Person    | Male  Born 11/3/1770  Died 15/9/1830

William Huskisson

Huskisson is famous for being the victim of the first fatal railway accident (not quite true), being run over by the train known as Stevenson's Rocket, at the opening ceremony of the Manchester to Liverpool railway. He and some friends had taken a ride in a train, the Northumbrian. At Newton-le-Willow they had descended from that train when the Rocket came into view. Huskisson did not get out the way and fell in front of the on-coming train.

He died later that day at Eccles. There were previous fatal accidents on the railways, but Huskisson’s was the first to be widely reported. The Duke of Wellington who was present at the accident and not a friend of Huskisson, described his death as ‘an act of God’. The subsequent enquiry absolved the railways of any responsibility.

Huskisson had previously escaped from another unlikely accident, when a horse fell on him during his honeymoon. Born at Birtsmorton Court in Worcestershire. MP. Buried in Liverpool's St. James's Cemetery.

Peter Duby adds the following: “Member of Parliament (for Morpeth), a president of the Board of Trade and colonial secretary in 1827/28”.

Huskisson railway station, near Liverpool, opened in 1880.

Londonist's telling of the story is excellent.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
William Huskisson

Commemorated ati

Huskisson statue

Noting the stance and the toga, Osbert Sitwell described this statue as "bore...

Read More

William Huskisson

London County Council William Huskisson, 1770 - 1830, statesman lived here.

Read More

Other Subjects

Meg Davis Allen

Meg Davis Allen

Co-funder of the Reagan statue; trustee of the Heritage Foundation, an American think-tank.

Person, Benefactor, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Sir Christopher Collett

Sir Christopher Collett

Chairman of the Temple Bar Trust, 1993 - 2004.  Lord Mayor of London in 1989.  The picture comes from his niece's obituary webpage.

Person, Lord Mayor, Politics & Administration

3 memorials
Sir Joseph Savory, MP

Sir Joseph Savory, MP

Born Clapton.  Alderman on the Bridge House Estates Committee, 1894.  Lord Mayor of London 1890-1.  

Person, Lord Mayor, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Ralph Heal

Ralph Heal

Partner in Heal & Son, 1905, then a Managing Director. No issue.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
A. Deans

A. Deans

Worked for the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society. Was on the building committee for the Bostall Estate in 1900.

Person, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Lord Gowrie

Lord Gowrie

Alexander Patrick Greysteil Hore-Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie, PC, FRSL, was both a Member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was a Co...

Person, Politics & Administration, Ireland

1 memorial
Anthony Hicks

Anthony Hicks

Son-in-law to Agatha Christie, being the second husband of her only child Rosalind.

Person, Friend / family

1 memorial
Fakeblueplaques / Society for the Promotion of Historic Buildings

Fakeblueplaques / Society for the Promotion of Historic Buildings

Londonist informs that the registered address of the website, where you can order a plaque, is 118 Hillfield Avenue N8, the site of plaque no 4. We have 3 of these non-plaques still to publish, no ...

Group, Commerce

3 memorials
G. W. Cordell

G. W. Cordell

Employed at the Holloway tram garage. Served and was killed in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Sapper Frederick Leslie Hall

Sapper Frederick Leslie Hall

Frederick Leslie Hall was born on 30 September 1909 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, the youngest of the five children of Joseph Hall (1868-1920) and Caroline Bresson Hall née Goodwin (1870-1961)....

Person, Armed Forces, Belgium

War dead, WW2
1 memorial