Sir Eustace Missenden
Encyclopedia
Sir Eustace Missenden OBE (1886–1973) was a British railwayman, successively the last General Manager of the Southern Railway
and the first Chairman of the Railway Executive.
station master
. He left school at an early age, which according to Bonavia gave him a chip on his shoulder.
In May 1899, Missenden started work as a junior clerk with the South Eastern Railway
, at the not very important station at Bishopsbourne, on the Elham Valley line, earning 7 s a week. In November 1902, after a spell at New Romney, he was posted to Lydd, on the edge of Romney Marsh, and his pay went up to 17s a week. For a staff photograph, which must have been taken shortly after he arrived (aged sixteen and a half), he stood at the extreme edge of the group, as befitted his junior status, but his shiny shoes and stand-up collar (the only one in the group) show that he intended to make an impression.
. He firmly declined to work over-long hours and was careful, perhaps even fussy, over his health. However, Missenden lacked both the warm, extrovert personality of his predecessor at Waterloo, Gilbert S. Szlumper
, and the intellectual and managerial distinction of Sir Herbert Walker
, a predecessor he admired greatly.
, Missenden became the first Chairman of the Railway Executive later that year, accountable to the British Transport Commission
for the running of British Railways.
Missenden accepted the offer of the Chairmanship, though with the private intention of "retiring before too long". This was primarily because he did not move easily in Government circles, being suspicious of both politicians and civil servants. He found himself out of his depth in attempting to coordinate a team of disparate Railway Executive Members who were not responsible to him in the way that railway departmental officers had been responsible to a General Manager. The difficulties came from the fact that the Members represented the legacy of the "Big Four
" railway companies in Britain, with each having their own agenda even when part of a nationalised industry. Antipathy increased when the Southern Railway, the smallest of Britain's pre-nationalised railways, had provided the Chairman, and as such, the Railway Executive ceased to be an effective body for policy-making.
In 1949 British Railways gave Bulleid Pacific locomotive 34090 the name Sir Eustace Missenden - Southern Railway. The intention was both to honour his personal contribution and to act as a tribute to the war effort of the Southern Railway's employees.
Missenden retired in 1951 and died 30 January 1973.
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
and the first Chairman of the Railway Executive.
Early life
Eustace James Missenden was born 3 March 1886, the son of a South Eastern and Chatham RailwaySouth Eastern and Chatham Railway
The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee , known by its shorter name of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Eastern Railway and London, Chatham and Dover Railway , that operated services between...
station master
Station master
The station master was the person in charge of railway stations, in the United Kingdom and some other countries, before the modern age. He would manage the other station employees and would have responsibility for safety and the efficient running of the station...
. He left school at an early age, which according to Bonavia gave him a chip on his shoulder.
In May 1899, Missenden started work as a junior clerk with the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
, at the not very important station at Bishopsbourne, on the Elham Valley line, earning 7 s a week. In November 1902, after a spell at New Romney, he was posted to Lydd, on the edge of Romney Marsh, and his pay went up to 17s a week. For a staff photograph, which must have been taken shortly after he arrived (aged sixteen and a half), he stood at the extreme edge of the group, as befitted his junior status, but his shiny shoes and stand-up collar (the only one in the group) show that he intended to make an impression.
The Southern Railway years
Missenden's career was largely with the Southern Railway, where he rose to be Docks and Marine Manager and in 1941 General Manager. He was a competent railwayman, experienced more on the operating than the commercial side of operations, and was loyal to the established working practices of the Southern Railway. Missenden was also a good organiser and knew how to delegate, whilst looking after the interests of those subordinates who had served him well, the key example being Oliver BulleidOliver Bulleid
Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid was a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation, developing many well-known locomotives.- Early life and Great Northern Railway :He was born in Invercargill,...
. He firmly declined to work over-long hours and was careful, perhaps even fussy, over his health. However, Missenden lacked both the warm, extrovert personality of his predecessor at Waterloo, Gilbert S. Szlumper
Gilbert Szlumper
Major-General Gilbert Savill Szlumper was a British railwayman, and the penultimate General Manager of the Southern Railway. He left the Southern Railway for war service in 1939, becoming Director-General of Transportation & Movements, War Office ; Railway Control Officer, Ministry of Transport ...
, and the intellectual and managerial distinction of Sir Herbert Walker
Herbert Ashcombe Walker
Sir Herbert Ashcombe Walker, KCB was a British railway manager.-Early life:Walker was born in London 15 May 1868. He was educated at the North London Collegiate School and at Bruges.-Career:...
, a predecessor he admired greatly.
The Railway Executive years
With the passing of the Transport Act 1947Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
, Missenden became the first Chairman of the Railway Executive later that year, accountable to the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
for the running of British Railways.
Missenden accepted the offer of the Chairmanship, though with the private intention of "retiring before too long". This was primarily because he did not move easily in Government circles, being suspicious of both politicians and civil servants. He found himself out of his depth in attempting to coordinate a team of disparate Railway Executive Members who were not responsible to him in the way that railway departmental officers had been responsible to a General Manager. The difficulties came from the fact that the Members represented the legacy of the "Big Four
Big Four British railway companies
The Big Four was a name used to describe the four largest railway companies in the United Kingdom in the period 1923-1947. The name was coined by the Railway Magazine in its issue of February 1923: "The Big Four of the New Railway Era".The Big Four were:...
" railway companies in Britain, with each having their own agenda even when part of a nationalised industry. Antipathy increased when the Southern Railway, the smallest of Britain's pre-nationalised railways, had provided the Chairman, and as such, the Railway Executive ceased to be an effective body for policy-making.
In 1949 British Railways gave Bulleid Pacific locomotive 34090 the name Sir Eustace Missenden - Southern Railway. The intention was both to honour his personal contribution and to act as a tribute to the war effort of the Southern Railway's employees.
Missenden retired in 1951 and died 30 January 1973.