Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
The Great Northern Railway Disaster
Photographed by Ray Gurganus, May 3, 2026
1. The Great Northern Railway Disaster Marker
Three of the victims of this disaster were laid to rest here within Priory Road Cemetery.
On the evening of 21st January 1876, the London to Edinburgh express train (today known as the "Flying Scotsman") collided with a coal train just outside Abbots Ripton. The accident took place during a blizzard, hampering visibility. The frozen conditions had caused the railway signals to fail triggering the accident.
Moments later a second collision took place, when an express train from Leeds ploughed into the crashed trains at full speed. Due to the poor conditions there was no chance to warn it in time and prevent this second crash, which caused most of the fatalities.
A public enquiry was later held into the disaster, recommending that alterations were made to signals and procedures improved in order to stop a similar accident in future.
Those killed in the disaster
(highlighted names are buried here):
Miss E. Burdon Sanderson
Miss M. Burdon Sanderson
Miss
this page online
Miss Fosberry
Mrs Fosberry
Mr B. Jolliffe
Mr J. Saunderson
Mr J. C. Allgood
Mr J. Allgood
Mr D. H. Allgood
Mr Noble
Mr W. D. Boucicault
Mr T. Mure
The Burdon Sanderson Family
The Burdon Sanderson family were in a carriage on the Scotch Express, avoiding injury in the first collision. They were trying to leave their wrecked carriage when it was hit by the Leeds train. Elizabeth Burdon Sanderson was killed instantly; her sister Margaret died a few moments later with her brother holding her hand. Their father, Richard, broken leg, fractured right arm, and collar bone. The mother, Isabelle, suffered shock and bruising; amazingly their brother James escaped unscathed.
The family recuperated at the George Hotel in Huntingdon; five days later their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret were buried in this cemetery. Their parents were laid to rest here in what became a family plot here.
Dion William Boucicault
(Dion) William Boucicault was the son of the successful Irish actor and playwright Dion Boucicault. He was also travelling on the Scotch Express and avoided injury in the first only to be killed by the Leeds
Photographed by Ray Gurganus, May 3, 2026
2. Boucicault's Burial Marker
The Times Newspaper said of the funeral:
"The body of the poor young fellow was enclosed in three coffins; a shell of elm, a lead coffin, and a coffin of polished oak... In the first mourning coach was Mr Boucicault, his son George, and an uncle. A large number of townspeople followed on foot..."
In 1878 William's father paid for restoration work on Huntington's old grammar school, today the Cromwell Museum, in memory of his son.
Erected by Huntingdon Town Council.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Disasters • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical date for this entry is January 21, 1876.
Location. 52° 20.015′ N, 0° 10.723′ W. Marker is in Huntingdon, England, in Cambridgeshire. It can be reached from Priory Road. On the grounds of Priory Road Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 Priory Road, Huntingdon, England PE29 1JN, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Anglia. Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 14 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Oliver Cromwell and Huntingdon (approx. half a kilometer away); Oliver Cromwell (approx. half a kilometer away); King Charles I (approx. half a kilometer away); The Church of St John the Baptist (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Sebastopol Cannon (approx. 0.8 kilometers away); George Bower (approx. 13.2 kilometers away).
Also see . . . Abbots Ripton rail accident (Wikipedia). Excerpt:
The Abbots Ripton rail disaster occurred on 21 January 1876 at Abbots Ripton, then in the county of Huntingdonshire, England, on the Great Northern Railway main line, previously thought to be exemplary for railway safety. In the accident, the Special Scotch Express train from Edinburgh to London was involved in a collision, during a blizzard, with a coal train. An express travelling in the other direction then ran into the wreckage.…(Submitted on October 2, 2026.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2026, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 2, 2026, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
