Historical Archive
The Maybrey Historical Archive is a primary research resource dedicated to the history of the Hatcham Iron Works and the remarkable people who shaped it: George England, Robert Fairlie, and the workforce who built locomotives that travelled to every corner of the Victorian railway world.
This archive was established by Grahame Hood and Douglas Hills, who first began researching the history of the Hatcham Iron Works in the late 1980s after Douglas discovered that his newly acquired premises in Greenwich bore a plaque identifying them as the former registered office of the General Engine and Boiler Company, the direct successor to George England's works. Grahame, a keen railway enthusiast and editorial contributor to various publications, already knew of George England's work and together they set out to document as much as could be found.
The archive draws on primary sources including parliamentary records, census data, contemporary newspaper accounts, railway company minutes, and published works by railway historians including C. Hamilton Ellis, A.R. Rosling, and C.H. Dickson. It is an ongoing project and contributions are welcomed. If you have information to add to this growing archive, please get in touch.
Archive articles
The following nine articles are presented as individual archive entries, each accessible as a standalone page within this section. On the hub page, each article will appear as a card in blog format, with a thumbnail image, article title, brief description, and link to the full text.
Locomotives of the Fairlie Engine and Steam Carriage Company: 1869-1870
A record of the locomotives produced under the Fairlie Engine and Steam Carriage Company at Hatcham Iron Works between 1869 and 1870, the final chapter of locomotive building at Pomeroy Street. Compiled by Grahame Hood from primary sources, with notes on unresolved questions.
Locomotives Built at Hatcham Iron Works: 1862-1867
The third part of Grahame Hood’s locomotive register, covering 1862 to 1867: the final productive years at Hatcham, including the celebrated Festiniog Railway engines and the fateful South Eastern Railway order disrupted by the 1865 strike.
Locomotives Built at Hatcham Iron Works: 1856-1861
The second part of Grahame Hood’s locomotive register, covering the period 1856 to 1861: a time of considerable expansion for the Hatcham Iron Works, with orders fulfilled for railways in Australia, India, Scotland, and across England.
Locomotives Built at Hatcham Iron Works: 1849-1855
The first part of Grahame Hood’s detailed register of locomotives built by George England at the Hatcham Iron Works, covering the earliest period of production from 1849 to 1855. Includes primary source references and commentary on specific locomotives.
The 1865 Strike
A detailed account of the five-week strike at the Hatcham Iron Works in January-March 1865, drawn from contemporary newspaper reports in The Times, the Bristol Times, the Kentish Mercury, and the South London Press. The strike proved catastrophic for the company, leading to the cancellation of a major South Eastern Railway order and the permanent loss of much of the skilled workforce.
The England Family in the 1861 Census
A transcription and commentary on the 1861 census entries for Hatcham Lodge and Georgina Terrace, the home and workers’ cottages built by George England in 1858. The records offer a rare snapshot of domestic life at the works.
The Hatcham Iron Works
A detailed history of the Hatcham Iron Works site at Pomeroy Street, New Cross: its unlikely origins, its expansion under George England, and the various uses of the buildings after the works closed. Compiled from primary sources including rate books, Post Office Directories, and contemporary railway press.
Robert Francis Fairlie (1831-1885)
The full archive account of Robert Francis Fairlie: engineer, patentee, and inventor of the double-bogie locomotive that bears his name. Includes the detailed account of his patent, his time at Hatcham, and a record of his grave at West Norwood Cemetery.
George England (1811-1878)
The full biography of George England: founder of the Hatcham Iron Works, locomotive builder, and one of the most colourful and contentious figures in Victorian engineering history. Compiled from primary sources by Grahame Hood, with research by Chris Jones.