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Frederick Banister
Frederick Dale Banister MICE (15 March 1823 – 22 December 1897), was an English civil engineer, best known for his 35 years as the Chief Engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR).
Born in London on 15 March 1823, he was educated privately until his parents moved to Lancashire, where he completed his schooling at Preston Grammar School.
Articled as an apprentice to John J. Myres of Preston when he was aged 15, he gained experience in surveying and levelling, and in the valuation of damage caused to various properties by the construction of railways.
In 1844 he joined the civil engineering business of Charles Cawley, and was directly responsible for setting out the first few miles of the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway (MB&RR). The proposed route through the Irwell Valley was approved by the Chief Inspector of Railways Major General Sir Charles W. Pasley on 23 September 1846. While undertaking the works, the MB&RR amalgamated with another proposed railway to form the East Lancashire Railway. Banister was subsequently placed in charge of preparing the surveys and necessary UK Parliament submissions to extend the line, which hence became part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.
In light of his continuing but minor health issues, he was strongly advised by his physician to move to the South Coast of England. With this in mind he took a period of leave with relatives in Brighton, East Sussex in the Spring of 1846, during which he happened to obtain an appointment with Robert Jacomb-Hood, then Chief Engineer of the LB&SCR.
Appointed as an assistant engineer to Jacomb-Hood, he was placed in charge of the construction of the branchline from New Cross to the River Thames at Deptford Wharf, where he was to also design, survey and manage the construction of a new dock system to replace the 1844 closed Deptford dockyard.
After completing the line in 1849, Banister retired from the railway to set up his own Civil Engineering and Architecture business in Brighton. Engaged mostly in works in and around the Brighton area, his most notable piece was to lay out and begin the development of the Cliftonville Estate in modern Hove, the associated waterworks (both later sold to the LB&SCR), and building of model dwellings for the labouring classes, along the lines of models set out by the Terry family of York and the Cadbury family at Bournville, Worcestershire.
After Samuel Laing retired as chairman of the LB&SCR at the end of 1855 to pursue a political career, Deputy-Chairman Leo Schuster replaced him, instituting a policy of rapidly expanding new routes throughout South London, Sussex, and East Surrey. Some of these routes were financed and built by the company itself, while others were built by independent local companies, set up with the intention of connecting their town to the growing railway network, and with the intention of sale or lease to the LB&SCR.
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Frederick Banister
Frederick Dale Banister MICE (15 March 1823 – 22 December 1897), was an English civil engineer, best known for his 35 years as the Chief Engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR).
Born in London on 15 March 1823, he was educated privately until his parents moved to Lancashire, where he completed his schooling at Preston Grammar School.
Articled as an apprentice to John J. Myres of Preston when he was aged 15, he gained experience in surveying and levelling, and in the valuation of damage caused to various properties by the construction of railways.
In 1844 he joined the civil engineering business of Charles Cawley, and was directly responsible for setting out the first few miles of the Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway (MB&RR). The proposed route through the Irwell Valley was approved by the Chief Inspector of Railways Major General Sir Charles W. Pasley on 23 September 1846. While undertaking the works, the MB&RR amalgamated with another proposed railway to form the East Lancashire Railway. Banister was subsequently placed in charge of preparing the surveys and necessary UK Parliament submissions to extend the line, which hence became part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.
In light of his continuing but minor health issues, he was strongly advised by his physician to move to the South Coast of England. With this in mind he took a period of leave with relatives in Brighton, East Sussex in the Spring of 1846, during which he happened to obtain an appointment with Robert Jacomb-Hood, then Chief Engineer of the LB&SCR.
Appointed as an assistant engineer to Jacomb-Hood, he was placed in charge of the construction of the branchline from New Cross to the River Thames at Deptford Wharf, where he was to also design, survey and manage the construction of a new dock system to replace the 1844 closed Deptford dockyard.
After completing the line in 1849, Banister retired from the railway to set up his own Civil Engineering and Architecture business in Brighton. Engaged mostly in works in and around the Brighton area, his most notable piece was to lay out and begin the development of the Cliftonville Estate in modern Hove, the associated waterworks (both later sold to the LB&SCR), and building of model dwellings for the labouring classes, along the lines of models set out by the Terry family of York and the Cadbury family at Bournville, Worcestershire.
After Samuel Laing retired as chairman of the LB&SCR at the end of 1855 to pursue a political career, Deputy-Chairman Leo Schuster replaced him, instituting a policy of rapidly expanding new routes throughout South London, Sussex, and East Surrey. Some of these routes were financed and built by the company itself, while others were built by independent local companies, set up with the intention of connecting their town to the growing railway network, and with the intention of sale or lease to the LB&SCR.