Channel 5 series Rich Lives, Poor Lives, presented by Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman follows the stories of rich and poor through historical events/periods.
As part of our their new series they are filming an episode on Victorian Railways.
Ruth is following the story of working class family the Arguile’s (Argyle’s).
Mary and her husband Peter Arguile lived in the station house at Merry Lees, (Merrylees, Mary Lees) they believe in the 1840’s.
It is thought that Mary was in charge of running the station.
The production team are asking if anyone in the locality has any more information about the station and or the family etc.
Does the station house still exist?
Are there any members of the Argyle family still living locally?
Does anyone have any other old photographs of the railway?
Below is a copy of the photograph they have discovered of the Station House.
RCHS Online Media Archive » Railways & Tramroads » London Midland & Scottish Railway Group » Midland Railway » Stations & Infrastructure » Leicester to Burton-on-Trent & branches » Merrylees Original Station.1954 (KSL @ 106m 26ch) (Ref: 030272)Merrylees Original Station.1954 (KSL @ 106m 26ch) (Ref: 030272)
Collection: Spence (Jeoffry) ROMA ID: 030272E
Taken from Wikipedia : –
Merry Lees was a railway station on the Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line in Leicestershire. It was opened in 1832 and closed in 1871.
The Leicester and Swannington Railway opened the first Merry Lees station on 18 July 1832. The Midland Railway took over the line in 1845 and replaced the station with a second one 150 yards (140 m) to the north on 27 March 1848. The Midland renamed the station Merrylees station some time thereafter, and closed it on 1 March 1871. For the entire period from 1832 to 1871 the station was run by a station mistress, Mary Argyle.
If you have any information of relevance/interest – please email Gill at thorntonvillage@aol.com
Thornton 