Etchingham Railway man honoured with a Blue Plaque
Last Saturday, April 18, family members, local Councillors and railway representatives gathered in the Bistro garden at Etchingham Railway Station for the unveiling of a Blue Plaque in honour of a former railway worker, Joseph Weston.
The plaque is one of 200 organised by The Southeastern Communities Rail Partnership to mark two centuries of railway history in the South East. The blue plaques highlight people, places and even animals with a connection to the development of the railways, 100 plaques show past links to train lines and a further 100 illustrate modern jobs of railway staff.
Joseph Weston joined the railway company in the early 1900’s, as a plate layer at Etchingham and was the Ganger. Joseph’s gang included some family members, Ermest Wells, his Son-in-Law, and two nephews, his sister’s sons. Joseph was in charge of the track from Etchingham Station to Ticehurst Road Station, Ticehurst Road is what we now know as Stonegate Station. In October 1909, one of Josephs jobs would have been to help with getting the line operational again following the derailment of a goods train, caused by heavy flooding in the area, the train derailed near Forge House, spilling a variety of goods from the wagons.
Later, Joseph’s only son, Albert, also joined the railway and was eventually an inspector at Hastings, the story continued in 1970 when Nigel, the husband of Joseph’s Granddaughter, Linda Neve, joined British Rail on track maintenance between Robertsbridge and Wadhurst tunnel, later becoming a patrolman inspecting the track between Robertsbridge and Etchingham, retiring in 2007. Linda and Nigel still live in the same house occupied by Joseph.
Following the unveiling of the plaque Linda was presented with her own plaque as a family keepsake, all the guests enjoyed a lovely Buffet Lunch prepared by the Bistro.