Geoff Scargill - Victorias Railway King: Sir Edward Watkin, One of the Victorian Eras Greatest Entrepreneurs and Visionaries

Victorias Railway King

Sir Edward Watkin, One of the Victorian Eras Greatest Entrepreneurs and Visionaries

Geoffrey Scargill

First published in Great Britain in 2021 by

Frontline Books

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Yorkshire Philadelphia

Copyright Geoffrey Scargill, 2021

ISBN 9781526792785

ePUB ISBN 9781526792785

Mobi ISBN 9781526792792

The right of Geoffrey Scargill to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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M y thanks above all to my wife, Pam, who has often been a Watkin Widow during the years of my fascination with one of the great but unaccountably forgotten stars of the Victorian era. All authors have a touch of manic depression, the highs and lows as a brilliant chapter or phrase turns out the next morning to be fit only for the waste-paper bin. At such times and when constructive criticism was needed or proofs had to be read Pam has always been there to encourage me to go on writing the story of Edward Watkin our man as she calls him.

Most of my family and friends have been supportive, all have been tolerant, though eyes tend to roll when the Watkin word comes up in conversation yet again. One commented that Watkin seemed to pop up everywhere. He was right. Thats what first interested me in this brilliant and prolific character.

Can I also record my thanks to Fergus Wilde, Librarian of the great Chethams Library in Manchester for his encouragement and willingness to provide a home for the Watkin Collection. And to two members of the Watkin family: Fiona McNeil for her constant practical support and obvious pleasure in seeing the story of her great ancestor made more widely known and Richenda Goffin for her interest and for allowing me to quote extensively from her mother, Magdalen Goffins fascinating book about Edwards father, Absalom. And a special mention to Sue Canterbury, the Curator of American Art at the Dallas Museum of Art in Texas, for her passionate interest in The Icebergs , the masterpiece that she calls the museums Mona Lisa , which after a century when it had been lost was found in the Watkin family home in Northenden, south Manchester and now hangs in pride of place in the DMA. I shall always be grateful to Mair Baulch, former matron, and to her late husband Glen, both of the Rose Hill Assessment Centre, for sharing their unique story with me and for their friendship. It was Mair who discovered Churchs lost masterpiece and started a fascinating trail that ended in Texas.

I want to thank all the holders of text and illustration copyrights for allowing me to use their material. My apologies to any copyright holders whom I have not been able to trace.

My thanks to everyone at Pen & Sword for their patience in answering my many questions in an unfailingly friendly and authoritative way. Special thanks to my editor, Alison Flowers, for her expert eagle eye.

My thanks to the committee of The Friends of Rose Hill and the former rector of St Wilfrids Parish Church in Northenden, the Revd Greg Foster, for their early involvement in the Watkin story. This led to the formation of The Watkin Society. I want to record my appreciation of that Societys stimulating committee and especially to Jamie Rennie. I hope that if you enjoy Victorias Railway King