King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

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 You must seek permission prior to publication of any of our images.


Regimental History - 19th Century

The Band of the King’s Own Royal Regiment at the Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway

15th September 1830

On the morning of Wednesday, 15th September 1830, the station of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the rendezvous of the nobility and gentry who were to be the first passengers on a train between Liverpool and Manchester. Never was there such an assemblage of rank, wealth, beauty and fashion in the neighbourhood. The station’s entrance in Crown Street was thronged from 9 o’clock until 10 am with passengers searching for their places on one of the eight trains.

The large and elegant car constructed for the nobility, and the accompanying cars for the Directors and the musicians were seen through the lesser tunnel, where persons moving about at the far end appeared as diminutive as if viewed through a concave glass. The effect was singular and striking. In a short time all those cars were brought all the tunnel into the yard, which then contained all the carriages which were to be attached to the eight locomotive engines which were in readiness beyond the tunnel in the great excavation at Edgehill.

By this time the area presented a beautiful spectacle, thirty three carriages being filled by elegantly dressed persons, each train of carriages being distinguished buy silk flags of different colours; the band of the 4th King’s Own Regiment, stationed in the adjoining area, playing military airs….

A few minutes before ten, the discharge of a gun and the cheers of the assembly announced the arrival of the Duke of Wellington, who entered the area with the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury and a number of friends, the band playing “See the Conquering Hero comes.”

He returned the congratulations of the company, and in a few moments the grand car, which he and the nobility and the principal gentry occupied, and the cars attached to it, were permitted to proceed.

 

 

© Images are copyright, Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum.
 You must seek permission prior to publication of any of our images.

Only a proportion of our collections are on display at anyone time.  Certain items are on loan for display in other institutions.  An appointment is required to consult any of our collections which are held in store.

© 2015 Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum