight of Burwash.
Rouser is not making this up. The list is preserved in the Burrell manuscripts in the British Museum.
Visualise the accused, one Bert Crudd of Lewes, accused of all manner of horrible offences, facing the stern countenances of Small Hope Biggs and Kill Sin Pemble … small hope there!
ROUSER'S epitaph might read something like this: ‘Goodbye sweet world. Ol’ Rouser looked back too far and fell off!’
He mentions this because the great, late Arthur Beckett had a thing about Sussex churchyard epitaphs.
Here are a few.
A husband in Westham (Pevensey) churchyard:
Learn from this mistic sage to live or die,
Well did he love at evening’s social hour
The Sacred Volume's treasure to apply.
Or James King, who lies buried at Icklesham, aged 17:
God takes the good - too good on earth to stay,
And leaves the bad - too bad to take away.
And one at Uckfield which reads:
A wife and eight little children had I,
And two at a birth who never did cry.
An eccentric and illiterate horse dealer from Lewes asked for ‘something pretty’ on his tombstone and Mr Lee, the local printer, came up with this:
Here lies the man who lived by lying,
Some people thought ’twould leave him dying,
But to the nation's great surprise,
Even in his grave he lies.
Last of all, two sisters in an unnamed East Sussex church:
In Memory of Sarah Smith who died April 9th, 1833, aged 70 years. The deceased was deaf and dumb and was servant to Mr Chatfield of Lewes 38 years.
‘Also of Fanny Smith who died April 22, 1833, aged 61 years. She was likewise deaf and dumb and was in the service of Mr Madgwick of Lewes 29 years.’
View older pages
