Dangers faced by Forth Briggers fully revealed

Timed to coincide with the 134th anniversary of the opening of the bridge on March 4, 1890, the book is an astonishing account of the lives of the men who worked on the iconic structure.

Known locally as the ‘Briggers’, it tells of the dangers the men faced – recording 197 accidents, including nine fatalities, over a 32-month period from 1883 to 1886.

City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries staff approached a group of local historians about the book.

Since 2005, The Briggers – taking their name from the construction workers’ nickname – have been collecting and researching the history of the rail bridge. In 2009 they compiled a list of all known deaths which took place during its construction so it seemed fitting to let them know about the accidents book.

The book was recently donated to Queensferry Museum and perfectly complements the existing collections telling the story of the three Forth bridges. The plain cover contains a catalogue of injuries ranging from mild bruising to some of the most gruesome and painful accidents imaginable.

It is a unique snapshot of workplace health and safety of the time, a far cry from today’s high standards.

Consider for instance Matthew Snowden, listed as accident 61, who was lucky enough to get away with just hurting his right hand after falling off a jetty. He was seen by the doctor and soon returned to work.

William Hawkins wasn’t quite as lucky; a foreman painter, he was crushed by a barge, the Tamar, while coming ashore. His left leg was completely smashed above the ankle and had to be amputated at the knee. He was “removed to Infirmary Edinr. by ambulance”. Hawkins survived and was paid until he was able to return to work.

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 and Galleries. Anyone looking at these pages will be able to search for names of relatives working on the bridge and find out what happened to them.

Frank Hay, of The Briggers and Queensferry Heritage Trust, said: “The Forth Bridge accidents book is one of the few, or possibly the only, day-to-day working document to have survived from the construction period.

“We volunteered to transcribe and research the book – revealing important new information on, for example, industrial insurance and how the Forth Bridge was on the leading edge of the Scottish first aid and ambulance movement of the 1880s.”

The Briggers continue to analyse the book and compare it with other existing records; already, they are aware of one death previously unrecorded.

What’s more, the Briggers and Museums and Galleries have been able to fill in gaps in what is known about the rest of the Forth Bridge collection held at Queensferry Museum. They have tracked a medal in the collection back to its original owner, Patrick Lee, who caught his sleeve on a drilling machine on February 5, 1886. Thankfully he only sustained a bruised wrist.

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

Many of the injuries listed in this early stage of construction were sustained during the complex operation to build, move and sink the massive caissons in place. These were wrought iron cases lowered into the Forth to give workers access to the seabed to lay the foundations.

The caissons were assembled on land and towed by boat to their final positions in the Forth. 2024 is the 140th anniversary of when the six caissons were first launched.

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 the book 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.”

For more, visit www.capitalcollections.org.uk.