Driver Ernest Lealand

[DavidMoss53]

My grandfather worked for LNER from approx 1920, eventually becoming a driver. He retired in 1969.

His driving years were spent on the routes to Scotland, and I believe he drove The Flying Scotsman to Edinburgh, though my mum believes it was The Royal Scot (which I thought was an LMS locomotive out of Euston?).

Does anyone know anything of Ernest Lealand? Or can anyone confirm any details regarding which locomotives he may have driven?

Many thanks,

David

[Seagull]

In a search of the 1911 census I found two Ernest Lealands.

Ernest Lealand born 1905 Leeds, Holbeck. Father David A. (b. 1873 d. 1933) Mother Rose A. (b. 1870 d. 1958)

Ernest John Lealand born 1903 St Pancras. Father Arthur James (b. 1857 d. ?) Mother Frances (b. 1864 d. ?)

There are two family trees for each of them on Ancestory.co.uk - though neither mentions anything about employment.

Alan

[DavidMoss53]

In a search of the 1911 census I found two Ernest Lealands.

Ernest Lealand born 1905 Leeds, Holbeck. Father David A. (b. 1873 d. 1933) Mother Rose A. (b. 1870 d. 1958)

Ernest John Lealand born 1903 St Pancras. Father Arthur James (b. 1857 d. ?) Mother Frances (b. 1864 d. ?)

There are two family trees for each of them on Ancestory.co.uk - though neither mentions anything about employment.

Alan

Hi Alan, many thanks for taking the time to research my grandad, Ernest John Lealand, I really appreciated you making that effort. Many thanks, David.

[Seagull]

No problem, it only took about 10 minutes to find that information. I guess your grandfather was the one born in 1905 in Leeds.

Holbeck was a major locomotive shed for the GNR and then LNER. The railway companies were at that time the largest employers in many towns across the UK.
If he started at Leeds he could well have ended up driving Pacific locomotives, the type used for the Flying Scotsman, if not necessarily driving either the train or the locomotive.

I would give this thread a few weeks to see if someone has any useful information, maybe bump it once or twice.

Have a read through some of the other posts in this part of the forum for links to other possible lines of research reasearch.

If you get no luck here I would suggest the National Archives at Kew in London are probably the most likely place to find something about him:- National Archives


Good Luck with the search.

Alan

[1H was 2E]

Holbeck was the Midland Railway shed in Leeds. I'm sure you meant to write Copley Hill!

[Seagull]

I'm sure you meant to write Copley Hill!

That's what I should have written, but I was actually confusing Holbeck with Holbeach which was on the GNR!

I can only plead senility.

Alan

[bezza152]

By coincidence David is my son (two minds think alike!) and I just came on here to clarify that
it would be the Ernest Lealand born in St Pancras that is his grandfather (my father). I believe
he did runs up to Crewe and other places. I was wondering if the L.N.E.R. had any staff records,
even though going back such a long way.

[Seagull]

Welcome to the forum Bezza152.

As I mentioned above, the National Archives does have LNER staff records and you have a good chance of finding him if he was a driver.

The only thing is if he drove to Crewe I would expect that he started work on the LNWR (London & North Western Railway) in 1920 which became part of the the LMS after 1923. He would then have driven from Euston.

Not sure about the location of LMS staff records, maybe someone else can answer that one.

Good luck with the search

Alan

[bezza152]

Hi Alan, thanks for that info, all very interesting,
but not sure where to go now, tried browsing the
national archives but no joy, think I have to put it
on hold till I dig out other info that I may have
somewhere.

[Seagull]

Did you see the link I posted above:- National Archives

If you scroll down that page you will see the various railway companies listed and a link to the series of documents held.

The more recent the railway company (in general) the better the survival of the records. Staff records were generally well kept as they had to pay them pensions.

Unfortunately there is mostly no way to view the records online - you have to go to Kew. It is not the easiest place to learn how to use, but if you keep at it you can get some stunning results occassionally.

Good luck with the searching

Alan

[bezza152]

Thanks Alan, that is certainly one for the diary, may put the idea
to my son and see if he fancies a trip up there.