Brassey, THOMAS

Brassey, THOMAS, the great railway-contractor, was born, a farmer's son, at Buerton near Chester, 7th November 1805, was educated at Chester, artied to a land-surveyor, and in 1826 had charge of a business in this line at Birkenhead. In 1834 he obtained, through George Stephenson, contracts for a viaduct on the Grand Junction line. Settling in London in 1836 he turned his great energies and business ability into his profession as a railway-contractor, for which the development of the railway-system presented a good opening. His operations soon extended to all parts of the world. Amongst his chief contracts were the Great Northern Railway (1847-51), when he had in his employment between 5000 and 6000 men; as also French, Italian, Canadian, Australian, and Indian railways. He died at Hastings 8th December 1870. See Helps's Life and Labours of Brassey (1872).—THOMAS, BARON BRASSEY, eldest son of the preceding, was born at Stafford in 1836, and called to the bar in 1866. He was elected for Devonport in 1865, and afterwards represented Hastings (1868-86). As Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1880), and Secretary (1884), his influence has been felt in naval questions, and he is author of several works on seamanship and naval affairs. He was made K.C.B. in 1880, and was raised to the peerage in 1886. He is a veteran yachtsman; and Lady Brassey's pleasant records of their yacht voyage round the world in 1876-77, and of succeeding trips of the Sunbeam, including the posthumous Last Voyage (1889), were widely popular. She died at sea, 14th September 1887. Lord Brassey is author of Work and Wages (1872), British Seamen (1877), The Eastern Question (1878), The British Navy (5 vols. 1882-83), Voyages and Travels (1895), Papers and Addresses, the Naval Annual, and of COALING STATIONS in this work. In 1895 he was made governor of Victoria.