Sir Nigel Gresley (1876-1941)

Railway engineer

In 1893 Nigel Gresley started an apprenticeship with the London and North Western Railway at Crewe. He married Ethel Frances Fullager in 1901. By 1911 he was the locomotive engineer for the Great North Railway at Doncaster and was appointed CBE in 1920 for his contribution to the war effort. Following the grouping of railway companies in 1923 he joined the London and North Eastern Railway where he continued to improve designs for freight, passenger and electric locomotives, coaches and restaurant cars. He was an advocate for a national locomotive testing station and was active in the International Railway Congress, professional institutions and on government committees. He was knighted in 1936. Two years later his Pacific steam locomotive 'Mallard' reached 126mph to break the world record. Sir Nigel Gresley died on 5 April 1941 at Watton House in Hertfordshire and was buried at Netherseal in Derbyshire.

Birth in 1876

Herbert Nigel Gresley was born on 19 June 1876, the son of Nigel Gresley, rector of Nethersele and Oversele, Leicestershire and Joanna Beatrice Wilson. The entry in the statutory register of births for the district of St Andrew in the burgh of Edinburgh gives the place of birth as 14 Dublin Street. The informant was his uncle, William Douglas, curate in charge of St Paul's York Place.

Birth entry for Nigel Gresley (45 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, 1876/685-2/708