Accident book from 1880s reveals dangers workers faced building the Forth Bridge

Nine men died in a 32-month period, and almost 200 accidents recorded - from falling from a jetty to being crushed by a barge.

The rich details have been collated to mark the anniversary of the opening of the Forth Bridge on March 4, 1890. Museums and Galleries Edinburgh published the online book after approaching a group of Queensferry local historians, known as The Briggers - the historic nickname of the construction workers - who have been collecting and researching the history of the rail bridge.

The Forth Bridge Accidents Book is an astonishing account not only of the lives of the men working on the iconic bridge and the dangers they faced, but also how they were treated by the earliest ambulance services in Scotland. The book was recently donated to Queensferry Museum and complements existing collections which tell the story of the three Forth bridges. It is a unique insight into the construction of the bridge, the conditions of those working on it.

Matthew Snowden - listed as accident 61 - was lucky enough to get away with just hurting his right hand after falling off a jetty, but William Hawkins, a foreman painter was crushed by a barge while coming ashore, and has his left leg amputated at the knee.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of The Briggers, the book has been entirely transcribed. The full text is now available on Capital Collections, the collections portal for the City of Edinburgh Council Libraries, Museums & Galleries. Anyone will be able to search for names of relatives who worked on the bridge and find out what happened to them.

Gaps in what is known about the rest of the Forth Bridge collection held at Queensferry Museum have also been filled in. They have tracked a medal in the collection back to its original owner, Patrick Lee, who caught his sleeve on a drilling machine in 1886.

Alongside the details of accidents, the book also gives information on sick leave, compensation, and any resulting sick pay, and lists the various doctors who attended the injured; among them a certain Dr. Hunter who was one of the Forth Bridge doctors and also the South Queensferry GP.

Councillor Val Walker, culture and communities convener,said: “Research has only just started but already the book is unveiling stories of incredible endurance, hardship and resilience, and allowing us to make links with other objects across our collections. Publishing it online is a great way to share the collections and open up the stories for the world to read. We hope this resource will help anyone interested in finding out more about the bridge, or perhaps those doing family history to discover they have relatives who once worked on the bridge.

Frank Hay of The Briggers and Queensferry Heritage Trust said: “The Forth Bridge Accidents Book is an important addition to the collections at Museums and Galleries Edinburgh. It is one of the few, or possibly the only, day-to-day working documents to have survived from the construction period.”