Joseph Firbank

Joseph Firbank
Born	1819
Died	29 June 1886
Nationality	British

Joseph Firbank (1819 – 29 June 1886) was a British railway contractor.

Joseph Firbank was born at Bishop Auckland in 1819, the son of a Durham miner. At the age of seven he was sent to work in a colliery, but he attended a night-school.

In 1841 Firbank secured a sub-contract in connection with the Woodhead tunnel on the , and in 1845 and 1846 he took contracts on the Midland railway. The opposition to railway construction was so great at this time that on one occasion Firbank was captured and kept a prisoner for twenty-four hours. Several landowners would not permit contractors or their workmen to approach their demesnes.

In 1848, Firbank was engaged on the Rugby and Stamford branch of the North-Western railway, and he lost most of his savings by the bankruptcy of the former contractor of the line.

When the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company transformed their mineral tramways and canals into passenger railways in 1854, Firbank took the contract for dealing with the canals in the town of Newport, Monmouthshire. He also took the contract for the maintenance of the lines for seven years, and this contract was several times renewed. Firbank established himself at Newport, where he formed an intimate friendship with Crawshaw Bailey, the ironmaster, who supported him in his early undertakings. He was employed in South Wales for thirty years, until the absorption of the Monmouthshire company by the Great Western Railway.

In 1856, Firbank took a contract for the widening of the London and North-Western railway near London and afterwards (1859–66) various contracts on the Brighton line. He was also engaged upon the Midland Company's Bedford and London extension (1864–1868), which involved great difficulties and ultimately cost the company upwards of £3,000,000. He was contractor in 1870 on the Settle and Carlisle extension of the Midland railway. He was afterwards contractor for many lines, the most difficult undertaking being the Birmingham west suburban section of the Midland railway. In 1884 he built the St. Pancras goods depôt of the Midland railway.

...
Wikipedia