The King is dead

St. Peter's Church Scrayingham, final resting place of "The Railway King"

Friday 6th March 2015

A trip to York today, but not the usual direct route. I have a number of railway books on the bookshelves, the title of one of them caught my eye this morning, "The Railway King", this reminded me, I had still not been to Scrayingham Church to visit the grave of George Hudson who was "The Railway King". George was born at nearby Howsham which lies mid-way between York and Malton and a couple of miles from Scrayingham. Briefly, he inherited a fortune and invested it in the early railways. Soon he was controlling railway companies all over the north of the country. During the mid 1840's he was probably the best known businessman in the country. He fell from grace on account of his dubious financial practices and he was declared bankrupt. In fifteen years he laid the foundations for our current railway system. But for his downfall, he may have been laid to rest in Westminster Abbey and not St. Peter's Church, Scrayingham. Scrayingham Church has to be more peaceful, the gravestone is to the left of the porch.