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United Pointsmen's and Signalmen's Society

About the union:

The United Pointsmen's and Signalmen's Society (UPSS) was founded in 1880 as the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Mutual Aid and Sick Society. The name was shortened in 1908. The UPSS was never a large organisation, when it amalgamated with the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the General Railway Workers' Union in 1913 to form the National Union of Railwaymen it had just 4,101 members.

Records relevant to genealogical research:

National Union of Railwaymen Membership registers, 1913

The first membership registers of the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) list members of the United Pointsmen's and Signalmen's Society who joined the NUR at the time of amalgamation in 1913. Former UPSS members are listed in one of the 97 registers [ref. MSS.127/NU/OR/2/31].

These contain: name, age, date of joining, occupation, railway company, branch, and sometimes (but not necessarily) dates of branch transfers, exclusion, retirement and/or death. Information about family members, address or place of birth is not given.

This register has been digitised by Findmypast and can be searched through their website (charges apply to view images and transcriptions of the volume).