J C Russell's Steam Yachts

CLANRANALD /MADGE / HINBA (courtesy James Michie)

Russell appears to have owned at least two if not three steam yachts at one time and another. Royal Highland Yacht Club records show him as visiting with a 37 ton steamer called RONA between 1906 and 1909. However the website Clydeships shows RONA registered to Russell from 1910 onwards, finally being disposed of by his widow in 1915.

 

Clydeships also shows Russell as the owner of MADGE  formerly CLANRANALD and originally intended for service on Loch Shiel. However, her draught was too deep and she was sold in 1902 and used as a yacht. MADGE was renamed HINBA in 1914 and lost off the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1924.

Lloyd’s Yacht Register indicates that Russell also owned another steam yacht, the GRYFFIN. 

Ghosts of Aberglaslyn

 

‘Ghosts of Aberglaslyn’ tells the amazing story of an electric railway project in North Wales that was never completed, involving a predecessor of the Rosyth based electrical engineering company Parsons Peebles, the inventor of Beechams Pills and father of the famous orchestra conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham, a Hungarian locomotive builder and the great great grandfather of Tara Palmer Tomkinson, the English socialite, "it girl", television presenter, model and charity patron. The book explains how James Cholmeley Russell, the Chairman and  Receiver of the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company  played an instrumental role in causing the project to fail.

Some of the line was constructed between 1901 and 1909, but it never opened and the track bed eventually became part of the Welsh Highland Railway. The heady and fascinating story of political manoeuvrings, dashed hopes, obstructionism and technology is the subject of a new book, ‘Ghosts of Aberglaslyn’ - the brief life of the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway by John Manners and Michael Bishop.

If the aspirations of the promoters of the Portmadoc, Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway (PBSSR) had been realised, electric trains might now be carrying passengers between Porthmadog and Caernarfon in North Wales

In the book, John Manners examines the design, technology and building of the PBSSR and plans for electrifying the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways line from Rhyd Ddu to Dinas, near Caernarfon. This is set within the story told by Michael Bishop of the companies that were involved, including how some six electric locomotives were built by Bruce Peebles & Co Ltd but none delivered and how a power station was constructed that still generates electricity today.  The legacy includes the Leeds built steam locomotive "Russell"  - named after James Cholmeley Russell and the unused bridge by the Goat Hotel at Beddgelert and nearby bridge abutments. 
The book comprises some 120 pages of text and a rich collection of photographs, including several published for the first time.
‘Ghosts of Aberglaslyn’ is available direct from the publisher, the Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group at for £18 post paid in the UK or via your local bookshop quoting:

ISBN number 978-0-9930821-4-6

The Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway (PBSSR) was a 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm) narrow gauge railway intended to connect Porthmadog with the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways link terminus at Rhyd Ddu. Although some of the line was constructed between 1901 and 1906, it never opened and eventually became part of the Welsh Highland Railway, that now runs from Caernarfon to Porthmadog where it connects with the famous Ffestiniog Railway.

James Tomkinson PC (1840 – 10 Apr 1910) was an English landowner and Liberal politician and a director of the North Wales Power & Electric Traction Co. Ltd that built a power station originally intended to provide electricity to the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway.

Born in 1840, Tomkinson lived at Willington Hall, Chester, He was the son of Battle of Waterloo veteran Lieutenant-general William Tomkinson and Susan, daughter of Thomas Tarleton of Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire. He was a High Sheriff of Cheshire, unsuccessfully contested Nuneaton for the Liberals but at the 1900 general election he was elected as Member of Parliament for Crewe, holding the seat until his death in April 1910. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Cheshire, became Second Church Estates Commissioner and was  a member of the Privy Council.

In 1871 Tomkinson married Emily Frances Palmer, a daughter of Sir George Palmer, 3rd Baronet.  Tomkinson died on 10 April 1910 from injuries sustained in a fall while participating in the House of Commons Steeplechase.

Descendants

Charles William Tomkinson (1877–1939); James Edward Tomkinson, later Palmer-Tomkinson (1879–1961); James Algernon Palmer-Tomkinson (1915-1952) ;Charles Palmer-Tomkinson (born 1940); James Palmer-Tomkinson; Santa Palmer-Tomkinson, now Santa Montefiore (born 1970); Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (1971-2017)  - great great grandaughter of James Tomkinson
 

Evelyn Mary Gordon Pangman 1926 - 2016

Evelyn Pangman who died on April 12, 2016, in Canada aged 90 was the younger daughter of Sydney and Margaret Saunders. Margaret, was the only child of James Cholmeley Russell and his wife Eleanor. She married Sidney Saunders in 1919 and their first daughter Elizabeth, always known as Betty, was born in 1922, she died a spinster in 1998. Evelyn was born in 1926 and grew up in Surrey, never knowing her father, who had died before she was born. Towards the end of the Second World War Evelyn met and married Peter Pangman a Canadian Navy Officer stationed in England. They subsequently moved to Canada. Peter died in the 1990s.

Evelyn had recently enjoyed her 90th birthday and is happily remembered by son Michael, daughter Wendy, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Exploring Surrey's Past

JCR now features on the Exploring Surrey's Past website here

Russell at Oxford

Until now the only known photographs of James Cholmeley Russell were those in the

Russell at Magdalen College

possession of the late Evelyn Pangman (1926-2016), his grand daughter and these largely dated from the last ten years or so of his life. However, we now have one of when Russell was a young undergraduate, thanks to one Alfred Earle and Dr. Robin Darwall-Smith the archivist of Magdalene College, Oxford.

 

Dr. Darwall-Smith has recently been making the College’s archives catalogue available on the Internet with the express objective of helping researchers and generally making the College’s archives more publicly accessible. This excellent policy resulted in the Group’s chairman Nick Booker, visiting the archive one Friday morning in October 2014 to look though the Photograph Album of Alfred Earle that is in the archives. Mr Earle matriculated from Magdalen in 1859 and took his BA in 1865 and his MA in 1866. He was thus a contemporary of Russell who left Harrow School at Christmas 1859 going up to Magdalene and matriculating the following year, graduating in 1864.

 

The large bound album is a personal photographic collection of local scenes and buildings including pubs (!) but more particularly of many of Earle’s fellow students including photographic studio portraits, group photographs taken around the College, the Oxford University Volunteer Force on parade with their uniforms and rifles and at camp in Wimbledon and views around Oxford and locally. Interestingly there are several photographs devoted to the Prince of Wales and his entourage, later King Edward VII, who was at Magdalen from October 1859 to the summer of 1860; so Russell may have met the future King.

 

The photograph of Russell shown here is believed to have taken around this time. Dr Darvill - Smith commented that it was then the  practice for undergraduates to have a number of photographs taken of themselves, which would then be passed round in exchange for one from the  recipient, a sort of analogue Facebook!

 

What is remarkable about this album is that is that it was assembled some twenty years before George Eastman of Kodak fame developed roll film, in 1884, to replace the photographic plates and toxic chemicals that the photographer had to carry around.

 

Nick Booker extends his thanks to Dr Darwall- Smith and his Archives Assistant Mr Ben Taylor for their help and co-operation. The photographs of Russell and the College are reproduced courtesy of the President of Magdalen College.

Magdalen in the mid 19th Century

JCR Life & Times Talk

A talk by the blog's author is now available on the life and times of Russell. For details see the page 'Talk on JCR'   

 

The presentation is suitable for audiences ranging from local historians, railway enthusiasts etc to more general groups.

Bridge House Aldershot

A recent find on the web concerning Russell's property activities is a site describing the history of a private house - Bridge House Aldershot  where Frederick Eggar sold the land to Russell in 1877 ;he subsequently then sold it to Susan Sumpster in 1905. This is close to Manor Farm. Russell's will refers to his property development interests, the Aldershot Lodge Estate and other property in the area, including the Manor Estates.

Russell's trophies

James Cholmeley Russell competed in both rowing and shooting competitions in the early part of his life and this is illustrated by the trophies he won. 



Harrow School Trophy  - J C Russell

Russell was at Harrow School from Easter 1855 to  Christmas 1859. Here on the 7th April 1859
he won a prize for either shooting or archery,note the arrows on the coat of arms. The motto on the tankard (see picture) reads  'Stet Fortuna Domus' - Let the Fortune of the House Stand - the motto of Harrow School.



Russell's Rifle Challenge Cup Trophy

In 1860 Russell went up to Magdalene College, Oxford as a Commoner. Here he remained until June 1864, graduating with a BA, 3^rd class Moderations and 2^nd class in Law and Modern History. Whilst at  Magdalene he was a member of the Rifle Club and in 1863 won third prize in the Rifle Challenge Cup competition.



Magdalene College 'Scratch Fours' Trophy

Russell was also a rower and following graduation he subsequently competed in the Magdalene College 'Scratch Fours Competition in 1868.
 

Handicap Prize Third  Class

As a barrister, Russell joined the 23rd Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps and while a Sergeant won the Handicap Prize Third  Class in 1876. He was later commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant and was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant in 1877. The motto on the trophy reads Salus populi suprema lex esto ‘The health of the people should be the supreme law’
 

 

 
 

Russell's London Railway Promotion

In 1892, Russell was involved in promoting a railway in London, between Royal Exchange and Waterloo. 

An article in The Electrical Engineer of January I, 1892 titled, New Electric Railways For London described a number of proposals introducing them as follows:

‘The comparative success of the existing electric railway in London has evidently given an impetus to the movement for providing still further means of locomotion of a similar kind. For consideration during the forthcoming session of Parliament there are no fewer than five Bills which propose either the construction of new electric railways or the extension of lines already authorised.’ 

The full article is here . Among the schemes it describes are: 

Great Northern and City Railway

 

A proposal for the incorporation of a new company with powers to construct a line of railway from the Canonbury branch of the Great Northern line near Finsbury Park to the City.
 

Islington and the City
 

The City and South London Railway Company, a Bill repeating their proposal of 1891 for the construction of a line extending their system to The Angel, at Islington.
 

Central London Railway
 

A proposal to extend their powers by the making of a line from under Mansion House Street, near the junction with Queen Victoria Street, to the Liverpool Street Station of the Great Eastern Railway Company.
 

Baker Street and Waterloo 
 

There are no less than three new railways projected from and to Waterloo, one of which is an underground railway to be worked by electricity.
 

Royal Exchange and Waterloo 

 

‘In addition to the intended Waterloo and City Electric Railway, it was also proposed to extend the London and South Western and London, Brighton, and South Coast Railways to a terminus in the City, for which purpose it is sought to incorporate a new company, consisting, among others, of the Hon. F. S. A. Hanbury-Tracy, Major John Eustace Jameson, Mr. Campbell Praed, and Mr. James Cholmeley Russell, with a capital of £2,700,000, divided into 270,000 £10 shares.
 

'Junctions would be formed with the main, Windsor, and other lines of the London and South-Western Company at Waterloo Station, and with the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway in the parish of St. John, Horseleydown, where it crosses Bermondsey Street by means of a bridge; and the new lines would run by way of Southwark Street to a point in the City close to the junction of Crooked Lane with Arthur Street, crossing the Thames by means of a bridge, in connection with which a free public footway would be constructed. Three years is the time fixed for the compulsory acquirement of land, and five years for the completion of the works. It is also sought to enter into working agreements with the London and South Western and the London, Brighton, and South Coast Companies, and to pay interest out of capital during construction.'

 

James Szlumper was to have been the engineer. The line was never constructed

The Engineer magazine of 4th December 1892 illustrated the proposals as follows:



Proposed Waterloo and Royal Exchange Railway

 

The magazine commented as follows:

'So much interest attaches to the projects for railways from Waterloo to the City that we publish above small map of the over head railway project which will come before Parliament during the next session.

 

'This project must be distinguished from the proposed tunnel from Waterloo to near the mansion House, which has the objection that the passengers will have to be taken down to the proposed deep tunnel by a lift from Waterloo station and thence under the River Thames; and when the Mansion is reached another lift will be required to take the passengers up to the surface. Besides the unpleasantness of travelling in a tunnel, the scheme entails no less than three changes for the passengers.

 

'The other scheme, of which we give a route map, is called the Royal Exchange and Waterloo Railway. It will have four lines of rails, and has the distinct advantage of being above ground. Mr J W Szlumper MInst.C.E is the engineer of the scheme and proposes to construct a continuous and unbroken line of railway  from Waterloo Station to the City, so that the London and South Western Company’s engines and carriages would after calling at Waterloo, proceed direct to the City above ground for the whole distance. It will be seen from the map that the scheme also contemplates a line from London Bridge Station of the Brighton Company to the City, a most important facility. Another feature in this scheme is the construction of a free public footway over a new bridge proposed to be erected across the Thames, and which it would it is believed considerably relieve London Bridge of the enormous foot traffic passing over it. Another, and very important advantage of this scheme is that independent of the pleasantness of travelling above ground, passengers would reach their destination in less time than it would take them to change and descend by lift to a tunnel.'

Southwark St John Horsleydown was a small parish on the south bank of the River Thames in London, opposite the Tower of London. 

 

In the metropolitan re-organisation of 1855 it was grouped into the St Olave District. The civil parish became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey in 1900 when the St Olave District was abolished, and in 1904 Southwark St John Horsleydown was absorbed into the Bermondsey parish. Since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Southwark (Wikipedia)

In addition to Russell, the promoters were the following gentlemen:



F. S. A. Hanbury-Tracy
Spy cartoon 1884 



F. S. A. Hanbury-Tracy was the Hon. Frederick Stephen Archibald Hanbury-Tracy (1848 - 1906), a younger son of Thomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley, and his wife Emma Elizabeth Alicia, daughter of George Hay Dawkins Pennant. Charles Hanbury-Tracy, 4th Baron Sudeley, was his elder brother. He succeeded the latter as Member of Parliament for Montgomery in 1877, a seat he held until 1885, and again from 1886 to 1892.
 

Hanbury Tracy lived at 116 Queens Gate, South Kensington, Russell living at 86 Queen’s Gate for several years in the 1880s and 1890s

 



Major John Eustace Jameson 
National Portrait Gallery



Major John Eustace Jameson (1853-1919 was a politician, businessman and Army officer. He was the MP for West Clare and at one time was a factory inspector. He was the subject of both a photographic portrait now in the National Portrait Gallery collection and a Spy cartoon ‘The Major from Clare’



Arthur Campbell Bulkley Mackworth-Praed 1876
John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
 

 

Campbell Praed was Arthur Campbell Bulkley Mackworth-Praed (1846–1901), the husband of the Australian novelist, Rosa Campbell Praed. He was a member of an English banking and brewing family. For more on the Campbell Praed brewing family see The Brewing Industry: A Guide to Historical Records edited by L. M. Richmond, Alison Turton

Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group

The Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group has now published their excellent newsletters online and the article on JCR from September 2004 can be found here as a pdf . Since then of course a great deal more information has been uncovered about James Cholmeley Russell.

JCR now and then

JCR now and then, a photo by Boxbrownie3 on Flickr.

James Cholmeley Russell died 100 years ago - 29th August 1912 at Haslemere. He lies with his wife Eleanor Russell and next to his mother in law Catherine Elizabeth Broome. Upper picture shows flowers on JCR's grave placed there in memory of him and his wife on 29th August 2012 by the blogger

Longdene House Haslemere - more information

Longdene House

The previous owner of Longdene House was the Rev W E Jackson and it was offered for sale in 1906  with J Cholmeley Russell Esq purchasing it on the 15th March.

In March 1912 the house was offered for sale by auction, several months before JCR died in the August but the property was still for sale in October by his widow Mrs Cholmeley Russell.

The property was finally sold in September 1920.

In 1915 the property consisted of:

• 4 Reception Rooms
• Billiard Room
• 2 Bathrooms
• Stabling for 3 horses
• Garage for 2 cars
• Main drainage
• Stone Built Residence
• Private water supply
• Gas throughout
• Gardener’s Cottage
• Laundry
• About 5 acres pleasure grounds. Tennis and croquet Lawns
• Kitchen garden

The Total area of the estate including Sturt Farm was 55 3/4 acres.

The sale particulars said that it would be sold in 2 Lots, the  House and Grounds etc of 36 acres 2 Roods 27 poles and & Sturt Farm with 18 acres 1 Rood 33 poles

Longdene Road was one of the first roads to be developed up on the south of Haslemere because the water supply which gravity-fed the town was piped/pumped up there in the very late 1800s from the Pile Well in Lower Street.

Source: Curator: Julia Tanner  - Haslemere Museum and the ledgers of Haslemere estate agents - Cubitt and West.

A modern view of Russell's grave at St John's Merrow

Copyright John(cardwellpix) at Flickr

40 Russell Square Bloomsbury

40 Russell Square Bloomsbury London

James Cholmeley Russell was born here at 40 Russell Square Bloomsbury in 1841. The terrace, in the south east corner, is now occupied by offices of the British Museum and at some stage in the past No. 40 has been subsumed into numbers 39 and 41. The location of the former front door can be identified by the fan of stone blocks over the curved window in the middle of the photograph. See photograph below



For a view of the terrace and number 40 in 1956 and in the process of being re-built see the London County Council Photograph Library at collage.cityof london and below 



40 Russell Square in 1956 © City of London

Russell's restoration in sight

Russell at Dinas with Gowrie in NWNGR days
copyright K A C R Nunn

The restoration of Russell, the Hunslet built 106 year old narrow gauge steam locomotive is now in sight. Originally built for the abortive Portmadoc Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway it was then acquired by North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways that ultimately became the Welsh Highland Railway.

The locomotive's owners the Welsh Highland Railway Ltd announced on Saturday 17th March that the proposal put forward by Alan Keef Engineering Ltd to complete the overhaul andrestoration of the locomotive had been accepted and the contract awarded to them. Discussions will now take place with Keef’s in order to transfer the locomotive to their works at Ross-on-Wye as soon as is convenient in order for work to commence as soon as possible. Funds are still required to ensure completion.

Russell Fundraising Appeal here

Alan Keef Ltd web site here

James Cholmeley Russell (1841 – 1912)

James Cholmeley Russell (1841 – 1912), a photo by Boxbrownie3 on Flickr.

Russell's grave at St John's Merrow in Surrey. he lies alongside his mother in law

Constance - Mrs Oscar Wilde and friend of Lucy Russell

James Cholmeley Russell pops up briefly in ‘Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde’ the new biography by Franny Moyle. One of his sisters – Lucy – was a college friend.

Constance and Oscar Wilde were part of a circle whose outrageous behaviour shook the foundations of nineteenth-century society.

Constance is the extraordinary account of their marriage played out under public scrutiny, which crashed and burned as only a celebrity marriage can.

Franny Moyle has radically rewriten accepted opinion about the Wildes from both a personal and a literary perspective. Drawing on Constance’s numerous unpublished letters, she uncovers key revelations about a woman who was the victim of one of the greatest betrayals of all time.

Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde - published in June 2011 by John Murray

Russell's illness

Mike Bishop the intrepid researcher on all things North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways/Welsh Highland Railway has found in the National Archives, Gowrie Aitchison's offer to the High Court, Chancery Division to become Receiver and General Manager of the NWNGR Company following Russell's death in 1912.
Paragraph 2 says he has been Secretary and Traffic Manager from March 1898 to September 1910, then only Secretary, "and during the illness and incapacity of the late Mr Russell which extended over 6 or 7 years I have done most of the work for him only troubling him when absolutely necessary."
So as has been suspected, Russell was ill as far back as the time when he was negotiating with North Wales Power & Traction Co. Ltd in 1906 over the electrification of the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway. See the background here

The literature on illness and its impact upon decision making is mostly focused on politicians rather than businessmen. David Owen wrote 'In Sickness and in Power' in 2008 ISBN 978-0413-776624 where he also touches on his more recent themes of how hubris gets in the way of rational thinking. An earlier book from 1993 is 'When Illness Strikes the Leader - the dilemma of the captive king' by Jerrold M Post and Robert S Robins ISBN 0-300-05683-4. This is some ways is a better and more rounded book than Owen's and he in fact makes no mention of it at all! Both books underline the role that illness has had on world events and how quite understandably wrong or misjudged decisions can be made whether you are physically and/or mentally ill.   



Gowrie Aitchison's Affadavit to the Court



Russell as a military man

Russell was gazetted as a Sub-Lieutenant (Supernumerary) in the 23rd Middlesex (Inns of Court) Rifle Volunteer Corps on 28th March 1877.

The modern history of the Regiment begins in 1859 with the formation of the 23rd Middlesex (Inns of Court) Rifle Volunteer Corps; it became the 14th Middlesex in 1889. The Regiment was attached, in its later years, to the Rifle Brigade and also formed part of the 2nd London Volunteer Brigade and the "Grey Brigade". See more here and here