Membership disc and Forth Bridge medallion

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

34213

Title

Membership disc and Forth Bridge medallion

Description

One membership disc for the Forth Bridge Working Men's Club, and a Forth Bridge medallion. The gold coloured disc is a membership disc of the Forth Bridge Working Men's Club and has the inscription 'Not transferable under penalty of dismissal' and the holder's number 319A. The silver medallion was struck in 1890 to commemorate the opening of the bridge, and has the text 'The Forth Bridge. Began 1882 Finished 1890', and lists the engineers, Sir John Fowler and Mr. Benjamin Baker' with an engraving of the Bridge.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1883

Location

Queensferry Museum

A small token like this membership disc was given to all the members of the Forth Bridge Working Men's Club, stamped with the date of the start of the construction works, 1883, and the holder's membership number. The Forth Bridge Working Men's Club was not a social club, but more an insurance agency against sickness and accident. The Club dispensed medical advice, medicines, and gave a good allowance of between 9s and 12s a week to those not fit for work. This soon proved itself a necessary fund, as more than 60 men lost their lives whilst working on the bridge. A memorial to those who died has been erected in South Queensferry.

The Forth Rail Bridge was constructed between 1883 and 1890 and was designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker. Construction began only a few years after the Tay Rail Bridge disaster in which over 70 people were killed. In order to allay the fears of the public in the wake of this catastrophe the structure of this cantilever bridge was designed to be both visually impressive and enormously strong. The bridge stretches 1.5 miles across the Firth of Forth between South and North Queensferry and its three towers are over 100m high. The bridge was opened on the 4th of March 1890 by the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VII.

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Places > Edinburgh areas > South Queensferry

Places > Edinburgh Landmarks > Forth Rail Bridge

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh