
On Sunday 28 December 1879, a 1,060 yard stretch of the Tay Bridge, the longest railway bridge in the world, collapsed killing 75 men, women and children.
The UK TV series Find My Past featured a programme about the disaster which prompted me to dust off this research which I carried out several years ago and post it here together with a short series of posts telling the story of the disaster.
Sixty victims were identified but only 45 victims’ bodies were recovered. The known victims are listed below – where no town is given in the address then the victim lived in Dundee.
Name | Occupation | Address | |
Anderson, Joseph | 21 | Compositor | 13 South Ellen Street |
Annan, Thomas | 20 | Iron turner | 48 Princes Street |
Bain, Archibald | 26 | Farmer | Mains of Balgay |
Bain, Jessie | 22 | Sister of the above | Mains of Balgay |
Benyon William + 1 | Photographer | Cheltenham | |
Brown, Lizzie | 14 | Tobacco spinner | 28 Arbroath Road |
Cheap, Mrs | 51 | Domestic servant | 121 High Street, Lochee |
Crichton, James | Ploughman | Mains of Fintry | |
Cruickshank, Annie | 54 | Domestic servant | Moray Place, Edinburgh |
Culross, Robert | Carpenter | Newport | |
Cunningham, David | 21 | Mason | 23 Pitalpin Street, Lochee |
Davidson, Thomas | 28 | Farm servant | Linlathen |
Easton, Mrs | Widow | ||
Fowlis, Robert | 21 | Mason | 23 Pitalpin Street, Lochee |
Graham, David | 37 | Teacher | Stirling |
Hamilton, John | 32 | Grocer | 16 North Ellen Street |
Henderson, James | 22 | Labourer | 3 Church Street |
Hendry, Elizabeth | 62 | Prior Road, Forfar | |
Jobson, David | 39 | Oil & colour merchant | 3 Airlie Place |
Johnston, David | 24 | Railway guard | Edinburgh |
Johnston, George | 25 | Mechanic | |
Jack, William | Grocer | 57 Mains Road | |
Kinnear, Margaret | 17 | Domestic servant | 6 Shore Terrace |
Leslie, James | 22 | Clerk | Boffin Street |
Lawson, John | 25 | Plasterer | 39 Lilybank Road |
McBeath, David | 44 | Railway guard | 46 Castle Street |
Mackdonald, William | 41 | Sawmiller | 70 Blackness Road |
Mackdonald, David | 11 | Schoolboy | 70 Blackness Road |
Mitchell, David | 37 | Engine driver | 89 Peddie Street |
Marshall, John | 24 | Stoker | 18 Hunter Street |
Murray, Donald | 49 | Mail guard | 13 South Ellen Street |
Milne, Elisabeth | Dressmaker | ||
Murdoch, James | 21 | Engineer | 1 Thistle Street |
Millar, James | Flax dresser | Dysart | |
McIntosh, George | 43 | Goods guard | 25 Hawkhill |
Neish, David | 37 | Teacher & registrar | 51 Couper Street, Lochee |
Neish, Bella | 5 | Daughter of the above | 51 Couper Street, Lochee |
Ness, Walter | 24 | Saddler | 4 Bain Square, Wellgate |
Ness, George | |||
Neilson, William | 31 | 53 Monk Street, Gateshead | |
Nicoll, Mrs Elisabeth | 24 | 46 Bell Street | |
Paton, James | 42 | Mechanic | Edinburgh |
Peebles, William | 30-40 | ||
Peebles, James | 15 | Apprentice grocer | Newport |
Robertson, William | 21 | Labourer | 100 Foundry Lane |
Robertson, Alexander | 23 | Labourer | 100 Foundry Lane |
Salmond, Peter | 43 | Blacksmith | 50 Princes Street |
Scott, David | 26 | Goods guard | 7 Yeaman Shore |
Scott, John | 30 | Pipe maker | |
Sharp, John | 35 | Joiner | 76 Commercial Street |
Smart, Eliza | 22 | Domestic servant | Union Mount, Perth Road |
Spence, Annie | 21 | Weaver | 62 Kemback Street |
Syme, David | 22 | Clerk | Royal Hotel, Nethergate |
Taylor, George | 25 | Mason | 56 Union Street |
Threlfell, William | 18 | Confectioner | 9 Union Street |
Veitch, William | 18 | Cabinet maker | 39 Church Street |
Watson, David | Commission agent | Newport | |
Watson, Robert | 34 | Moulder | 12 Lawrence Street |
Watson, David | 9 | Son of the above | 12 Lawrence Street |
Watson, Robert | 6 | Son of R Watson | 12 Lawrence Stree |