Walter Berwick

Walter Berwick (1800–1868) was an Irish judge, who perished in the Abergele rail disaster of 1868. He was a much loved public figure, especially in Cork, where he is commemorated by the Berwick Fountain on the Grand Parade in Cork city. He presided over the official inquiry into the Dolly's Brae conflict in 1849.

Early life

He was born in Leixlip, County Kildare, younger son of the Reverend Edward Berwick (1750–1820), vicar of Leixlip, by his first wife Anne Bermingham of Monkstown, Dublin. His mother, a niece of Henry Grattan, died shortly after his birth. Two years later his father remarried Rebecca Shuldham, daughter of Pooley Shuldham of Ballymulvey, County Longford, and had at least two more children, Elizabeth Mary Berwick (died 1868) and Edward Berwick, President of Queen's College, Galway, from 1849 to 1877. As a result, three magistrates, including Roden, were removed from the Bench. The inquiry also led to the enactment of the Party Processions Act 1850, which prohibited all political processions in Ireland. The measure proved to be equally unpopular with all political parties and was repealed in 1872.

Cork: the Berwick Fountain For several years he was the Assistant Barrister for the East Riding of County Cork, which in effect meant that he was the Chairman of the Court of Quarter Sessions for Cork. Berwick served as the Bankruptcy judge until his death. In his last years, he lived at St. Edmundsbury, Lucan, Dublin. He was a founder member of the Stephen's Green Club, and an active campaigner for the establishment of the National Gallery of Ireland.

Death: the Abergele rail disaster

In August 1868 Berwick and his sister Elizabeth Mary were returning from a holiday in Switzerland. At Euston Station they took charge of a young girl called Louisa Symes, who was apparently a distant relative. They boarded the Irish Mail to Holyhead. At Abergele in North Wales, two runaway carriages from a goods train ahead crashed into the Irish Mail, causing what was then the worst train disaster in British history. In the resulting inferno, 33 people died, including Berwick, his sister and Louisa Symes. All the victims were buried in a common grave, and a memorial was erected to commemorate the disaster.

Memorial to the 33 people who died in the Abergele Train Disaster, among whom were Walter Berwick and his sister Elizabeth Mary Berwick.