JCR in 1911

At the time of the 1911 Census, Sunday 2nd April , JCR was at his home Longdene in Haslemere Surrey. An indication of his poor health and general frailty is that he was being looked after by two 'sick nurses', Harriet Annie Spooner and Hilda Scrase. JCR's secretary was Elizabeth Cater and the household was run by seven servants including a cook. Also in the house on that Sunday was Francis Napier Broome, Eleanor Russell's nephew, an Oxford undergraduate, born in Natal and who later became one of South Africa's leading judges.

Eleanor was not at home that weekend as she and her daughter Margaret were staying with Major General (Ret'd) Pelham James Maitland (1847 -1932) then aged 63 and his wife Lucy (43), at their home 'The Gables' in Branksome Park, Bournemouth. See Alwyn Ladell's photograph here. According to Alwyn 'The Stables' used to be number 9 but has been renumbered 19 Forest Road, due to infill developments.

Maitland had been the Political Resident in Aden before retiring from the army in 1904 and had had a distinguished career in the Indian Army including service in Afghanistan. He died in 1932. See Kings College London for more on his life. Another example of Russell's good connections.

NWNGR Company - Extension Bill 1885

The NWNG Company desperately wanted to extend its line from Dinas into Caernarvon to avoid the problems of transhipment and to give it access to the harbour. The Company promoted a Parliamentary Bill to this effect in 1885. A contemporary newspaper carries an account of the proceedings of the House of Commons Select Committee on the subject and includes the evidence of among others of James Cholmeley Russell. It was opposed by the LNWR.

Thanks to David Allan for tracking down the cutting.

More detail on the railway activities of Russell

For more detail on the railway activities of James C Russell the following books are recommended.

An Illustrated History of the Welsh Highland Railway by Peter Johnson published by Oxford Publishing Co; 2nd edition 2009. A well researched and referenced history of the Welsh Highland Railway, including the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company with which J C Russell was intimately involved. The book is well illustrated but has somewhat stodgy prose. This revised edition has more material on the activities of Russell, who effectively controlled the NWNGR company, the WHR’s predecessor. But we are still in the dark as to how Russell, a London barrister became involved with an obscure railway in North Wales.

Narrow Gauge Railways In South Caernarvonshire Volume One by James I.C. Boyd published by the Oakwood Press and currently in print. It deals with the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway, Portmadoc Beddgelert & South Snowdon Railway, Croesor Tramway and other related railways companies as well as The Embankment Tramway, Gorseddau Tramway, Festiniog & Blaenau Railway, Merionethshire Railway and Bettws-y-Coed & Festiniog Railway.

Narrow Gauge Railways In South Caernarvonshire Volume 2 published in 1989 and out of print deals largely with the Welsh Highland Railway from the 1920s onwards until closure with material on the attempts to rebuild it up to 1988. Johnson's book is more up to date and has more detail on the rebirth of the WHR.

James I C Boyd who died in 2009 was the doyen of writers and historians of obscure narrow gauge railways in Wales and elsewhere. His books, mostly published by Oakwood and sometimes by others including Wild Swan, were sometimes “knocked” because of his slightly pedestrian writing style and some alleged weaknesses in research. The latter may or may not be true. However he was a pioneer in writing railway histories based on original sources and his books brought the fascinating history of now not so obscure railways to a much wider public.

See Boyd's Daily Telegraph obituary at www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/4980928/JIC-Boyd.html and Patrick Keef's excellent eulogy at http://www.oakwoodpress.co.uk/james_boyd.htm - a man of many parts.

Narrow Gauge Railways in North Wales Charles E Lee Published in 1945. A good introduction to the subject. Copies can still be found and the Welsh Highland/North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways section was re-published in the 1960s by the Welsh Highland Railway Society/Company in association with David & Charles with additional photographs. It has been alleged that Lee managed to write this book without ever going to North Wales!

The Manchester and Milford Railway by John Holden published by The Oakwood Press in 2007 in their Oxford Library of Railway History series. This is a second, revised edition of an authoritative work first published in 1979. Holden presents his material in a pleasant, readable style. Early history of proposals for rail routes through the challenging topography of the Cambrian mountains is fascinating. He goes on to describe the construction and financial difficulties of the railway, and its operation. The route, stations, locomotives and rolling stack are well illustrated with maps, diagrams and many interesting photographs.

JCR in 1891 in Broadstairs, Kent

JCR and his sister Lucy Russell were in Broadstairs at the time of the 1891 Census and staying with Bethia Thedens in this house in Prospect Place. Bethia was "living on her means" - another wealthy friend of JCR!

Where JCR was married

JCR married Eleanor Catherine Broome at Widcombe parish church, Somerset on April 26th 1893. Widcombe is on the south-eastern fringes of Bath city centre, a few minutes walk via the footbridge across the River Avon from the railway station, or along the riverside path from the Recreation Ground.

James Cholmeley Russell's Father

RUSSELL, JAMES (1790-1861), law reporter, born in 1790, was the eldest son of James Russell, esq., of Stirling. After graduating with distinction at Glasgow University, he was called to the English bar from the Inner Temple in June 1822. Having been introduced by Henry Lascelles, second earl of Harewood, to Lord Eldon, he was appointed in the following year a reporter in the courts of the Lord Chancellor and Master of the Rolls. In 1824 he became sole authorised reporter. He gradually acquired a large chancery and bankruptcy practice, and took silk in 1841. He had ceased reporting in 1834. He ultimately became leader of Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce's court, but overwork destroyed his eyesight, and for some years before his death he was blind. He was on four occasions asked to become a candidate for parliament, but declined each invitation. While not a brilliant pleader, Russell held a high position at the bar, owing to his learning and acuteness.

Besides contributing to the ' Quarterly Review,' Russell, together with his younger brother, John Russell of the Scots bar, was for some years editor of the ' Annual Register.' James Russell died at Roxeth House, near Harrow, on 6 Jan. 1861, and was buried at Kensal Green. He married, in April 1839, Maria, eldest daughter of the Rev. Robert Cholmeley, Rector of Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, by whom he had issue three sons and five daughters.

Russell published : 1. 'Reports in Chancery,' 1826-8, 4 vols. 8vo, and 2 parts, vol. v. 1827-30. 2. With George J. Turner, ' Reports in Chancery, 1822-4,' 1832. 3. With James W. Mylne, ' Reports in Chancery, 1829-31, with particular cases in 1832-3,'

Source: Dictionary of National Biography volume 49

Details of Maria's family in The Baronetage of England. revised, corrected and continued by G.W. Collen  By John Debrett. Her father, the Rev. Robert Cholmeley was a descendent of  Sir John Montague Cholmeley of  Lincoln

Asking the Court for money for the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company

Evidence that the problems of the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company were troubling James C Russell even a year before his death, in this sworn affadavit to the Chancery divison of the High Court. Dated 31st May 1911 it asks the Court permission to release money held by the Court to pay for running expenses and to pay debenture interest. At the end he drops in that there are negotiations taking place to transfer the line to the London & North Western Railway which ultimately proved to be a pipe dream. Most of this is in copper plate script by one assumes a solictor's clerk but JCR has added a line in his own wavering hand writing at the end, perhaps demonstrating his fraility by this time.

Many thanks to Michael Bishop for unearthing this document and for others including Russell (as Receiver) asking the Court to let him spend up to £250 on building the Stationmaster's House at Dinas in 1899, funded by Debentures which were never raised and another in 1914 by his successor Gowrie Aitchison detailing quotes for engine repairs for "Russell" and "Gowrie" funded from Monies in Court.