Directors - North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company

The table below shows the directors of the NWNGR Company from its inception to Russell's death in 1912. 

North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company Directors

Bulkeley Senior was replaced by his son at death in June 1875. He was a prominent Anglesey landowner.

Chaloner William Chute (1838-1890) was a barrister and quarry owner and also director of Moel Tryfan Rolling Stock Company. His family lived on the Vyne Estate in Hampshire

Charles Davison (1822-1908) owned a firebrick company (Ewloe Barn Brick and Tile Works) and was a prominent ship owner based at Connah's Quay, Director of Hawarden & Dist. Water Works, Halkyn District Mines Drainage Co. etc. See here for more information

Ernest Lake was a solicitor; later Chairman NWNGR Co. (following Russell)

James Szlumper ex Director Vale of Rheidol Rly, Civil Engineer to NWNGR and Vale of Rheidol

Menzies was managing director of the Alexandra Slate Company

Sir Llewelyn Turner ( 1823 - 1903 ) was prominent in the municipal life of Caernarvon , of which he was mayor on two occasions; he was knighted in 1870. He was the founder (1846)  of the Royal Welsh Yacht Club so shared an interest with Russell , deputy-constable of Caernarvon castle (and served as sheriff of Caernarvonshire , 1886-7. He married in 1878 , Agnes , daughter of G. Bell. More information - festipedia entry and Welsh Highland Heritage Journal June 2012 and biography by J E Vincent published in 1903 and now available again 

Livingston Thompson (1810-c.1874) was an attorney in Dublin became the largest shareholder in the Festiniog Railway Company and sat on the board until 1874.

James Hewitt Oliver (1823-1902) was a lieutenant-colonel in the Dublin militia and the son of Admiral Robert Dudley Oliver and with his three brothers and a sister, inherited the Goosey Estate, Stanford in the Vale, Berkshire.

Hugh Beaver Roberts was a prominent landowner (including the Croesor Estate) and solicitor in North Wales and was closely involved with the Festiniog Railway and the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company. The Croesor Tramway, that later formed part of the Welsh Highland Railway was constructed by Roberts in the 1860s.

Abraham Fitzgibbon (1823 – 1887) a civil engineer, who became the Engineer-in-Chief of the Queensland Railway in 1865. Fitzgibbon served an apprenticeship with a leading civil engineer in Ireland, and had considerable experience in railway surveying and construction in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Ceylon, India and New Zealand. He lived at The Rookery, Stanmore, London and died aged 64 at Moorside, Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire

Sources:
Most of the above information from 'Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire' by James I. C. Boyd, published by Oakwood Press
Welsh Biography On Line here
History of Berkshire here
thepeerage.com
More details on Chute, Lake and Szlumper in other parts of this Blog.
Details of the others will be added as information becomes available

Russell's Steam Yachts

According to Lloyd’s Yacht Register J.C. Russell owned two yachts, Gryffin and later Rona (built in 1900 by Chamber Bros, Cartsdyke, Greenock), although there is no record of him owning Madge despite the evidence of a sailor wearing a jerkin carrying the name 'Madge'. More research required!

Thanks to Mike Porter of the Scottish Maritime Museum

North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company

For more information on the history of the NWNGR company with which J C Russell was so involved see the Festipedia site here

On Russell's Steam Yacht - Madge

On Russell's Steam Yacht
Originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3
L to R - Miss KW - James Cholmeley Russell and his wife Eleanor. Notice the Box Cameras and of course the hats! Taken on Russell's steam yacht 'Madge' in Scotland

Russell's house - Longdene - Surrey

Longdene - Surrey
Originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3
Rolls the mastiff and Margaret, Russell's daughter

Russell to steam in 2011

The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway intends to steam Russell in 2011. Donations are being sought and every donation of £5 or more will earn an entry into the prize draw for a rare replica Russell nameplate. A donation form is available on the website.Russell website

JCR as Executor

A search of the Great Western Railway Shareholders Register that has been made available on http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ shows that JCR acted as an executor for several relatives who were holders of GWR shares as follows.

The Reverend Robert Cholmeley, JCR's maternal grandfather died 30 August 1880 at Findon, Sussex. JCR was joint executor with Mrs Constance Mary Cholmeley. These shares had been jointly held with Anthony Adey (deceased) .

JCR's brother, Robert Bruce Russell died 18 March 1887 at Queen's Gate London.

George Buchanan McClure the brother in law of JCR's sister Charlotte died 11 July 1888. He had emigrated to Australia and is listed in the Register with addresses in Scotland and New South Wales. The other executor was GBM's twin brother, James Howe McClure (Charlotte's husband).

William Cholmeley MDST FRCP, a maternal relative of JCR's died aged 73 on 18 June 1896 with addresses in Grosvenor Street London and Notting Hill. WC was a well known doctor who rated an obituary in the British Medical Journal 4 July 1896