Later Duke of Buccleuch following the death of his father in November 1914
General Manager
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
Charles Forbes Davidson
1842 – 1852
Dismissed (at instance of English lobby)
4
Henry Chaytor
1852
Resigned (see note)
5
Thomas Kenworthy Rowbotham
1852 – 1866
Resigned, probably as alternative to dismissal (1866 financial scandal)
Samuel Lack Mason
1867 – 1874
Resigned. Possibly forced out to make way for John Walker.
John Walker
1874 – 1891
Died in office. See also under Secretary.
John Conacher
1891 – 1899
Resigned (forced out by Wieland cabal)
William Fulton Jackson
1899 – 1918
Retired early (ill-health)
James Calder
1918 – 1922
to LNER as General Manager (Scotland), to 1934
References
4
Also held the office of Secretary
5
4 June -2 July. Chaytor of Croft, near Darlington, was elected a Director by the lobby of English shareholders in March 1852 and became Deputy Chairman almost immediately. On 4 June, he was appointed interim Manager in place of Davidson, it being understood ‘that many English Shareholders considered Mr. Chaytor well qualified for the office of Managing Director’. He didn’t last long. At the Board meeting on 2 July, the Opinion of Counsel was read that, by accepting a paid office, Chaytor had effectively resigned as a Director. The Board duly resolved that Chaytor had ‘ceased to be a Director upon and from his acceptance of the office of Manager on 4th June last’. He thereupon resigned as Manager, and was reappointed a Director, and Deputy Chairman.
Secretary
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
Charles Forbes Davidson
1842 – 1852
see under General Manager
James Nairne
1852 – 1866
Died in office
John Walker
1866 – 1873
Resigned, elected a Director, subsequently appointed General Manager
George Bradley Wieland
1873 – 1892
Retired, elected a Director, subsequently Chairman
John Cathles
1892 – 1918
Retired
James McLaren
1918 – 1922
To LNER as Joint Secretary, then sole Secretary, to 1938
Locomotive Superintendent 1846–1919
(see ref 6)
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
Robert Thornton
1846 – 1851
Resigned
William Smith
1851 – 1854
Dismissed
Hon Edmund George Petre
1854
Resigned (as alternative to dismissal)
7
William Hurst
1854 – 1867
Dismissed
Thomas Wheatley
1867 – 1875
Resigned (probably as alternative to dismissal)
Dugald Drummond
1875 – 1882
Resigned (the full facts are not known)
Matthew Holmes
1882 – 1903
Resigned (ill health)
8
William P Reid
1903 – 1919
Retired
9
References
6
On W P Reid's retirement in 1919, the post was split into Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Running Superintendent.
7
March to December
8
Resigned in May 1903 and died two months later
9
Appointed on a temporary basis until 2 June 1904.
Chief Mechanical Engineer 1920 –1922
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
Walter Chalmers
1920 – 1922
to Mechanical Engineer, Southern Scottish Area, LNER
Locomotive Running Superintendent 1920–1922
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
John P Grassick
1920 – 1922
to Loco Running Supt, Southern Scottish Area, LNER
Engineer-in-Chief 1853 –1922
(See ref 10)
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
James Bell (senior)
1853 – 1879
Retired
James Carswell
1879 – 1897
Died in office
James Bell (junior)
1897 – 1909
Retired
Charles J Brown
1909 – 1911
Resigned
William A Fraser
1911 – 1922
To Engineer-in-Chief, Southern Scottish Area, LNER
References
10
Until January 1853, the line was under the supervision of the Consulting Engineer, John Miller, with Resident Engineers (one of whom was James Bell) reporting to him. In January 1853, Bell was given responsibility for the whole line, becoming ‘Engineer-in-Chief’ five years later.
General/Chief Goods Manager
(see ref 11)
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
Archibald Scott
1846 – 1851
To GM, Edinburgh, Perth & Dundee
12
William Hardie
1851 – 1867
Remained as Goods Manager, Edinburgh
13
Peter MacPherson
1867 – 1874
Died in office
Donald McDougall
1874 – 1897
Died in office
Alexander Rutherford
1897 – 1905
Retired
14
William Andrew
1905 – 1917
Retired
John Wilkinson
1918 – 1919
Died in office
John C Christie
1919 – 1922
To Goods Manager, Southern Scottish Area
References
11
On the amalgamation with the Edinburgh, Perth & Dundee on 29 July 1862, Peter MacPherson, ex-Goods Manager and Interim Manager of the EP&D, was appointed Goods Manager of the Northern Section (Fife); later, he also assumed the Western (E&G) area. In March 1867 he was appointed the first General Goods Manager. He died at the age of 41. The General Goods Manager was based in Glasgow.
12
Goods Manager
13
Goods Manager. After amalgamation with the Edinburgh, Perth & Dundee, continued as Goods Manager for the Southern (Edinburgh-based) Section until his death in October 1871.
14
Appointed as General Goods Manager, but title later changed to Chief Goods Manager.
Passenger Superintendent/General Superintendent/Superintendent of the Line 1846 –1916
(see ref 15)
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
Thomas Pearson
1846 – 1853
Services dispensed with. See note.
16
John Lingard
1853 – 1857
Part of duties as Station Master. See note.
17
James McLaren
1857 – 1893
Died in office
18
David Deuchars
1893 – 1911
Retired
19
John Black
1911 – 1916
Retired
References
15
On Black’s retiral, the post was split into Operating Superintendent and Commercial Superintendent
16
Passenger Superintendent. On 3/12/1852, the Board instructed the General Manager to give Pearson notice that his services ‘would be dispensed with at the end of three months, stating that owing to no fault, but owing to changes considered necessary for economy by the Board’.
17
Lingard was appointed Station Master for ‘the Edinburgh Station’ in December 1852. His duties were many and various, including responsibility for the Company’s horses (numbering 117 in 1864). In March 1874, he is reported as having resigned and William Paton was appointed Station Master. However, Lingard continued in service as Horse Superintendent and died on 23 November 1899, aged 81 years, and still ‘in harness’ after 47 years of NBR service.
18
Appointed Manager’s Assistant at the beginning of 1853 and Passenger Superintendent in 1857. Became General Superintendent in March 1873.
19
Appointed as ‘Superintendent of the Line’ on McLaren’s death.
Operating Superintendent 1917 – 1922
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
Major Charles H Stemp CBE
1917 – 1922
To Superintendent, Southern Scottish Area, LNER
Commercial Superintendent 1917 – 1922
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
William Strang
1917 – 1918
Died in office
Matthew S Strang
1918 – 1922
to Passenger Manager, Southern Scottish Area, LNER.
General Accountant
(see ref 20)
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
James P Lythgoe
1865 – 1866
Resigned, probably as alternative to dismissal (1866 financial scandal).
George Simpson
1867 – 1905
Retired
John Martin
1905 – 1922
Retired. Continued as Secretary of the Forth Bridge Railway Company until 1931.
References
20
Initially, the accounts were the responsibility of C F Davidson, the General Manager & Secretary. In July 1852, responsibility passed to the Cashier. In 1854, the Cashier appears to have become Cashier and Accountant, but the two functions were split following amalgamation with the EP&D in 1862. The post of General Accountant appears to have been created on amalgamation with the E&G in 1865, resulting in the appointment of J P Lythgoe, who had held the post of Audit Accountant.
Solicitor
(see ref 21)
Name
Dates in office
Notes
Ref
Adam Johnstone
1865 – 1881
Retired
William White Millar
1881 – 1891
Retired
James Watson
1892 – 1922
Retired
References
21
Prior to 1865, the NBR’s Law Agents were appointed from two firms of Edinburgh solicitors –Mr. John G Wood WS, of Messrs. Dalmahoy & Wood WS, and Mr. David Smith WS of Messrs. Smith & Kinnear WS. Smith retired in the summer of 1858 and Wood was appointed sole Agent from 31 July 1858. Wood died on 14/9/1865. The NBR’s first two Secretaries, C F Davidson and James Nairne, were both qualified solicitors.
Sources
The information set out above was gathered from a number of original sources: North British Minutes, Circulars and Notices, and Press reports. From the turn of the century, the Railway Yearbook also provides a convenient source.
