The night Queen Victoria unexpectedly stayed in Crewe
It was an ordinary evening in Crewe on October 2, 1848, until Queen Victoria and her entourage unexpectedly arrived in town.
Originally, the Queen, 29, had planned to sail directly from Aberdeen to Portsmouth.
However, stormy weather forced Her Majesty to change plans, deciding to travel to London by land instead.
With only 20 minutes' notice, word of the Queen's arrival spread through Crewe.
Few people had time to gather, but the owners of the Crewe Arms Hotel, Nantwich Road, a Mr. William Edwards and Mrs. Ellen Edwards, were ready to welcome her.
The couple escorted Her Majesty the matter of steps from the northern side platform to the adjacent 1837-built venue (rebuilt in 1880).
After inspecting the Crewe Arms Hotel rooms, the Queen decided to stay the night.
Dinner was served at 8.30pm for the Queen, Prince Albert, and their suite, which included Lady Gainsborough, Sir George Grey, Mr. and Mrs. Anson, Captain Gordon, and Sir James Clarke.
The royal children, Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, and Prince Alfred, had tea at 8pm, which was a welcome refreshment after a long journey.
At 10pm, Queen Victoria retired to the drawing room for coffee before heading to bed at 11pm.
Mr. Edwards ensured the hotel remained quiet throughout the night, with royal staff waking at 4am, and the Queen herself up by 5am.
After an early breakfast at 6am the royal party boarded a special train to London, expressing their gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards for their hospitality.
It was a brief but historic stay, making the Crewe Arms Hotel one of the few places where Queen Victoria spent an unplanned night during her reign.
Contrary to some other reports, this was Her Majesty's only night stay in Crewe.
What Happened to the Edwards Family?
William Edwards married Ellen Baskerville in 1847 in Liverpool, and together they ran the Crewe Arms Hotel, where all of their children were born.
William passed away in 1866, after which Ellen took over the Angel Hotel in Northwich. She ran it until her death in 1901, and her children continued to manage it until around 1920.
None of their seven children married, so it is unlikely there are any direct descendants.
The Edwards family is buried at St. Michael and All Angels Church, Crewe Green, and there is interest in finding any extended family members who may still be around today.
Information was sourced by Crewe Historical Society who debuff claims Queen Victoria had underground tunnels built for her at Crewe and stayed on several occasions.
Article information comes from The Globe (London newspaper) from 7 October, 1898 and Friends of the National Railway Museum.
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