1920-1940 Abdication

On 26th January 1921 an express and stopping train collided at Abermule, Newtown.

Seventeen people were killed including Herbert Lionel Henry Vane-Tempest (age 58), a director of the railway.

"The driver of the down train was oiling his engine at the moment when the tablet holder was handed to his fireman by relief-stationmaster Lewis. It is clear that neither he nor the fireman could have examined the tablet before the train started from Abermule. It is also clear that neither Lewis, Jones, nor Thompson could have looked at the tablet instrument for the Abermule-Newtown section, otherwise they would have seen the indicator showed that a tablet had been withdrawn for an up train. After the down train had started (about 12.3 p.m.), presumably when he returned to the booking office to send the 'entering section' bell signal for the down train to Newtown, and the 'out of section' bell signal to Montgomery, the terrible mistake that had been made was discovered by Thompson, and Lewis realised that he had given the Montgomery - Abermule tablet to the down train. Lewis telephoned to Newtown to ask if the express had left, and was informed by Brock that it had left at 11.59 when he had sent the 'entering section' bell signal. A vain attempt was made to attract the attention of the enginemen of the down train, by lowering and raising the up distant signal, but probably by the time this was attempted, the train had passed the signal post, about 660 yards from the loop points..."

"When [fireman] Owen recovered, he found himself on the ground just behind the second vehicle (No. 310) of his train, which was lying across the railway on top of the first. He saw driver Jones on the opposite side just behind and underneath the third vehicle, which was leaning over towards the slope of the cutting. He got across the framing, and found Jones more seriously injured than himself, and anxiously enquiring whether they had the right tablet. He assured him on the point, but a little later, as his driver was still anxious, he went to look for the tablet and crept under the frame of No. 7730 for the purpose. After a little search he found both tablet holders lying on the ground to the left (north) of the track alongside the wreckage of the two engines. He picked them up and found that one of the tablets for the Montgomery-Abermule section had evidently been carried by the down train. He then returned and showed them to his driver to relieve his anxiety. He subsequently handed the tablet holders to traffic controller Morgan, who travelled in the down train. Morgan eventually passed them for custody to chief traffic inspector George. The latter, immediately after the accident, returned on foot to Abermule, where he arrived at 12.18 p.m. and arranged by telephone for the dispatch of medical and nursing assistance from Newtown."

Herbert Lionel Henry Vane-Tempest: On 6th July 1862 he was born to George Henry Vane-Tempest 5th Marquess Londonderry and Mary Cornelia Edwards Marchioness Londonderry. The Times. 2nd February 1905. The funeral of Lord Henry Vane-Tempest took place yesterday in the family vault in St. Peter's, Montgomeryshire. The Bishop of Bangor, assisted by the Rev J. Williams, rector of the parish, and the Rev. S. J. Evans, officiated. The principal mourmers were the Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry (brother and sister-in-law), Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest (brother), and Mr. Beaumont, M.P., and Lady Aline Beaumont (brother-in-law and sister). Continues. 9th February 1915. Times Newspaper Obituaries. The news of the death of the Marquess of Londonderry, which occurred at Wynyard, Stockton-on-Tees, yesterday morning, will be received with profound regret far beyond the circle of his personal friends or of the members of the Unionist Party. Lord Londonderry had not been entirely well for some little time past. For a fortnight, it seems, he had been suffering from sciatica. Last week he caught a chill, from which pneumonia developed. On Sunday his condition was seen to be critical. During the night he collapsed, and the end came at 9.30 yesterday morning. Lady Londonderry, who had been in constant attendance on him during his illness, was present at the last, as also were Lady Ilchester and Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest.

The Nepal–Britain Treaty was signed on 21 December 1923 in Singha Durbar. The Treaty was the first formal acknowledgement by the British that Nepal, as an independent nation. The seven articles were as follows:

1. Nepal and Britain will forever maintain peace and mutual friendship and respect each other's internal and external independence.

2. All previous treaties, agreements and engagements, since and including the Sugauli Treaty of 1815, which have been concluded between the two Government are hereby cancelled, except so far as they may be altered by the present Treaty.

3. As the preservation of peace and friendly relations with the neighbouring States whose territories adjoin their common frontiers is to the mutual interests of both the High Contracting Parties, they hereby agree to inform each other of any rupture such friendly relations, and each to exert its good offices as far as may be possible to remove such friction and misunderstanding.

4. Each of the High Contracting Parties will use all such measure as it may deem practicable to prevent its territories being used for purpose inimical to the security of the other.

5. In view of the longstanding friendship that has subsisted between the British Government and the Government of Nepal and for the sake of cordial neighbourly relations between them, the British Government agrees that the Nepal Government shall be free to import from or through British India into Nepal whatever arms, ammunition, machinery, warlike material or stores may be required or desired for the strength and welfare of Nepal, and that this arrangement shall hold good for all times as long as the British Government is satisfied that the intentions of the Nepal Government are friendly and that there is no immediate danger to India from such importations. The Nepal such arms, ammunition, etc., across the frontier of Nepal either by the Nepal Government or by private individuals. If, however, any convention for the regulation of the Arms Traffic, to which the British Government may be a party, shall come into force, the right of importation of arms and ammunition by the Nepal Government shall be subject to the proviso that the Nepal Government shall first become a party to that Convention, and that such importation shall only be made in accordance with the provisions of that Convention.

6. No Customs duty shall be levied at British Indian ports on goods imported on behalf of the Nepal Government of immediate transport to that country provided that a certificate from such authority as may from time to time be determined by the two governments shall be presented at the time of importation to the Chief Customs Officer at the port of import setting forth that the goods are the property of the Nepal Government, are required for the public services of the Nepal Government are not for the purpose of any State monopoly or State trade, and are being to Nepal under orders of the Nepal Government, The British Government also agrees to the grant in respect of all trade goods, imported at British Indian ports for immediate transmission to Kathmandu without breaking bulk en route, of a rebate of the full duty paid, provided that in accordance with arrangements already agreed to, between the two Governments, such goods may break bulk for repacking at the port of entry under Customs supervision in accordance with such rules as may from time to time be laid down in this behalf. The rebate may be claimed on the authority of a certificate signed by the said authority that the goods have arrive at Kathmandu with Customs seals unbroken and otherwise untampered with.

7. This Treaty signed in the part of the British Government by Lieutenant-Colonel W.F.T. O'Connor, C.I.E., C.V.O., British Envoy at the Court of Nepal and on the part of Nepal Government by General His Highness Maharaja Sir Chandra Shumsher Junga Bahadur Rana, G.C.B, G.C.S.I., G.D.M.G., G.C.V.O., D.C.I., Thong-lin Pimma Kokang- Wang-Syan, Prime Minister and Marshal of Nepal, shall be ratified and the ratification shall be exchanged at the Kathmandu as soon as practicable.

On 11th December 1936 the former King Edward VIII (age 42) made a BBC radio broadcast from Windsor Castle having abdicated the previous day: "At long last I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to withhold anything, but until now it has not been constitutionally possible for me to speak. A few hours ago I discharged my last duty as King and Emperor, and now that I have been succeeded by my brother, The Duke of York, my first words must be to declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart. You all know the reasons which have impelled me to renounce the Throne. But I want you to understand that in making up my mind I did not forget the country or the Empire which as Prince of Wales, and lately as King, I have for twenty-five years tried to serve. But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love. And I want you to know that the decision I have made has been mine and mine alone. This was a thing I had to judge entirely for myself. The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course. I have made this, the most serious decision of my life, only upon the single thought of what would in the end be best for all. This decision has been made less difficult to me by the sure knowledge that my brother, with his long training in the public affairs of this country and with his fine qualities, will be able to take my place forthwith, without interruption or injury to the life and progress of the Empire. And he has one matchless blessing, enjoyed by so many of you and not bestowed on me - a happy home with his wife and children. During these hard days I have been comforted by Her Majesty my mother and by my family. The Ministers of the Crown, and in particular Mr. Baldwin, the Prime Minister, have always treated me with full consideration. There has never been any constitutional difference between me and them and between me and Parliament. Bred in the constitutional tradition by my father, I should never have allowed any such issue to arise. Ever since I was Prince of Wales, and later on when I occupied the Throne, I have been treated with the greatest kindness by all classes of the people, wherever I have lived or journeyed throughout the Empire. For that I am very grateful. I now quit altogether public affairs, and I lay down my burden. It may be some time before I return to my native land, but I shall always follow the fortunes of the British race and Empire with profound interest, and if at any time in the future I can be found of service to His Majesty in a private station I shall not fail. And now we all have a new King. I wish him, and you, his people, happiness and prosperity with all my heart. God bless you all. God Save The King."