Edward G. (Edward Gill) Flight

Edward Gill Flight was born in Tiverton around 1803 and became a solicitor in Bridport, where he practiced with his brother Thomas. He later opened a London branch and became involved in publishing, including an alliance with the poet and humorist Thomas Hood. Flight’s business ventures ended in bankruptcy, and he eventually returned to Bridport after his brother’s death.

Flight is best remembered locally as the driving force behind the Bridport Railway, which opened in 1857. He promoted the scheme, arranged surveys, and worked to connect the town with the national railway network. Although the railway brought important economic benefits to Bridport, Flight’s later property ventures failed, leading to another bankruptcy and his resignation from the town council.

In 1871, shortly before his death, Flight published The Horse-Shoe: The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil, a humorous retelling of the legend explaining the horseshoe’s protective powers. The book featured illustrations by George Cruikshank, with engravings by John Thompson. Flight died in February 1871, reportedly from congestion of the lungs.