George Findlay (1829 - 1893)

Born 18 May 1829 in Rainhill, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Annie Adamson — married 13 Sep 1847 in Rugeley, Staffordshire, England

Descendants

Died 26 Mar 1893 at age 63 in Middlesex, England

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Biography

Sir George Findlay was born on 18 May 1829 at Rainhill, Lancashire to George Findlay and Agnes Courtenay.

His father George Findlay Snr was an inspector of masonry under George Stephenson, and was engaged in building the well-known skew bridge near Rainhill.

At 14 George left school and started his first job as a mason on the construction of the Halifax branch railway. He went on to assist with the building of the Trent Valley Railway, and many more.

From 1854 onwards he He gave evidence before royal commissions on several occasions regarding the railways and Manchester Ship Canal.

In 1864 he was appointed general goods manager to the London and North Western Railway at Euston station, and in 1874 he became general traffic manager, and finally in 1880 general manager.

In 1888 several of his suggestions were adopted by government as modifications of the policy in regard to Irish railways, recommended by the royal commission on Irish public works. At the prolonged inquiry before the board of trade in 1889 as to the revised schedules of maximum rates and charges preferred by the companies under the railway and canal traffic bill of 1888, he was under examination for eight days, and was highly complimented by the chairman, Lord Balfour of Burleigh, on the quality of his evidence.

He was a well known railway lecturer and some of his lectures were published. 'The Working and Management of an English Railway' (London, 1889, 8vo).

Among his accomplishments he also served as: Lieutenant-colonel of the engineer and railway volunteer staff corps. Justice of the peace for Middlesex, Alderman of the county council from 1889. He was also elected an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1889

Vice-president of a committee formed for the purpose of exhibiting a collection of appliances, past and present, used in the conveyance of passengers and merchandise, at the Paris Exhibition (1889) and was created a chevalier of the legion of honour.

He was knighted on 21 May 1892.

George married Annie Adamson on 13 Sep 1847 in Rugeley in Staffordshire. She died in 1883 and in 1885 he married Charlotte Jacob.

He died aged 64 on 26 Mar 1893 at his home, Hill House, Edgware, Middlesex, and was buried at 30 Mar at Whitchurch.

Sources

• Place: Rugeley, Staffordshire, England; Date Range: 1835 - 1876; Film Number: 1040786

Source Information Ancestry.com. England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.

Ancestry.com. Web: Moray, Scotland, Local Heritage Index, 1632-2014 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data: People Search. Local Heritage Services in Moray - Scotland. http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/mainmenu.asp: accessed 12 May 2016.

Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London, England © Crown copyright.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Findlay_(railwayman)#cite_note-DNBSupp-1