Morton Peto Have Been Very Scanty

E N O T .

T HE m ater ials for the followin g b rief sketch of the f career o Sir Morton Peto have been very scanty .

He left no papers for reference . His letters before his stay at Pesth were written hastily on hi s

t n . journeys , and sometimes between Board mee i gs

He dictated some notes as to his early days , of

n which use has been made so far as possible . I his business and Parliamentary career newspaper

’ s reports of meetings and works , and Hansard ’ i Debates , have been the chief sources of nforma T I e tion . o Mr . Forrest am greatly ind bted for access to the Lib rary at the Institution of Civil

n . n E gineers , and to Messrs Curry and La kester for information kindly given as to railway and

t - o her works . The two portraits facing title page an d at page 1 1 2 represent Sir Morton respectively i n n d n middle age a in his closi g years .

H . P .

C N T E N T O S .

I. E A R LY DAYS

I I. IN BUSIN E SS

I I I IN P A . R LI AM E N T

IV . P E R SO N A L

V . A P P E N DIX E R R AT UM .

P a e 1 line 5 fr om foot r ead E ast er n C ounties R ailwa Lon don g 7 , , y (

o Y r m outh 1 2 1 m iles w ith ranc hes it was di ided in t o t a , 2 , b ) v

‘ se t ions c . r i A en ix List of c , et ( de pp d ,

G i zN GR ISSE LL AN D P E T O FAM ILIES .

o i l Garde b t er f M art n de a

ii a o n 9 A u . 1 4 v , b r g , 7 7 ied 1 ril 1 81 5 d 5 Ap ,

E liza eth K i n b , g ,

a 1 8 orn 1 9 J a n . 1 83 orn 3 di ed 5 J M VI y, 7 0 b . 7 b L ,

e b 1 2 died 1 5 A ril 1 81 5 M a 1 88 1 86 . F . , 8 3. p , . y. 7 . 7

1 l = i z h ohn H n r h H T . E a et e n a M a r t i n . f; , . l b , J y, t or n M arsha o r n Birke t . b ll , b 30 A ri M D 4 ul p l , . J y, 1 81 3 1 81 7 died died

N ov 2 n d, 1 886 .

a t daughter of R obert m 5 u 1 74 1 m J ly. ; i 2 J an . , 1 766 ; d ed 1 e 0 a g d 9 .

Ann orn Charles E iz . b , l a be t h , 1 3 une 1 or n o r n J , 77 7 b b

m a rr ied T hom as 2 4 N ov. , 30 D ec . , de la Gr d 1 8 a e 7 7 1 78 2

Ga . J an ,

1 8 1 . i et h 0 E l zab W . H u rst Allova As i e l y hp t .

i ed 2 4 F eb . d ,

1 82 5 .

W i iam So hia am es A n n ll , p , J , , born 2 5 born 1 1 born bor n 1 9 Sept “ e l Dec ied S t . 81 1 une 1 81 8 5 . 1 82 0 m ar r p , ; J . ; , ; di ed i 2 5 d e d 1 8 1 81 5 E dw . Ladd

un e 1 87 9 N o v. 1 863 m ar ri ed Bet t e 1 843. J , , ( , (m a rri ed (m ar ried M ary E m m a W i i w ren e ll am La c ) . H o s . Fr enc h bb ) ) . EARLY DAYS .

SAM UEL MORT ON PET O (better remembered as Sir t 4 1 80 Mor on Peto) was born on August , 9 , at

n Whitmore House , Sutto , in the parish of Woking .

r on The house was then a fa mhouse , a farm which his father , William Peto , rented from the then f o . . owner Sutton Place , Mr Weston Charles Peto , a brother of William , was a tenant of another farm on the estate , known as Lady Place . Whitmore

u House has by the removal of the farm b ildings , which were between the road and dwelling , been much changed in surroundin gs ; but the house

it n an d remains much the same as was origi ally , 1 8 9 on a visit in September , 7 , Sir Morton pointed

s h out the room in which he wa born . In the paris of Cobham resided his grandparents , James Peto

f wh o and wi e , and an uncle of the same name , lived to be the patriarch of the family and a very SIR M R T ON P E T O O.

keen sportsman , as a portrait of him on his pony with a pack of harriers , in the family, shows . At the age of six the subject of our memoir went

’ hi s 1 81 6 to Cobham till grandfather s death , in , and attended a school kept by a Mr . Fletcher in a house

- which stood by the lichgate , at the north east corner of the churchyard . After that period his parents removed to Low Grounds , near Great Marlow . Up to twelve years of age he daily went to a school at Marlow kept by a Mr . Field . When travellin g

1 865 was in the United States , in , Sir Morton

- h asked by a gray headed man at St . Louis if e d ’ remembere James , who had been a servant at

Low Grounds , and Sir Morton reminded him of the duty James had fulﬁlled of seeing him safe

- - s at the school house . Long after the school day were over , and having to be near Marlow on

n is busi ess , and hearing that h old schoolmaster was ill , he went to pay him a visit . Mr . Field

‘ was very pleased , and told him he was the only boy h e ever had who wrote entire copies with

e out the pen being made , and with the last lin

’ as good as the ﬁr st . At twelve years Samuel

- went to a boardin g school kept by a Mr . Alex h th e of . T e ander Jardine , at top Brixton Hill

schoolmaster was an Independent . The school E A R L Y D A YS .

had a very good reputation , and numbered about

- thir ty boarders and some day scholars . The terms were about thirty pounds per annum (without

e . . t extras , g , drawing , music , and fencing) , and he education was at that tim e deemed sufﬁ cient for

a l ds destined to a business career . The boy who

' could not en d his schooling at fourt een was deemed a stupid lout so the n ew pupil was told ; b ut

’ while at M r . Jardine s he showed there was n o fear of the term being applied to him . He made rapid

as two progress in drawing , is shown by water — colour drawings which remain of a girl feeding

s n - pig and a boy mending a et . The drawing master

. n d was a Mr Lee . Mrs . Jardine a Mrs . Lee were

’ sisters . Mrs . Lee kept a young ladies boarding

n h school a little way dow the ill , and the boys went there for their drawing lessons , which were given in a room divided by a movable partition

’ - i from the girls music room , and wh le the drawing went on the young ladies hammered away at the

’ Battle of Prague and the Siege of Paris .

Samuel was taught Latin , French , simple mathe

a e . m ti s , and algebra In modern languages the education he received was mediocre ; he felt this 1 . 86 afterwards Writing from Pesth , in 9 , he said I am very much impressed while here with SIR M R T N P E T 4 O O O . the absolute necessity of our boys being thor oughly

in up French and German . I ﬁn d the boys here and in Vienna far better linguists and better mathematicians , and better acquainted with ﬁ scienti c matters generally , than our English boys , and the area is really so much enlarged in the race of competition that what was a good education

’ formerly for a man to make his way with in the

' ’ - i aﬁa r . world , is now only a very second rate But he showed hisclassical taste and his very happy gift 1 of writing in gaining a 0 s . prize for the best verse translation of a Latin hymn , The Cross the Way to

’ ’ ‘ Yoa th s M a azi n e the Crown , in the g , to which Jane

r . Taylor contributed . F om his aptitude in writin g he was in gre at request to write letters for the f o . school servants , none whom could write His

u uncle , Henry Peto , the b ilder, took a great interest in the school, and every month gave a series of

1 08 . prizes , from downwards , for the best series of

f n e e . . texts exempli yi g som religious doctrine , g , the

’ ’ Divinity of Christ . Samuel s younger brother

’

l . Wi liam was also at Mr Jardine s , and at twelve

’ was the cock of the school . He had many a ﬁght l to put down bu lying, and the small boys looked to

. on e him as their protector On occasion , when an usher struck his elder brother with a round ruler E Y YS A R L DA . 5

l ft and hurt him much , Wi liam le his seat and struck the master such a blow that he knocked him

in off his seat . There was much commotion , and

. who ﬁ came Mr Jardine , was at rst very angry with ’ ‘ if William , but on William s saying that the ushers were allowed t o use rulers in that way he

u should tell his ncle Henry, and he would be surprised that such things were allowed in a school

’ n kept by a religious man , Mr . Jardi e took a ff v di erent iew , and the matter ended in the dis

’ wh o of missal of the usher , bore the mark William s strength , a tooth having cut through his cheek .

Celebrated preachers , as the Rev . W . Jay and the L if h l . i t . e c d . Rev Dr , occasionally preached o Mr

’ ’ Jardine s boys , and Mrs . Lee s young ladies , at the

’ latter s establishment . The boys and girls were

n f arranged o Opposite sides o the room . Sir Morton well remembered going to Surrey

r . Chapel and hearing M . Jay preach the Rev Rowland Hill ’ s funeral sermon from the text

’ ﬁr - for f $ Howl , O y e trees , the cedar is allen

’ n There was a large garden at Mr . Jardi e s , and

’ at the time of Queen Caroline s trial the boys divided themselves into The King ’ s Men and

’ ’ The Queen s Men , their leaders respectively assuming the names of Lord Brougham and SI R M R T N P E T O O O.

’ Alderman Wood . The arms used were long and

an d tough cabbage stalks , the battles waged in the iﬁ’ garden were long and st . At the age of fourteen years Morton was sworn

to to an apprentice his uncle , Henry Peto , and went l w hi m 31 . ive ith at , Little Britain His father gave

ﬁve him pounds , saying it was well to have such a

n ot to sum by him ; he did wish him spend , but to

a F r ﬁ keep the money till he re lly needed it . o the rst three years of hi s apprenticeship he worked in the

’ ' joiner s shop , and kept the same hours as the men — longer hours than those now worked an d as soon

’ off as the day s work was done , he had to hurry after t tea o attend a technical school kept by a Mr . Gray

an d son his son in Banner Street , Old Street Road ,

’ St . Luke s . The instruction , which commenced

’ at seven and lasted till nine o clock , consisted of a regular cour se of mechanical drawing and the

- theory of construction , the principal text book

’ ’ being Nicholson s Carpentry . The class was frequented chieﬂy by apprentices to the various i t branches of the build ng trade . After wo years or

’ t o more of attendance at Grayson s , he was sent a

class held by Mr . George Maddox , an architect

’

in n n . who had chambers Furnival s I , Holborn

a M r . Maddox did not pr ctise as an architect , but DA YS E A R L Y .

made his living by givin g lessons in architecture , drawing and design , being himself a very clever draughtsman . For two years Samuel studied with him . Among other work he made a drawing of

a n d the east end of Ramsgate Church , and plans elevations for a country house in the then prevalent classic style . He also had some instruction from a

Mr . Beazley, a theatrical architect . Among the

pupils was Charles Mathews , the comedian , whose

work was always behind , his drawings scribbled over i with Cup ds , etc . Sometimes Samuel Peto took the

drawings given to his fellow- pupil home t o ﬁnish

rather than that the work should fall in arrears , and Charles Mathews was well pleased with his ﬁ substitute . After Samuel Morton had nished his f course o evening classes , he continued his studies

at home . He made a drawing of the Roman

mosaic found at Walbrook , taking all needful

notes and measurements on the spot . After three

the years at bench , he spent a year in learning

bricklaying , and at its termination prided him — self on being a ﬁr st -rate performer able to lay his i f 800 . o bricks a day Then , unt l the end his

apprenticeship , which expired three years later, the him erection of various works was entrusted to , the ﬁrst superintendence being that of a house in ‘ SIR M R T N P E T 8 O O O.

Carlton Gardens for Horace Twiss . Afterwards

’ ’ n Raymond s Buildi gs , Gray s Inn , were constructed under his foremanship .

. n ot Mr Henry Peto was very strict , and did allow h is nephew many holidays ; but he enjoyed visits

on to his grandmother at Cobham , and rides a horse his uncle had sent from Highbury Hill , where he then lived . Every Saturday he rode into the country , then to be found at Hampstead ,

Highgate or Hornsey . Others besides the nephew

’ were objects of Mr . Henry Peto s kindness , notably

‘ ’ an old waiter , William , at the Rainbow Chop

u . house in Fleet Street , a favourite l ncheon resort

One day Mr . Henry Peto asked William if he would not like to keep a hotel . He replied there was nothing he would like better , but that he had no

’ - capital . Call on me to morrow morning , said

Mr . Henry Peto , and I will see if I can arrange

’ the matter . And when he called the next morning he found Mr . Peto ready to start him at the hotel

’ u in F rnival s Inn , which Mr . Peto had built , and of which he was the owner William was here

’

M r . d after known as Woods , an Woods Hotel so prospered that its ﬁrst proprietor retired with One condition of the lease granted by Mr . Henry Peto was that family prayers

T Io SIR M OR ON P E T O .

1 85 1 : m c in , said The see ingly preco ious ripen

’ to b e ing of Mr . Peto s judgment will appear less inexplicable when it is stated that in pur suing the study of his business he did not conﬁne himself t o a mere acquaintance with its theory , but gave a laborious and zealous devotion t o the manual pursuits of the three several handi crafts chieﬂy required in such establishments . He worked—and those who know his character can judge of the energy he imparted t o his labours not as the relat ive and future heir of one of the f leading contractors o the kingdom, but as if he was destined during his lifetime t o earn his liveli

hood as a journeyman in the capacity of a carpenter,

a bricklayer and a mason , and there cannot be a

question that , besides the inestimable utility he derived from the insight thus voluntarily acquired into the mechanism of labour so essential t o his calculations in its employment in vast organized

masses , he also thus became familiarized with what may be called the idiosyncrasy of the E nglish

mechanic , and he has thus become enabled t o convert such knowledge to the accomplishment of

’ the moral results observable in his works . IN BUSIN ESS .

ALT HOUGH the ﬁrm of Grissell and Peto succeeded

- t o a well established business , it was not at the outset easy for them to maintain their position .

’ We have , wrote the junior partner , very much — to contend with a large business and circum scribed capital present many discouraging circum stances but you know we must Press Forward

of r iss ll (the motto the Ge family) . We have made — a tender for the Hungerford Market our amount was it was accepted ; but we do not feel dismayed, the payments are very good three f to ourths every three months , and two years

’ complete it in . O ne obstacle with which the ﬁrm had to contend would seem to have been the youthful appearance

f r of the younger partner , o on the tender for the 1 2 SIR M T N P E T OR O O.

Gr issell Hungerford Market being opened , and and

° ’ £400 Peto s found to be the lowest by , the Earl of

of Devon , the chairman the committee , requested

. to Mr Peto withdraw , and on being recalled the Earl informed him that the committee felt consider able hesitation in c on ﬁdin g a work so important to so young a m an . Mr . Peto pretended not to take d the objection seriously , and replie that if they would wait he would fetch his partner , who looked old enough for anyt hing ; adding that if his juvenile appearance was so much against him he must take to wearing spectacles , or adopt some other mode of giving himself an appearance of increased age . A more serious dimc ulty was litigation in respect of

was the estate of Mr . Henry Peto the estate con sid r abl e e , the gross income being some but there were mortgages of between and

n n per a num , as well as a nuities of about per annum and a lawsuit regarding the

Custom House , which Mr . H . Peto had built . The

. r will was contested , but without success The ea ly dimc ulties of the fir m were overcome . Their first contr act proved a very remunerative one , and they became one of the most important building firms in

n 1 86 the kingdom . Writi g from Pesth in 9 con cerning one of his sons who had started a like busi IN B SIN E S S U . 1 3 u es : d s , Sir Morton says A buil ing business is a ‘ o a ma n thor ou hl kn very good on e f g y ows i t . When

. Grissell or di n ar n I was with Mr , our y busi ess c oming regularly from the large breweries and ﬁr e

fﬁ of own o ces , and the work our connection with

on v the architects, netted the a erage to

an d a year , with only capital

’ engaged in that department . In London Messrs . Gri ssell and Peto built the Model Prison (Clerken

f r well) , the Re orm , the Conse vative , and the

- u Oxford and Cambridge club ho ses . The ﬁr st

r an nam ed club was designed by Sir Cha les Barry , d the greatest care was taken in its execution . When frequenting the club in later years Sir Morton

remarked how well the work stood, and said that

ﬁrm every detail had received attention . The also ’ m built the Lyceum , St . James s and Oly pic theatres ,

in the the ﬁrst in sixteen , the second ten weeks ;

’ Nelson Column , St . John s Church in Cambridge

’

. at Square , Paddington , and Mr Blunt s church

of the end Sloane Street , Chelsea ; among country

for houses , Studley Castle was built Sir Francis

- . . Griss ll Holyoake Goodricke Under Sir W Cubitt , e an d Peto carried out the River Severn Improvement

Works ; under Mr . Brunel , all the works on the

r f o Great Weste n Railway rom Hanwell t Langley , P E T 1 4 SI] $ M OR T ON O.

excepting the embankment . They also had the

f r contract o the Paddington and Reading stations , and the line between Reading and Goring . Owing

o r t the vexatious conduct of the supe intendent , the Hanwell to Lan gley section gave much trouble th e restrictions cost much money ; these reached th eir limit when the superintendent ordered certain bricks to be carted from Clapton for the Hanwell

n viaduct , the cost bei g seven shillings per and cochineal to be mixed with the mortar to give colour .

’ On the day of Mr . Brunel s visit the contractor took care that the last operation should be in pr o

‘ cess , and Brunel at once ordered the foolery to be

’

. n stopped The superintende t , however , kept pay

ﬁrm t o ments in arrear , and the had borrow On the completion of the work they

n h prese ted t eir bill , amounting to The contract provided for the settlement of disputed accounts either by reference to arbitration or by

in - in - of the eng eer chief, at the Option the con

M r . . i tractors . Peto conferred with Mr Gr ssell as t o which course should be pursued but the latter said the work was not under his management , and

t o he would not give any Opinion . Mr . Peto went u Mr . Br nel and told him he would abide by his

e d cision ; Brunel , pleased , at once made an B IN E 1 IN US S S . ;

of appointment . The builder had a number

of meetings with the engineer , and by the end twelve months accounts were closed and a balance l of was paid to the ﬁrm . Gr issel and

f . Peto had better ortune than Mr Macintosh , the

for contractor the Hanwell embankment , who went to an arbitration which lasted thirty years . Other import ant works undertaken by the ﬁrm

f - were a large portion o the South Eastern Railway , under Mr . Joseph Cubitt ; the Woolwich Graving

d n c . an o Do k , under Mr Joseph Walker ; the Gran d Junction Canal the engine -houses and locks

- or r e . f using the water , as designed by Sir W

Cubitt . Their last and most important building contracts

the f were for Houses of Parliament , the oundation of which was commenced in 1 839 . Grissell and Peto ’ s ﬁrst contract in connection with the work 1 840 f was dated , and was for the range o buildings fronting the river from Westminster Bridge t o d ’ Abing on Street , the Speaker s residence and the

libraries being included . The second contract was

for h t e Houses of Lords and Commons , the Victoria

a an d Hall , Great Central Hall , Royal G llery , House

’ of Commons ofﬁces . The third was for St . Stephen s

Hall and Porch . 1 6 SIR M T N P E T OR O O.

During the execution of these contracts the

of ri ssell partnership G and Peto was dissolved .

The business , as we have stated, had yielded

ri l very good results ; but Mr . Gssel did not like th e risks involved in the large railway undertakings , which needed larger capital , though all Of these ﬁ were pro table , save the contract in connection with the Great Western Railway . The dissolution took

2 1 846 . . Griss ll place March , Mr e took over the

- building business , saw mills, and premises , and also the River Severn Improvement contract Mr . Peto — the railway works a heavy contract on the South

Eastern Railway, including the Folkestone Viaduct , bridges and earthworks of about twelve miles of line ; the Ely and Peterborough and Norfolk Rail way contracts ; also the Dorsetshire section of the

London and South - Western Railway (Southampton t o Dorchester) . At this period Mr . Peto did not

’

. Gr issell s : share Mr anxieties , as he wrote These three contracts will just occupy me enough to

- - thoroughly interest me . All my stock in trade

b of c lear will e plant , and all the rest ’ i ll c a ita l. . Gr sse p He added Mr would stand w ith our stock - in - trade and plant Of

ﬁrm including houses built and building for the ,

a bun da n t and , besides , he will have a large and

1 SIR M T N P E T 8 OR O O .

-in - f engineer chief . On an inspection o the London to Cambridge line he expressed his dissatisfaction with a wooden bridge . The contractor saw the

. h r esident engineer , Mr Borthwick , who said e alone

’

. him was to blame , and at Mr Peto s request gave a drawing of an iron bridge of the type intended ﬁ by the chief . On the nal inspection Stephenson

found an iron bridge substituted , and said , I

’ u never ordered this . Why have yo done it $ Peto replied that by the terms of the contract the work was to be executed to the satisfaction

f -in - n ot o the engineer chief, and he felt he could leave a bridge standing with which Stephenson

was dissatisﬁed . Stephenson warmly expressed his

pleasure , and said that was the way in which he liked

m et an d in . to be , relating the story Mr Peto said this laid the foundation of the trust the great

engineer invariably placed in him . The cost of the Norwich to Brandon section was per

mile . Contemporaneously with the execution of the

Eastern Counties Railway works Mr . Peto had been

working out his South -Eastern Railway contract for

the Hyt he to Folkestone section . The contract for the permanent way and ballastin g of the Reigate to

of Folkestone section was in the hands Mr . Edward B N E SS 1 IN USI . 9

’

wh 1 843 . Ladd Betts , o in had married Mr Peto s 1 842 sister Ann . The company had in been in

fﬁ . di culties with the Saltwood tunnel , and as Mr

for Peto had the contract the line at either end ,

and Mr . Betts that for the permanent way , they ﬁ 1 4 6 agreed to nish the tunnel together . In 8 the

of partnership Peto and Betts was commenced ,

’

l . 1 2 which continued ti l Mr Betts death in 87 . The years 1 84 7 and 1 848 were very busy ones ;

’ they saw Mr . Peto s separate contracts in East

Anglia and Dorsetshire concluded , and the loop line of the Great Northern Railway from Peterborough

In through Lincoln shire to Doncaster . August of the latter year letters were dated on alternate

n days from London and Southampton , and o the ﬁ fth day from Peterborough ; in the last letter Mr .

Peto writes : Poor Mr . Stephenson George

n Stephenson) is constantly o my mind . How little did he appear near his end when with us $ We were the last he dined with in London ; he caught — ’ c old fever and inﬂammation followed . The construction of the Norwegian Grand Trunk

i t o - l ne from Christiania Eidswold , forty t wo miles

n in in le gth , was arranged this period at the cost of Mr . Brassey being a partner with

Messrs . Peto and Betts , Mr . Robert Stephenson 0 SI R M T N P E T 2 OR O O.

being the consulting , and Mr . Bidder the chief engineer . The Lowestoft Harbour Works were also c om m n c e ed . The population of Lowestoft was at this time it is now about At th e time the works were commenced the land to the south of the bridge was a barren waste . Five commissioners i were appo nted to wait on Mr . Peto at Som erley ton , with the result that it was sold to him for

£500 . Then Mr . Peto asked if they knew the purpose for which he had purchased the land , and showed them the plans of the harbour and esplanade he intended to construct . 4 ﬁ In 1 8 7 occurred a severe nancial crisis . I have

’ never passed through such a crisis , wrote Mr . Peto .

‘ n ow I have owing me , and get it I cannot ; but I trust m y way will be made clear with out sacriﬁce ; but it must be some time before the c louds clear away , and it has been very anxious — work these things come perfectly unexpectedly

' r and are not to be guarded against in large aﬂai s . In the next year he wrote : I sometimes think that you m ay imagine I am more immersed in business than I should be ; this i s perfectly true ; also that I never anticipated it ; but things have gone so much out Of course that I am troubled IN B SI N E S S 2 1 U .

n ow where I should not be . I have between and owing me by various companies , and having been obliged in the crisis to borrow I am compelled to look up the companies so constantly and unremittingly that I ﬁn d ﬁve times as much time absorbed in this as

n ot in my business , and , in fact , were I to do so

with the large surplus property we have , I should

ff an d get my a airs disarranged , be compelled to

submit to an enormous sacriﬁce . I feel that if my b f health be spared , all will y the end o the year

1 848 . [ ] be collected in I shall , as I am doing , pay off obligations I incurred from the want of good b faith of those who are inde ted to me , and from the gain in this and other works have a much

larger surplus than will cover any loss , and I am sur e it is my duty to you and the children to do

’ this . Writing from Boston, he says : I have had a

fatiguing journey altogether , and the weather has

been bad but I feel stronger and better for it ; all

to m e has been fresh on the works , and Edward has arranged everything so admirably that I had

s n nothing but plea ure in going through everythi g ,

of and I had never seen the county Lincoln before ,

so ﬁ that altogether I feel much grati ed . He will 2 2 SIR : M T N P E T OR O O.

ﬁn d very great and continuous exert ion necessary

e to be ready by September . We have thirt en

n n o n engi es and men w o the works , and you

’ may imagine how much arrangement is necessary . On a later visit a letter shows how happy an d active

was the partnership between Mr . Peto and his

- in - brother law : Edward has fagged very hard , and

’ all his arrangements are as good as they can be . 1 848 June , , saw the Eastern Counties Railway contract through , with the following testimony from the engineer -in - chief (Robert Stephenson) In thus giving my ﬁnal decision on these heavy contracts [they had amounted to I ﬁn d it my duty to state that many large and un foreseen contingencies have occurred and have required the greatest energy on the part of Mr .

ff add Peto , and it a ords me satisfaction to my testimony to the willing and unﬂinching manner

’ in which they have been met . The most important Of the contracts undertaken — by the ﬁrm during the next few years a full list of — which is given at the end of this memoir were the ﬁrst section of the Buenos Ayres Great Southern

5 t for Railway , 7 miles in leng h , at a mile

6 . construction and equipment , and per cent on capital until the Opening of the railway ; the IN B S N E SS 2 U I . 3

u Wite sk 1 61 D naburg and p Railway , miles in f length , completed thirteen months be ore the date

t o required by the contract , the excellent execution of which work and the ability displayed by the ﬁrm the Russian Government testiﬁed ; the line from

Al Blidah ﬁ A giers to , the rst railway in lgeria, and the quays at Algiers ; the Oxford and Birmingham

u Railway , including the Harb ry cuttings , the

largest in Great Britain , containing

cubic yards . The contracts for the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada and the Victoria Bridge at Montreal were

ﬁr m f undertaken by the o Peto , Brassey , and Betts

con with Sir William Jackson . To enable the tractors to execute these works the Canada Works

ﬁr m of at Birkenhead were constructed . The

Peto , Brassey, and Betts commenced the Royal

an d Danish Railway (Schleswig Jutland system) , and constructed the Danish Gas Works at Copen

hagen , Mr . Bidder being the engineer . t v The Danish contracts obliged Mr . Peto o isit ﬁ Denmark frequently . On his rst visit he observed that the country wanted only a good railway system to enable its agricultural resources to be

. ﬁ developed This view has been amply veri ed . For eleven months of the year 1 888 the exports of 2 4 SIR M ORT ON P E T O .

Danish butter were in value as com

in 1 86 n pared with 7 , and duri g the last w t o years over casks of 1 cwt . each have been sent from Denmark every week into England and

Scotland .

f e - The ﬁrst section o the Danish lin , seventy two 1 85 4 miles in length , was Opened in October , ; the

I llustr a t ed Lon don N ews cost was The , f 1 1 1 854 o November , , gives pictures of the Opening ceremony and the lunch on board the

nus . steamship Cyg , in which Mr Peto and party

to crossed Tonning , on which occasion the King ,

Frederick VII . , invested Mr . Peto with the Order

’

f . n o the Danebrog The King was o all Mr . Peto s visits very cordial ; on one occasion he cam e to the

r i k b r capital from Fr ede c s o g to save him time . He also gave him his portrait , painted by Madame i ér c h au . J , and a present of four Danish ponies In commemoration of the openin g of the section the f King accepted rom him a painted window , designed by the late John Thomas , for the Chapel Royal at

Fr d ric k r e e sbo g . The entire system of railways in

for Denmark contracted by Peto, Brassey, and t 50 Betts extended o 3 miles . The Grand Trunk Railway of Canada was a still larger and much more costly undertaking, in

I P T 2 6 S R M ORT ON E O.

‘ tract required the bridge , when completed , to be i n perfect repair , and of the best and most sub st an ti al to character , and be approved by Robert

’ n . Stephe son . On the other side , Mr Stephenson placed implicit conﬁdence in Mr . Hodges and his

ﬁr m ; he paid but one visit to Canada , the reason

hi s being , biographer says , that nothing occurred in the execution of his designs t o demand hi s presence . When Mr . Hodges proposed to depart from the usual method employed for laying the

' f an d use c oﬂer oundations , to dams , Stephenson

sub se uen tlv hi s acquiesced , and q gave as reason I was actuated by the feeling that the engineer would not be justified in controlling the contractors in the adoption of such means as they might con s so ider most economical to themselves , long as the soundness and stability of the work was in n o way fl ’ ’ a ec t ed . Mr . Hodges difficulties were enhanced — by the short period of the year but sixteen weeks

n th duri g which e masonry could be executed , and in 1 85 7 he adopted the device of bedding the

ashlar masonry in felt in lieu of mortar . Strips of

asphalted felt , about three inches in width , were laid along the whole of the front of th e masonry at such a distance from the edge that the work might

f - be effectually pointed . On each o the cross joints IN B SIN E S S 2 U . 7

as similar strips were placed , likewise at the back f f o the stones . As soon as one course o ashlar was laid it was dressed perfectly fair on the bed to

f r a straight edge o the reception of another course , which was superimposed in a similar manner , the backing bein g laid dry and packed as closely as ﬂ . or ues possible Open spaces , , were left about on e foot square throughout the whole height of the pier . The work was completed in this manner d as uring the winter , and soon as the weather per m itt ed was out , and the frost fairly of the stone ,

of the piers were carefully pointed , and the whole the interior well grouted from the ﬁnes . The whole thus became one solid mass , the clear water which ﬁltered through the joints showing very f accurately the process o the grouting . Professor Pole says this admirable process hastened consider i ably the completion O the bridge . Frequently the

° 5 - thermometer went 0 below freezing point . If

e of ther was any wind , the portions the body immediately exposed became instantly frozen , and the men had to work in thick gloves and heavy coats , fur caps covered their ears , and heavy h handkerc iefs were worn over their faces , leaving only a small portion open for vision . It often happened when the wind blew up - stream that the 2 8 SIR M ORT ON P E T O .

men became covered with icicles , and were obliged to leave the works ; scores of men were in hospital

. t o frozen in their hands , ears , and faces Owing

i n 1 854 - in cholera , one third were hospital at one

in time . Scarcity of labour , frequent strikes and

subordination among the employed , abetted by parties among the inhabitants who declared the bridge to be a deﬁance of Providence and

prognosticated its failure , gave rise to serious

fﬁ . di culties Owing to these obstacles , and espe c ially the general depression consequent on the

Russian War , the abandonment of the contract

’ was at one time contemplated . Mr . Peto s letters

show the anxiety that was experienced . I am ’ 1 85 5 glad to say , he wrote in , all the arrange

ments are going on well ; but I never felt so harassed in my life with all the details of one kind

b ut and another , and I cannot feel this great trial has been permitted to show me I have given too

thi s much time and energy to world , and too little to the things which ought to have had so much

’ larger a share of my time and care . The same

letter , however , contains a passage which shows business did not absorb all his attention : A11 ’ oﬂ - passed well at the missionary meeting to day .

I could not remain all day , but stopped during the 2 I N B USIN E S S . 9

in Serampore discussion , which ended our unani

’ m ously agreeing to adopt the college . In the same year in which the Royal Danish

Railway was Opened , a like ceremony took place in

Norway , the Norwegian Grand Trunk Railway being

. I llustr a ted L on don N ews of opened The October 7 , 1 854 i , gives an account of the nauguration .

’ For what has been termed Mr . Bidder s m agn um — — o us . p the Victoria London Docks Messrs Peto ,

Brassey and Betts were the contractors . The docks

1 00 of enclose acres deep water , with extensive quay space and warehouse accommodation , with larger locks and gates than any other docks in London .

Cast -iron piles and concrete were freely used in the

. n construction of the walls The cost , i cluding hydraulic machinery, cranes , etc . , was We have alluded t o the difﬁculties the ﬁrm ex perien c ed in carrying out their contract for the c on

of . too struction the Victoria Bridge It was , , at this time that the armies in the Crimea were in s ‘ ’ what Kinglake describe as the winter troubles . f In vol . x . o his History of the Crimean War he says The problem of making a road between

f t o camp and ort long continued resist all solution , and this , as we saw , because labour in the requisite quantity could neither be got by hiring it n or 0 SIR M R T N PE T 3 O O O. w u r ng from an overtasked army, which , engaged

an d day night with the enemy, and already doing three times the work that could well be called moder

f r ate , was unable to furnish hands o the exec u

’ tion Of any such task . Sir John Burgoyne wrote

: to Lord Raglan To save conveyance of forage , all the cavalry and a large proportion of artillery horses are moved down to Balaklava still , it is with difﬁculty that the troops can be kept supplied even i ﬁ with p r ovis ons . There is a lamentable de ciency

f f r for k o fuel o cookery , and materials some ind of shelter better than tents are of primary necessity

to to all , o, before we can attend getting up heavy guns , shot and shells . You may conceive the state

f ur o o men , and how hard are the duties , from the

w : follo ing Two soldiers (a double sentry) , on look out in our more advanced trench in front of our

d two ast a batteries , were surprise nights ago f sleep

of at their posts by a small party Russians , and $ bayoneted a most brutal act . This serious crime ,

of compromising the safety perhaps thousands , and so derogatory to every military principle , was

fi ofli c er s on justi ed , excused , by the the plea that human nature cannot support the fatigues that the soldiers have to undergo . The report s from com manding officers of regiments and generals are to E I N B USIN S S . 3:

t o the same effect . The army is sickly a grievous extent , and is declining numerically as well as

’ T im es physically . The correspondent wrote from

Balaklava : There is nothing to eat , nothing to

n drink , o roads , no commissariat , no medicine , no

n abun d clothes , o arrangement the only thing in

’ ance is cholera . The state of the army caused great dissatisfaction in England . Stephenson wrote to a friend : I long t o be at Balaklava to get the stores away to the camp . I believe I could be useful there , as long

’ as I felt myself beyond the range of the artillery .

Mr . Peto felt the national disgrace as keenly as the great engineer . The idea of a railway to c onnect camp and harbour occurred to him ; he mentioned it one night at the HOuse to Lord

ho Palmerston , w urged him at once to speak

for u to the then Secretary War , the D ke of

Newcastle . The latter approved , and conferred

with the Prime Minister, the Earl of Aberdeen . The construction of the railway was deter

mined upon , and the Duke of Newcastle wrote t o on 2 : Lord Raglan December They (Mr .

Peto and Mr . Betts) have in the handsomest manner undertaken the important work with no other condi tion than that they shall reap no 2 SIR M T N P E T 3 OR O O.

’ pecuniary advantage from it . The organization

of the detail and transport was undertaken by Mr .

Betts , the general direction and administration

. who rested with Mr Peto , , in a memorandum he

‘ ’ wrote for the Life and Labours of Mr . Brassey ,

by Sir A . Helps , states that to the work of Mr .

o Betts , and advice , almost daily at the utset , of

Mr . Brassey , more credit is due than to himself .

The Duke of Newcastle gave Mr . Peto most urgen t instructions to omit nothing which in his

’ and Mr . Betts judgment and experience might be

considered as necessary . Mr . Beatty and a staff

of assistants (Messrs . Campbell and Kellock were the

chief) were at once despatched . Colonel Gordon ,

‘

E . : C . , wrote from the camp The civil engineers

of the railway have arrived , and we hope soon to

see the navvies and the plant . No relief that could be named will be equal to the relief afforded by a railway . Without the railroad I do not see how we can bring up guns and ammunition in sufﬁcient

’ quantities to silence the guns of the enemy .

- Twenty three large steamers with men , horses , commissariat , and other stores , were quickly sent

- out . Three doctors and three Scripture readers

th e accompanied men , who numbered between 400 500—300 1 00 30 and navvies , carpenters , masons ,

SIR M OR T ON P E T O.

General Simpson reported to Lord Panmure

The line is on the best site that can be obtained, i and when properly ballasted , which is be ng done ,

’ ’ will be quite free from floods . The General s pre d fi t r affic on l n e iction was ful lled , as the the i when opened was suspended only for thirty six hours by a waterspout which did great harm at

Balaklava . On February 1 1 Sir J . Burgoyne wr ote I am happy to say the railway works are pro gressing . They have a line of rails from the centre of the town to a little way out ; from about half a mile farther they will have a very

steep incline , and a stationary engine , and , when

O f st workable to the top of the heights , will be va

’ service . Within ten days of the landing of th e ﬁ rst rails the village of Kadikoi was reached . The

line was at once used for conveying shot and shell .

In seven weeks the Col was reached , a distance from L 4 A the commencement of the railway of about 2 miles , and at an elevation of about 660 feet above the l level of the sea , and a branch line of mi e to

or the Ordnance Diamond Wharf was laid , the sta

’ tion ary engine at Frenchman s Hill was ﬁxed and at

work , and the line from Balaklava to Kadikoi was doubled ; the remainder of the distance to the

camps was comparatively level . With extensions N B IN E I US SS . 35

and branches the lines laid amounted to 39 miles . As an instance of the rapidity with which the con tractors acted may be quoted the following from the

‘ T i m es 2 3 1 85 5 : f r 1 30 of July , An order o railway 40 1 0 waggons , drivers , shoeing smiths , and a

r for va iety of material the railway, was received on

n the L ei zi s Tuesday last , and o Saturday p g teamer , belonging to the North of Europe Steam Naviga

00 2 50 - tion Company, 7 tons and horse power , will be

’ on her way to the Crimea . The navvies Sir John

’ n of ﬁn e f Burgoy e wrote as , manly ellows , and he wanted to obtain their servi ces for aiding the

regular troops in the defence of the positions . Mr .

f of Beatty , however, said by any such trans er em ployment the terms of the agreement on which they had been engaged would be contravened ; but whatever masons and carpenters could be

n spared were employed in building lime kil s ,

bakeries and wharves , and in sinking wells , and a considerable number of men were employed as

of brakesmen , pending the formation the Army

Transport Corps , which afterwards worked the

line . The only accident which occurred on the railway

1 st was serious to Mr . Beatty . The 7 Regiment had

f in been ordered to the front , and was orwarded 6 SI R M T N P E T 3 OR O O . three trains ; two went down the incline from the

Col in safety , but the third , in which was Mr .

: Beatty, could not be stopped the breaks were i overpowered in endeavour ng to stop the train ,

Mr . Beatty was thrown out , and received an

i r internal njury f om which he never recovered . He was asked by Lord Panmure to remain in charge of the railway , but owing to the failure of his health after the accident he declined , and

1 85 5 . left the Crimea in November , On his death ,

n the Government , importu ed by Sir Morton ,

’ awarded a pension to Mrs . Beatty as if a Colonel s T widow . o the use of the railway General de la Marmora testiﬁed from his experience in command f i o the Sard nian army , and Sir John Burgoyne wrote to Sir Morton that it was impossible to over rate the services rendered by the railway , or its effect in shortening th e duration of the siege and alleviating the fatigues and sufferings of the troops . Soon after the railway had been opened it was c omputed it had taken to the front lbs . of 1 1 2 food and forage (daily tons) , tons of shot l 300 and she l , tons of small arms , tons of

m i sc l commissariat stores , besides tons of e laneous goods . N N E S S I B USI . 37 — During the next two or three years very busy — ones Sir Morton made journeys to Al geria and Portugal ; the Object of the trip to Portugal being to obtain the contract for the construction of a system of railways north of Oporto and to the Spanish frontier, the cost being estimated at On one of his tours in Portugal surveying the district to be traversed by the proposed railway , some delays occurred , and he started on the tender

on - of the engine , seated loose coal bags ; all along the line he was greeted by the navvies who were at work , and at the end of the line , where a large number were engaged who had formerly worked under him , the hurrahs followed faster and faster , until , to the surprise of a wondering circle of Portu

uese g bystanders , the men mounted him on their shoulders and carried him in triumph to the hotel . In the negotiations with the Government Sir Morton had the support of M . Erlanger . The King was personally in favour of the contract being made

all s with Peto and Betts , and the Mini ters expressed themselves in favour of the acceptance of their pro ’ v 1 posals . On Sir Morton s lea ing Lisbon in 857 three State barges attended him .

w ﬁn d On a later visit , ho ever , he wrote I that since I was last here a French party has been s S R M T P E T 3 I OR ON O . intriguing and using money among the employés

’ of the Board of Works . Sir Morton did not gauge the corruptible nature of the Portuguese

i ls oﬁ c a . Owing entirely to baser arguments than he would employ , the Bill for the acceptance of

’ Peto and Betts proposals was thrown out . The English agen t of the ﬁr m at Lisbon said dollars would have bought over those who could have controlled matters , and we remember the Portuguese representative of the ﬁr m saying it was entirely owing to Sir Morton ’ s refusal to employ m oney in buying the votes of Ministers and members that the contract was lost . During 1 856 and 1 857 the Danish contracts were in execution , the Victoria Bridge was being built

' am d fﬁ ul uﬂolk id i c ties , the East S Railway was

at commenced, and the new harbour works Holy head were being proceeded with . Sir Morton was at this time chairman of the fﬁ Chester and Holyhead Railway, an o ce which occupied much of his time and caused him much anxiety . At times he had lent the company as l much as to relieve di ﬁ c u ties . In acknowledging a vote of thanks he said that when he joined the Board he had found it beset with heavy claim s ; and he instanced on e claim for I N B S N E S S U I . 39

which he settled for and another for between and which b e com promised for The years were years of

’ care . Sometimes I think of things , he wrote

‘ in 1 85 6 a f , and I c nnot help it ; yet I eel , if my

health is granted me , that I shall , by the

blessing of Divine Providence , be able to put all

right . I do not see any reason for desponding . Constant attention and perseverance will get l ’ 1 856 through great diﬂi c u ties . In November of t 1 85 ma ters were brighter , but in 7 occurred a

s : evere panic , and he wrote We have great cause for thankfulness that it did not come last year

instead of this , when we had so large an amount

of engagements outstanding ; still , it requires great

care , and to be within reach more than I like at

this season of the year (October) . However , I feel ,

h as s I trust , very grateful that it come at this tim , otherwise it would have been very much more serious ; our only cause of any anxiety is that

others keep faith with us , and in this respect it is so good a thing that our engagements are small

’ in comparison with last year . The liabilities of the ﬁr m were then estimated at In November occurred the stoppage of the Western Bank of Scotland : This and another 0 SIR M T N P E T 4 OR O O.

failure for have put all into gloom mi with strust . I had due from one com

- pany to day , and from another , and I did

’ : not get 1 s . In December he writes I do not

- think things seem much better . I wanted to day

m a u to remit Hamb rg, and such is the dis

oi u trust the ho ses that I could not get it done , and now shall have to send the money in coin or bank

notes by special messenger . A Danish merchant

’ wanting colonial produce h as had to send silver . 1 85 In 8 prospects brightened . Writing from

t : E ff Haleswor h , he reports The works [ ast Su olk

Railway] are all going on well , and the great alter ation in the money market takes away all the

’ anxi ety I have felt for some time . In October

the West - End and Crystal Palace Railway was 2 th Opened , and on the 7 of the month the Grand

Trunk Railway of Canada . Sir Morton writes They have subscribed to spend in rejoicing ’ d in Canada . I don t think if I were there I coul

— o have any Spirit well , s it is , and it is no use

u giving way, but I must rather cultivate a cheerf l

spirit for so many blessings left to enjoy , especially

’ my loved ones at home .

The Victoria Bridge was not opened till October ,

1 0 . 86 ; Mr Hodges represented the contractors , and

2 I T P E T 4 S R M OR ON O. on drawing anything from the business till we had wound up the Grand Trunk R ailway and railway

’ c lea r works , so as to have a result . 1 1 859 31 Between December , , and December ,

1 60 to . 8 , Sir Morton made fourteen journeys Paris In the latter year he went t o Algiers to meet the Emperor and Empress of the French ; the latter laid the foundation - stone of the railway - station on the terminus of the line (30 miles) connecting

Blidah with Algiers . The ceremony was per

of formed with much pomp , the troops being drawn up , and the Emperor and Empress

‘ having an escort of of the Cent Gardes . I

’ never saw a more beautiful or graceful person , Sir Morton wrote of the Empress ; b ut she looked h the picture of grief . I found on inquiry she a d learned th e night before that her sister the Duchesse

’ d Alb e — is is ill she really dead , but the Empress does not know it . After the religious ceremony she burst into tears , and the Emperor had to con

u duct her to her seat . She went behind it surro nded by her ladies of honour ; the Emperor endeavoured ﬁ to comfort her , then returned and nished the ceremony . He told the Minister to call me , and “ as near as I can recollect he said as follows : I t am truly glad to see you , Sir Mor on Peto , in IN B SIN E U S S . 43

Algeria . I do not forget the service you have already rendered to my country ; you may always fﬁ count on me when any di culties arise , and you

are always at liberty to see me . The railways in the colony and the warehouses in the port are

essential to its advancement . I trust that you

will have no reason to regret the enterprise , and

ﬁ hO e apart from the pro t arising from it , I p you will enjoy the consciousness you are an in strument in advancing the civilization and happin ess of my ” people . On his return to the palace the Emperor

f r o . e s sent his architect , M Eug ne Lacroix , and a ked

how it was I had not dined with him . M . Lacroix ” : ir said S Morton never received your invitation .

General Fleury was sent for , and it was found the

invitation had not been sent . The Emperor ap

ear ed : to p vexed , and said Tell Sir Morton come

- to morrow morning . I will see him at nine . In the morning at nine I waited on the Emperor ; in ﬁve

c am e out minutes he , , and shook me by the hand

he talked with me for twenty minutes , asked my

n Opi ion of the country , its advancement , etc . I pointed out to him the heavy port charges and several other hindrances to trade ; he took note of

for them , and on my apologizing taking up so much

of : t o . his time , he said It is very interesting me SIR M T N P E I 44 OR O O. — I value highly your views on these matters you have seen so much and know these things so well that I get from you what I cannot get from my

Ministers . I then asked him to accept Mr .

’ Hodges book on the Victoria Bridge , which he accepted most graciously . He looked through the engravings with me , and asked me very many questions on the climate and productions of the country , and on my bowing and leaving he held out

“ an d o his hand , said to me , Come to me n any fﬁ di culty in the works , and rely on my friendship ” for their removal .

t o Sir Morton said in the same letter , It is right

’ be prudent and not bring reproach , and accord in gly in 1 862 he sold the Somerleyton estate to Sir h Francis Crossley , and he and Mr . Betts their s ares in the Clay Cross Colliery to Sir Henry Jackson . The latter investment had been a very successful one , shares purchased for realizing

’ An s inve tment of Sir Morton s , by which he hoped to beneﬁt Lowestoft by establishing a trade in

O f cattle with Denmark , was in the North Europe

Steam Navigation Company , which involved him in a heavy pecuniary loss Whenever he stood for Parliament , Mr . Abel , a shareholder and barrister , followed him , and accused him of I B S E N U IN S S . 4 ; having brought the company to ruin for his own pecuniary advantage . But Sir Morton had said to

on c o the shareholders , behalf of himself and his directors : We now advise you to appoint from among yourselves a committee to c o-operate with the board in examining the accounts of the com pany, in analyzing those accounts with the most

n rigid minuteness , and also examini g the various stations of the company , as exhibited by those

u acco nts , to see , not merely where the loss has

to been occasioned , but determine , from the c haracter of the trade in which you have been

n e gaged , what are the prospects you have for the i future . Every c rcumstance connected with the past and future prospects of the company shall be f placed before you , and you shall be made aware o everything that by the most minute examination

’ ou f c y can possibly be made aware o . The om

m ittee ‘ were appointed , and reported that they felt bound to state their conviction that nothin g had come under their notice impugning the integrity or

’ or oﬁi c er s honourable motives of the board their ,

and the shareholders in meeting adopted the report . Of more permanent beneﬁt to his county was the

' of Suﬂolk construction the East Railway, which led

t o to a presentation him , through the Earl of 6 SIR M R T N P E T 4 O O O.

b f v t v . Strad roke , o sil er plate and a desser ser ice

The contract was executed in trying times , and a shareholder at a meeting expressed his opinion that no one else could have carried on the undertaking during the severe money panic . On the proposal £500 to start the testimonial , was subscribed in the room , and the sum total reached The t presentation took place at a banquet at Lowestof , presided over by the Earl of Stradbroke .

’ The last of Messrs . Peto and Betts contracts , and one which proved very disastrous , was that for the Metropolitan extension of the London , Chatham and Dover Railway . They had previously taken a contract for the portion of line between Strood and the Elephant and Castle section and with the late

Mr . Crampton , who made the Kent coast section , they entered into the contract for the extensions

- to the West End and Blackfriars Bridge . As in

of ﬁrm the case the Grand Trunk Railway, the had

in to take shares lieu of cash , which led to

Overen d ﬁ Co . nancial relations with , Gurney and ,

Lim ited . It is needless to attempt to explain how the contractors became so deeply involved in the

th e i u fortunes of ra lway company . S ﬁi c e it to say

Over en d the o . that suspension of , Gurney and C ,

' f b th r Limited, was ollowed y that of e cont act ors E I N B USIN S S . 47

1 866 . t in May , Sir Mor on was able to show that his advice had been given to the directors at

wn ﬁ their o request , and that all nancial arrange

. ments , so far as issue of debentures , etc , was d concerne , had been made under the direction of of the legal advisers of the board . As a matter

fact he had no separate legal adviser .

The balance - sheet of Peto and Betts showed a

E c on om i st large surplus . The newspaper , among

other journals , augured well of the prospects

of the ﬁr m ; but the accounts between the con

tractors and the London , Chatham and Dover ‘ Railway were both contradictory and most diﬂi c ult to unravel ; the contractors claiming a balance

due to them of the railway company,

on to the other hand , claiming be creditors to the extent of After a protracted

investigation of accounts and long cross - examina

ﬁr m tion , proof against the estate of the was allowed to the extent of The com missioner said there was no imputation on Sir

’ Morton s character . Some months before this , at a meeting at Bristol at which Sir Morton explain ed to his constituents his concern with the affairs of

the London , Chatham and Dover Railway Company, and the misfortunes which necessitated his resign s SIR M T E 4 OR ON P T O . in in i g his seat Parl ament , he had declared , amid

‘ the cheers of the meeting , that , although the avalanche of May last had damaged temporarily the prosperity of his house , yet still he was perfectly l conscious that there was one priceless jewe . which he did not lose , and that was a conscious feeling of

’ his own integrity .

r n The late Mr . Ma shma wrote to him : After a most searching and hostile inquisition , the imputa tions which have for two years beclouded your good name have been dispelled and the wound has

. v not left a scar The most iolent of your assailants ,

Da il T ele r a h the y g p , is now among the foremost to express satisfaction at the result of the investiga

’ hi ﬁr m tion . But the blow w ch the received was too severe , owing to the long time of enforced idleness . Neither Sir Morton nor his partner was a man to be daunted ; the former spent a great portion of the years 1 868 and 1 869 at Buda- Pesth in preparin g and urgin g forward a scheme for the regulation of the Danube . Mr . Brassey met Sir Morton in Pesth and Sir Morton met him in

’

. Vienna , and Sir Morton , referring to Mr Betts

1 869 : vi sit to Pesth in , wrote Edward is greatly

an d pleased with all the estimates of the works , I trust all looks as though we should succeed ; but we

o SIR M T N P E s OR O T O .

inquire at Glyn ’ s if we were now free and able to

. x take any large works , and he told M Lacroi the

reply was most satisfactory . It is pleasant to see

’ so him take much personal interest . The war of 1 87 0 was a barrier to any fresh

business in the French colony . Messrs . Peto and

’ Betts only contract after 1 866 was a small on e for alterations on the Metropolitan Railway under Sir

John Fowler , to which Mr . Betts gave much care ,

as the trafﬁc could n ot be suspended . After Mr . Betts ’ death (1 87 2 ) Sir Morton undertook the

construction of the Cornwall Minerals Railways , a 50 system some miles in length , connecting Newquay in the north of the county with Par and

Fowey in the south .

’ With the Opening of this railway Sir Morton s

business career closed . It had extended over a

of - period some forty four years , and had it not been for the responsibility he assumed with regard

t o the London , Chatham and Dover Railway adding to his ordinary business as a contractor the special one of a ﬁnancier in aidin g the com

r ffi pany in thei di culties , and borrowing money for — the company the career of the fir m would have fi closed in prosperity . One who worked for the rm wr ote : With the exception of the bridge over the IN B SIN E S S : U . 5

St . Lawrence , I never heard , and quite certainly

n ot never knew , of any contract which was a

’ contract handsomely remunerative . But in the case of the London , Chatham and Dover

the Railway extensions , as in that of Victoria

Bridge contract , Sir Morton could not foresee

ﬁ n the severe nancial pa ics which occurred , and h w w ich , as we have found , thre the money market into confusion , and in each case brought anxiety

ﬁr m l r and loss . The were we l served by thei

- in - employés of all ranks . The agents chief were

Messrs . Baldwin , Curry , Crawford , F . and G .

M c Keon e Giles , Hartland , Hodges , , Rose , Tate , and White . In arranging prelimin aries with foreign Ministers the services of Messrs . Cockburn

Woolb er t Muir , Wallace , and were employed , and

Mr . Charles Christian was over the ﬁnancial de

r pa tm en t . Sir Morton conducted the negotiations for and the settlement of the terms of the con

ﬁ in tracts , and made the nancial arrangements

’ e ident thereto . Mr . Betts part lay in the exec u tion of the contracts no one had a greate r practical knowledge . We remember g oi n g over the Blackfriars Railway Bridge with him and noticing how his keen eye would fasten on a rivet

ﬁr r f d . m f an missing The relied on thei sta , the IR M E T 52 S OR T ON P O.

agents were proud of their chiefs . With reference

in to the fruitless negotiations Portugal , which cost the ﬁrm some an agent wrote : The negotiations terminated with apparent satisfaction

. n on both sides There was , however , one thi g with which no man had reckoned—that was Sir Morton Peto ’ s indomitable and immovable determination

” ’

n o . to be honest and square , and to give bribes

‘ Mr . Curry writes to th e compiler : I often look back with pleasure to the nearly twenty -three years

’ spent in your dear father s service , which was , I

’ think , the happiest period of my life .

’ : Mr . R . Crawford s testimony is strong Sir Morton was a man for whom I had not only the w highest respect , but also a very much armer

n feeli g of regard , won from me by the kind and considerate treatment I received at his hands

during the many years I was in his employm ent . His memory will always be cherished by me as that

of an excellent employer, as well as one of the kindest among many kind friends that I have made

’ throughout life .

of - Mr . Rose writes him as a life long friend and

benefactor, and whatever success I have met with in

’ life has been mainly due to his generous kindness . One employed on the Houses of Parliament IN B S N E S S U I .

’ wrote on Sir Morton s death : I possess a gold

n 1 846 n watch , ki dly presented to me in , i scribed ,

A tribute of regard . Although so many years have passed away I feel prompted (through a

’ n feeling of respect) to write to you o this occasion . The workmen shared the same feeling as the

agents . Mr . A. H . Baynes tells a story of a working

: man who remarked Lowestoft was a poor place , t sir , I can tell you , till my old mas er made it what ’ ‘ — ‘ ’ it is . Your old master who was he 2 said Mr .

‘ Baynes . Why , Sir Morton Peto , and the best I

’ ’

. un $ ever had I worked for fourteen years , eh

and the old man sighed as he went to his work ,

‘ saying , He wer a good master , he wer I am

glad to hear that ; Sir Morton is a friend of mine .

’ n to I am goi g dine with him next week , was the

‘ ’ ‘ reply. Be you now 2 said the old man How

’ ’ ’ un I would like to see again . I d lose a day s

work , and walk a dozen miles , just to hev another

’ ’

un . look at , that I would

1 866 . . In June , , the late Rev C H . Spurgeon wrote Sir Morton : A little time ago I thought

of writing to condole with you in the late tempests , but I feel there is far more reason to congratulate

you than to sympathize . I have been all over

England in all sorts of society , and I have never M T P E T SIR OR ON O. heard a word spoken concerning you in connection with late affairs but such as showed profound esteem and unshaken conﬁdence . I do not believe that this ever could have been said of any other man placed in similar circumstances . The respect an d hearty sym pathy which all sorts of persons bear towards you could never have been so well known to you as they now are by means of the past difﬁ i ’ c ult es . Shortly before Sir Morton resigned his seat in

of Parliament , when he asked for a committee the House of Commons to inquire into the allegations made against him in connection with the issue of shares and debenture stocks of the London ,

Beac on sﬁ l Chatham and Dover Railway , Lord e d

(then Mr . Disraeli) said he had recognised with

’ admiration Sir Morton s enterprise and energy , and added The House must also sympathize with an honourable member who has sat among us for so many years , and who has shown so many high

’ qualities which entitle him to our respect .

Mr . Gladstone , as Leader of the Opposition , endorsed the tribute paid t o Sir Morton by the f f Leader o the House , and spoke o him as a man who has attained a high position in this country by the exercise of rare talents , and who has adorned

’ that position by his great virtues . P M IN ARLIA EN T .

’ M B PE T o s i f in 1 84 . pol tical li e began July, 7 , by his becoming a candidate for Norwich ; which city for forty years the Smith family had represented in the

. a Whig interest In his ddress Mr . Peto expressed his devotion to the cause of civil and reli gious

’ : r i to liberty , and added It is my dete m nation govern my conduct on all occasions by a steady an d consistent adherence to that principle ; at the same time I disclaim all hostility to the Church of

’ England . He declared himself a Free Trader , being convinced that a safe and steady advance in the cour se of policy recently entered upon will tend fully to develop the resources of this great

‘ commercial country and in his opinion the best course of a statesman is by a steady and progressive reform to adapt the laws and institutions of the country to the ever -varying cir cumstances of the Z 56 SIR M ORT ON PE O.

’ T i mes nation . The recommended his candidature , saying he had achieved a princely fortune by

’ r energy and strict integ ity of character , and was a most eligible candidate to revive the fortunes of the an cient city . His moderate views on Church and State , however , did not satisfy a considerable

wh o section of the Nonconformists , induced the late Serjeant Parry to stand . The Conservatives

on were content to run e candidate , the late

of . Duke Wellington , then Marquis of Douro The election would have been tranquil but for the zeal f f o navvies in the employ o Messrs . Peto and Betts on the Eastern Counties Railway , a large party of whom visited the city and attacked and wrecked

’ Serjeant Parry s band . Their aggressiveness cost

. £ 0 . Mr Peto 7 Two hundred , after regaling

- themselves freely, lost self control and attacked

Norwich men , armed with bludgeons . They were driven back , and forty of their number were injured . Further mischief was prevented by a r use the navvies were decoyed into a special train and conveyed Ely-wards with n o means of return f until after the election . The result o the poll was

P E TO M A RQUI S O F DOU RO P A RRY

8 SIR M T N P E T 5 OR O O.

us e tak France and her iron trade . Her protective iron duties are n ow so high and of such comparative amount that she pays every ﬁve year s the full value of purchase of every ironwork in the kingdom in

u i - her home cons mpt on only . Is it n ot self evident that it would be far more the policy of her people to our us receive iron , and for in treaty to take

our her light wines on lower duties , yielding to exchequer larger revenue than from our present limited consumption , resulting from the almost

’ prohibitive duties of the present tariff $ The Address alluded t o prevalent agricultural t . o distress , and Mr Peto , referring the paragraph ,

‘ said : No on e can doubt that commerce has its

- n ever growi g connection with the soil , and that by — the substantial ties of property and that the interests of all are identiﬁed ; and also that the fact of distress existing calls for every practical — sympathy t o be shown by the removin g of every unequal burden which the friends of agriculture can show t o press unfairly on its interests . While rejoicing in the fact of the alt eration of the h law , I cannot esitate to express my wish that more time had been allowed t o adjust the in ter es s n t which had , u der the Old and vicious system , been placed in a false position . I have I N P A R L A M E N I T. 59 shown the consumption is larger than ever ; and I

n ot for ask , then , if there is solid ground the belief that though there must be suffering in the transition , yet that agricultural interests will be

on based a solid substantial foundation , and that it will hereafter depend on legitimate sources of

w out prosperity , and that agriculturists ill carry their engagements with the sympathy of every

of the n o class community , with fear of distrust

of ﬁ taking the place mutual con dence , but with such a union of all the interests of the country as shall be the best guarantee of commercial great

’ ness and domestic strength . In 1 850 he obtained the passing of an Act Of

’ ’ for Parliament known as Peto s Act , having its Object the devolution of the trust estate in the case

for or of property held in trust religious purposes ,

for i of as n the promot on education , chapels , meeti g

houses , etc . , without any fresh conveyance , which

has been of considerable use to Nonconformists . 1 852 In July , , a General Election took place ,

and with Mr . Peto stood Mr . Edward Warner .

’ on hi s Such a reception I never saw , he wrote arrival at Norwich ; we had people at

’ the very least , and St . Andrew s Hall crammed . I have succeeded in getting all parties to sign an R III R T N P E T 60 SI O O O.

do agreement not to bribe , and I hope we shall Al l get through it much better than I expected . parties understand that not a shilling will be got

’ fr om me . The Conservative candidates were the

- Marquis of Douro and Lieutenant Colonel Dickson . On the eve of the election he wrote : I cannot f convey any idea o the very great enthusiasm . I never could have given a previous thought of anything of the kind . The whole city is in

of movement , and thousands working men walk the streets to prevent bribery ; n ot on e shilling has been spent, and altogether nothing could be more gratifying ; our friends have each worked as if the whole election depended on himself ; all kind of u b siness is at an end , and will be till after to morrow . The poll was declared as follows

P E TO WA RN E R M A RQU IS or DOU RO DIC KSON The Conservatives had expressed themselves

ﬁ of r con dent ca rying their candidates , and pre sented a petition for an inquiry . It was with

of drawn , and the attention the House was called

t o to the withdrawal, and a Committee appointed

. in report to the House . Mr Peto was at the time M E N 6 1 IN P A RLIA T.

Hadﬁeld M . P . r e . . Paris , and the lat Mr G , , w ote him

Pray do not come unless we send for you . We are all quite satisﬁed that nothing has transpired in the slightest degree to affect your personal char

n o acter , and that motive ever existed in bringing forward the petition other than that , knowing your sensitive feeling as to bribery, they thought they

’ c m could drive you to a compromise . From o plic ity with the withdrawal the members were entirely freed by the Committee .

In the Session of 1 854 Mr . Peto warmly supported t the Payment of Wages Bill , o alter and amend the ﬁ Truck Act . He said when rst he became connected with public works the payment of money was the

f -ﬁve exception , and not the rule ; but rom twenty years ’ experience he could conceive no reason why there should be a depart ure from the rule that a man ’ s wages should be paid in the current coin

ﬁrm c n of the realm . The with which he was o n c ted e had employed in England , Canada , Den mark , Norway , and various parts of the Continent ,

men , and they never paid wages other than

in in money , and always took care the men had it sufﬁcient time to derive the full beneﬁt from it for

i n their famil es . Let them make the Act as stri gent

l n t as they might , they cou d o be doing an injustice , M T P E T 62 SIR OR ON O. as it was but right that an O bligation should be discharged in the spirit in which it was incurred by a proper payment at the proper time . In the debate on the Church Rates Abolition Bill

his in the same Session , he stated belief that the

r ﬁ : measu e would bene t the Church , and said If half the money which was expended on our cathe dral establishments were devoted to city missions , to the augmentation of the incomes of the poorer

of clergy , and to the placing clergymen where none u at present existed , the Ch rch of England would have a much stronger hold on the feelings and

ff of a ections of the people England , and the

Dissenters , so far from regretting , would most

t to hear ily rejoice see it , because by such means

i the cause of true relig on would be advanced , and no interest whatever with regard t o the Church

’ would be sacriﬁced . In another speech on the same Bill he said : The Church of England would more than in any other way cement the

good feelings of the Dissenters to her . On the part Of Dissenters he disclaimed all enmity and

hostility t o the Church . None would rejoice more

than he should to see the Church prospering, and her revenues applied in the most beneﬁcial

’ manner . A N 6 IN P A R LI M E T. 3

1 854 ﬁrm of In December , , when the Peto and Betts undertook the construction of the railway in the Crimea , Mr . Peto exchanged the representa tion of Norwich for the Stewardship of the

‘ ’ . ﬁn d Chiltern Hundreds I , he wrote in his

‘ valedictory address to his constituents , that by strict interpretation of the Act which incapacitates Members of Parliament fr 0 m being concerned in any contract or commission on behalf of the Government I may have brought myself within

n ot the Operation of the clauses , though I have in any way infringed the true spirit or mean ing of that Act . If I absented myself from the House I should avoid any legal in convenience ; but I feel that while such important questions ar e under c on sideration I should be wanting in duty to you by

n o o such a course , and I feel , therefore , hesitati n in returning to you the trust you have reposed in me , and this becomes the more imperative from the indeﬁnite time in which I shall be engaged in carrying out those duties I have voluntarily under

’ ’ ‘ . t . taken Af er resigning, Mr Peto wrote , twenty of my constituents came to see if things cannot be a ltered ; b ut it is done . Lord Aberdeen and the f ’ Duke o Newcastle were very kind . The un certainty oi bye elections was shown in this 6 SIR M T N P E T 4 OR O O.

Bi n old instance , the late Sir Samuel g , a Con servative , gaining the vacant seat with votes

’ ’ against the Liberal candidate s (Mr . Hammond s)

f On the death o Sir W . Molesworth in 1 855 Sir

n to for Morton was i vited stand Southwark , but 1 5 declined . In 8 9 he was a candidate with the

T m f r . o o late Mr Duncombe Finsbury, and was returned by a large majority over the late Mr . W .

’ Cox . , who had been Mr Duncombe s colleague in the previ ous Parliament , the poll being

T DU C OM B E . S . N S 1 R M O R T O N P R TO

W M ox . C

The position he took in the Liberal Party is shown by the following extract from a letter of the same year : I am just in from the political meeting, which was a large one . Mr . Bright is acting very cordially, as is Mr . M . Gibson , and , indeed , all the Liberals but Mr . Roebuck, Mr . — Lindsay and Mr . Horsman several expressed

n ot regret I had seconded the amendment , but I

’ am quite satisﬁed . He took a more active part in Parliamentary life as member for Finsbury than when he represented

Norwich . One Session his name is mentioned as a

SIR M T N P E T OR O O . nation should be included in the same category with the suicide and the excommunicated . He con cluded his speech thus : The abolition of the Test Ac t and other measures have done much to create a better feeling , and I beseech the House not to hesitate in its onward cour se . What is the ﬁrst book you place in the hands of your children which

’ most interests them 2 Is it n ot the Pilgrim s Progress of John Bunyan And yet the spirit which dictated this rubric imprisoned John Bunyan himself for twelve years in Bedford Gaol ; and

Nonconformists have their martyrology , as extensive in its chronicles as any that Fox ever wrote . But I rejoice that in the present day a better feeling

’ do t exists . You not value Milton s immor al works the less because they were written by a Baptist , and I beseech you to join with me in an effort t o prevent our differences being exhibited at the ff f grave , where at least we may hope the di erences o

r life would be forgotten , and the mou ners be per m itt ed t o resign to their last resting - place the precious remains of their friends in that way which would be most in consonance with their own feel

’ ings and those of the dead .

The Bill , backed by Sir Morton , the late Sir K F . Crossley and the late Lord innaird , then the I N P A I A M E N 6 RL T. 7

ﬁ . Hon . A . Kinnaird , was read a rst time On the

it te 2 36 second reading , in April , was rejec d by to 1 862 1 5 5 votes . In the Bill was reintroduced , and

t i t o referred o a Select Comm ttee , but , owing the t late period when it left the Committee , was wi h 1 63 . 8 drawn In the Bill , altered in accordance with views expressed in Committee , was introduced

. out by Sir M . Peto and Sir C Douglas , but thrown — by a majority of 1 2 5 there being 2 2 1 votes 6 n 9 . agai st , and for the second reading Mr . Disraeli said he was perfectly ready to do justice f to the character and motives o the hon . baronet who brings this measure before the House , but this measure is n ot t o be decided by personal considera tions . Besides questions relating to the working classes and religious disabilities, Sir Morton took much f ﬁ interest in the subject o forti cations . With the

E . C . late Mr . Bidder , , he strongly deprecated ex pen ditur e on forts and wooden ships . A ship debate

’ M r P un c h his ensued , said . in Essence of Parlia

o f ment , and a g od one ; and the Opinion o Sir J .

m n Paxton , Sir Morton Peto , and other practical e , t ’ was strongly expressed agains the wooden ships . Hansard reports Sir Morton as advi sing the House that before spending further millions O f money on IR M T N P E T 68 S OR O O.

ﬁ on P ort sdown forti cations Hill , and batteries on all the sandbanks at the entrance of Portsmouth

Harbour , a commission , composed of experienced ,

a unprejudiced and practical men , should be p

n ot to of pointed , merely consider the question

in defend g the existing dockyards , but the suitable ness of those establishments t o the altered circum

n stances O f the nation . In his work o Taxation

’ Its Levy and Expenditure , Past and Present

a (Chapman and Hall, he strongly advoc ted

and the building of iron ships , in dockyards adapted

for the purpose , and argued that by contracting with

ui of b lders unquestioned reputation , for the con ﬁ struction of iron hulls at xed and certain prices , h t ere would be much economy , and the present costly establishments in our dockyards might be greatly

and permanently reduced . The yards would be fi fi used for the tting and re tting of ships , and all the millions proposed to be sunk in fortifications for

r . thei protection would be saved He went further , and advocated that som e common accord should be i come to to reduce the armaments , which in S r

’ Robert Peel s words belong to a state of war

’ rather than of peace .

on In a debate the Navy Estimates he declared , h after visiting the dockyards , the system which ad N 6 IN P A R LIA M E T. 9 grown up of making additions without plan or

of system was ruinous and un sound . A report the debate says his Speech made a great impression on the House , and the frequent cheers with which he was greeted showed the hold he had got on the feel ings as well as the understanding of the House . With his business Sir Morton found the r epr e sen t ation of Finsbury brought too many calls on his 1 864 v time , and in November , , he accepted an in ita tion t o stand with the late Hon . F . H . F . Berkeley for Bristol at the next General Election . The rival candidate for the vacancy to be caused by the f o . retirement of one the sitting members , Mr Gore

was . . . n ow Langton , Mr T F Fremantle , Lord Cot

t esloe on , and each candidate spoke at banquets Col

’ s n i m f to s day . The T es o the day succeeding the

dinners said Sir M . Peto must show good reason

n ot . why the Bristolians should elect Mr Fremantle , i and the latter must prove that Sir M . Peto s a

dangerous and unsuitable representative for Bristol . The necessity itself might excuse some invention

i s of a Sir Morton a Dissenter , a builder B ptist

chapels , a man in business , and long associated with popular movements for good and philanthropic

’ ‘ ur . t o p poses Referring Sir Morton s Speech , most

’ pleasant and instructive , the leader concluded M P E T 7 o SIR OR T ON O.

The inference intended to be drawn from it is that Sir Morton will be the right man in the right

place at Bristol . We entirely agree and adopt the conclusion without reserve . NO doubt the two

‘ ar e ff men di erent in themselves , and will act with different bodies of men ; but when it comes to political creeds and opinion , and to criticisms upon

ff diﬂer en c e ﬁ . public a airs , becomes in nitesimal

' No diﬂer en tial calculus will provide a phrase to distinguish between men whose absorbing feeling i s intense admiration of their country and its

. . t o peculiar institutions Nay , if Sir M Peto seems

n his start from an opposite poi t , testimony is all the stronger , because without prejudice and the result of experience . They both love their country — their party indeed , but their country more ; they are both honourable men . They both think it not so of much a matter this measure or that , this

or as statesman that , so long England is true to

in her Old character for honesty , patriotism ,

’ dependence and good order . 1 865 The election in July , , was the last General on e in which the system of public nominations and

of declarations the poll took place . The nomina tion at Bristol was in the quadrangle of the

‘ ‘ Exchange , and the Blues and the Reds had IN P A L A M E N 1 R I T. 7 their armi es marshalled by prize -ﬁghter s ; the

- t - noise , confusion , and hand o hand encounters would have converted anyone wishful t o retain the f old arrangement . One supporter o Berkeley and

in n Peto had a dead cat thrown his face , one o the other side was covered with blue powder , and Mr .

Fremantle , on his facing the electors , received a blow from a rotten egg . Sir Morton was fortunate in having a pillar behind which he could shelter

1 4 . himself . At the declaration on July Mr Fremantle did n ot appear ; one such ordeal was enough . The numbers were

O B E K LE Y H N . E F . H . F . R SIR M P E TO .

M R T E M A TLE . . F . FR N

The business troubles of the ensuing year prevented Sir Morton from taking the active part which h ad been his wont during the seventeen years he had successively represented Norwich and Fins

u to 1 6 b ry , and led his resigning his seat in 8 8 . His constituents had frankly accepted his explanation

of the circumstances connected with the London ,

Chatham and Dover Railway , and had in public

meeting thereafter given him a vote of sympathy .

On his death , a quarter of a century later , the

‘ leading Bristol paper referred to him as a keen , 2 SIR M T N P E T 7 OR O O.

’ of u t capable man b siness and a s rong Liberal, and

hi s added , connection with Bristol, though but a

in his r short episode long ca eer , was one which

’ many Bristolians will remember with interest . After he retired from Parliament he continued to take much interest in politics and he had the satisfaction of seeing his policy with regard to the navy and fortiﬁcations carried out and the Burials

Bill become law .

SIR M T N P E T 7 4 OR O O.

pin manufactory , and Severn , and , as the

u . steamer left at three , ret rned by coach The

l n charge was two shil ings . We could ot get up the hill out of Gloucester without stopping once ; then we went on pretty well until the place about

- half way where the water was taken in . The

e e on e b ut st am is not generat d in boiler , in several w small ones . One of them burst ; the hot ater ran

t ﬁr e . in o the hat with explosion , steam , smoke ,

t . and smell , I never was in any hing like it All

off of . were soon the coach , and we were soon out it Fortunately n o harm was done ; but we were left to l Th get home as we cou d . e passengers were obliged to ﬁve walk four or miles , but , happy fellow I had

- f a wife . A coach load o elect ors returning from an

m n ot election took in ywife , but as she could go

’

m him . without her help ate , took in also

’ Mr. Peto s ﬁrst home in married life was in

Albany Terrace , York Road , Lambeth . The house

n is ow joined by a bridge with th e opposite house . The home was broken up early in 1 84 2 by the

of hi s wh o death wife , left three daughters and

n s o e on surviving . A second son named after his father died shortly before his mother .

on 1 2 1 84 3 Mr . Peto married July , , Sarah

of . Ainsworth , daughter the late Mr Henry Kel L P E RS ON A .

f f . o sall , o Rochdale In the summer that year he lived at Theobalds , Herts , spending the winter

- at Albany Terrace , which was the town house but f r of 4 7 o a short time , as he took a lease , Russell

of Square , where all the elder children issue this

In of marriage were born . the summer the next

on of year Bracondale , a house the Carrow side Nor wich , and about a mile from the city , was taken because of its nearness t o the Eastern Counties Rail

of way Works , and in the autumn the year Somer leyton was purchased by Mr . Peto from the late m Lord Sidney Godolphi n Osborne . So erleyton underwent great changes under its new owner .

’ The gardens were laid out under Mr . Nessﬁeld s

e supervision the house was rebuilt , and aft rwards m i much enlarged , the late John Tho as be ng the architect . Thomas had begun life as a stone mason . He was on e day occupied in carving

’ the supporters of the Queen s coat - oi - arms over a shop in Birmingham , when the late Sir Charles f I ’ K II . Barry , the architect o ing Edward s Grammar

School in that town , noticed his talent , and had him employed on the Grammar School . Sir Charles

t o . then introduced him Mr Peto , who made use of him as a sculptor for the work at the Houses f m o . r Parlia ent Fo Mr . Betts he afterwards 6 SIR M T N PE T 7 OR O O.

designed Preston Hall . To Messrs . Peto and Betts Thomas was much indebted for his success in his profession . Mr . Peto took great interest in the

m : i provements at Somerleyton . He wrote On some parts of the estate the views are really do lightful ; the part near Fritton Lake is equal to any t part of the Virginia Water . We shall be able o add

to our greatly the value by planting , and there are many little im provements which will greatly interest

’ to ou n o t t . us carry , at large cost The addition of a winter - garden did n ot take place till some f twelve years after the acquisition o the property . — The village on e of the prettiest of model villages ﬁ was rst rebuilt .

Soon after his second marri age Mr . Peto joined h the Baptist denomination . When in Norwich e had frequently attended the late Rev . William

’ Br ook s chapel , and his letters testify to his enjoy

’ ment of the minister s sermons . In his plans to beneﬁt the navvies on the Eastern Counties Rail

M r . way Brock heartily joined . Commodious b alls

of were built , capable being moved onward as the works advanced publications and books were pr o

’ vided for the men s leisure hours ; a railway mission account was opened at the Norwich Bank , upon which Mr . Brock had liberty to draw . He P E S N A L R O . 7 7 was wont t o say the missionaries at work under f him were the best set o men he ever knew .

’

our . From people , wrote Mr Peto , I hear a good account of all the missionaries . A chapel has been erected at Brandon ; Mr. Brock preached the opening sermon ; I never saw a more in ter estin g meeting . We went afterwards and saw a poor fellow wh o had been greatly injured on the works ; he had been regularly visited by the missionary every day ; he seems in the most hopeful state of mind : there is n o prospect of his

’ recovery . In a later letter he wrote I saw the

n Bishop o the platform with Mrs . Stanley this — — morning h e received me most kindly he hoped in the autumn that he should be at Norwich and have the pleasure of a more intimate acquaintance ; he is just leaving for his visitation , and then to

in London . At leav g he took me aside , and said

. to Mr Peto , I cannot part without expressing you ,

of as the Bishop this diocese , the great obligation you have laid me under in your care of the spiritual

of interest the poor men on the line . I have anxiously watched all that has been done , and I can assure you all has my m ost sincere appr ob a f tion and approval . I o course expressed my great satisfaction that it had met his lordship ’ s 7 8 SIR M OR T ON P E T O .

so approbation, the more as I felt the liberality and

Christian feeling which dictated the remark , as I was conscious we differed on what many esteemed f ’ questions o importance . On the occasion of opening upwards of 80 miles of the Eastern Counties Railway , the Bishop of

: . Norwich said Mr Peto was a Dissenter , and he envied the sect to which he belonged the possession of such a man ; he would gladly purchase him

own an d at his price , heartily he prayed that he would erelong become a member of the Church of

England . He was a Churchman , and holding high

‘ ﬂi e v o c in the Church , and he belie ed that in that Church was the purest faith ; but he was still a

Catholic Christian , and as such would hold it as a dereliction of his duty if he did n ot express his approbative respect and regard for the exertions used for the moral beneﬁt of the railway labourers by Mr . Peto . All down the line he had met with his agents , and had found them not merely giving direction and instruction , but also givin g to the men religious and school books for the education of

an d themselves their children , and thus showing them that education can civilize the mind , reform

the habits , and elevate the understanding . The

- t gin shops were lef deserted , and the schools were P E S N A L R O . 7 9

f full . The good and exemplary conduct o Mr . Peto ’ s railway labourers under this system deserved t o be a tale told three times three with one cheer d i more ; and let it be recor ed as a fact , of wh ch

u n t n there co ld be no denial , that o o e labourer in the Norwich district had been guilty of misconduct

’ that made him amenable to the law . The allusion f ’ of the Bishop to the orderly conduct o Mr . Peto s labourers was corroborated by the Dean of Ely at a

’

of . For subsequent part the proceedings , said he , in my district I have never had so little criminal magisterial business during the period I have had a seat on the Bench as during the progress of the

n r M r works o the Easte n Counties Railway under .

for of two of Peto , although a period years his m ’ m en have been in my im ediat e vicinity .

oo By laymen , t , his care for the navvies has been appreciated . John Francis , in his History of the

1 82 0 vol . . : T o English Railway , ii , says the

of honour of Mr . Peto , by whom thousands this c lass were employed , some attempt was made to humanize them . He was careful in his selection of overseers . He always paid his wages weekly in

n o wh money, and boldly avowed that contractor, o understood his own interest or his obligations to

d London N ews e ruar 8 1 51 I llustr a te 8 . , F b y , 80 SIR M T N P E T OR O O.

d o . his men , would otherwise Attention was paid to their religious instruction . Clergymen and

- Scripture readers were induced to visit them . He provided them with barracks to lodge in he intro duc ed habits of thrift and carefulness ; he en c our a ed - g them in joining sick clubs , and gave large sum s to induce them . No on e who could read was without a Bible . The consequence was that men stayed with him fourteen or ﬁfteen years ; that drunkenness was uncommon and that though dis solut en ess of mind and manner was impossible utterly to prevent , there was but little among the

’ large number employed by Mr . Peto . And in a ll h : . Gr i sse w o note he adds Mr , earnestly assisted his partner in his endeavour to ameliorate the evils

the of the railway labourer , relates with zest difﬁculties they experienced in commencing as c on

’

. w tractors , and that Mr Peto succeeded in inning

to . . over Mr . Bidder aid them Mr Francis relates in his work that the custom prevailed among railway companies of letting large portions of

wh o their works to contractors , divided their respective portions among others with smaller

who of capital , again , subletting their part the works to a min or class as much labourers as contractors , engaged other workmen , assisted in

82 SIR M T N P E T OR O 0 .

out as to th e practice of contractors in n ot paying

m o ne f in y, and paying only the balance o cash

v ﬁve or e ery six weeks ; they were much struck, and made me promise to breakfast with them next week to meet Lord Ebrington and several and the matter is to be brought before the House

of Commons next week, and a Committee applied f for , be ore which I have promised to give evidence .

- of for I shall get the ill will every contractor , but

n v f this I care nothi g . I am ser ing the poor ellows ,

and promoting the cause of morality . Mr .

Stephenson , Mr . Bidder , Mr . Hudson , and all my

‘ friends stick by me in the movement ; n ow I have

d do less to o, I must more in another , and I trust

’ t : better way . And in a later let er he says I

Hon . . breakfasted with Sir G . Grey, Mr Bouverie ,

Lord Ebrington , B . Hawes (afterwards Sir . B .

on e M . P . Hawes) , and other I persuaded them to ﬁ con ne their attempt this Session to one object ,

m on e weekl to viz . , the payment in y and y, but obtain power to inquire into every other grievance ff under which they were su ering . I told them I did n ot see my way t o compulsory religious

ﬁn d instruction , and I am somewhat surprised to

all agree with me . Sir G . Grey said since his last interview with me he had applied to the Bishop of R L PE S ON A .

Durham as to appointing Scripture -readers m

Northumberland, but his lordship said he could only sanction regularly appointed clergymen , which f Sir G . Grey eels to be useless, as he sees with me they cannot meet the feelin gs and gain the c on

n f ﬁde c e o the men . I felt truly glad he had made

n ow this application , as he sees that my statement

out is thoroughly borne , and as I had felt it right to f say I was a Dissenter, it is the m ore grati ying

not on that he is relying me only, but is convinced

’ f n u from the result o his ow inq iries . f Mr . Peto was himself very appreciative o good preaching ; when with his mother he always

to accompanied her church in the morning , and she when able went with him to chapel in the

n evening . His standard was high , and in o e letter he says : I went to hear Mr . S . this morning ; he

d n ot is a goo man , but his sermon was much above

’ what we could call very mediocre , and I don t believe he would get £30 per ann um in our denom

’ ’ ination . The Rev. W . Brock had , on Mr . Peto s

ﬁ for rst candidature Norwich , strongly supported

Serjeant Parry , and his conduct had been severely

in criticised the press, letters being wr itten to him fr om many Nonconformists disapproving of

’

. . ar his conduct Mr Brock fe ed Mr . Peto s friend 3 SIR M T N P E T 4 OR O O.

ul n ot r ship wo d bea the strain , but was relieved when on the day of the chairin g he had a letter

f f di : ou rom the success ul can date I can assure y ,

f c an or my beloved riend , that nothing alter , has

ff . in the slightest degree altered , my a ection I have nothing to complain of so far as you are

ou concerned ; and I beg to assure y I have never,

’ or ou an in thought word , done y y injustice . Mr . Peto showed by act as well as word he had no

- f r h t . ill feeling , o in e next year he urged Mr Brock

t o of accept the pastorate Bloomsbury Chapel , which

had been built with funds he supplied . Before Mr .

Brock entered on his ministry Mr . Peto wrote : I think he should get two months ’ rest before he comes to Bloomsbury and takes the services regularly—nothing like beginning well and keeping ﬁ on quietly . I think rst impressions always very

’ important .

In philan thropic work generally Mr . Peto took a

’ deep interest . You must blame Lord Ashley , he ‘ for on m writes , laying violent hands e last night for the Opening of a new and large Ragged School

near Field Lane . I sent the report ; the meetin g

’ was most interesting . The Essex Hall Idiot Asylum

for was indebted to him its establishment , as he

for the lent money the purchase of land , and for P E R S N A L O . 85

£200 ten years contributed per annum , and then

t o to ff gave enable it pay o a mortgage .

The Haverstock Hill Orphan Working School , the

a Earlswood Idiot Asylum , and the institution t

d for Ree ham fatherless children , received his warm support . I am staying in the city for the Idiot

’ Asylum Dinner , says another letter . I feel much

o . interest in the institution , and as I am up I g ff The dinner went o capitally . I felt that t o begin their new building it was very important to do all we could . I engaged to double our subscription of

£200 for ﬁ ve years . We collected nearly

was of He a deacon Bloomsbury Chapel , and a regular attendant at church meetings when in

’ ‘ i w ad town . I th nk , he rites , nearly all the

- vantages of church membership are lost in London , where parties c o-op er a t e so little together for their mutual ediﬁ c ation and in promoting the kingdom

’ of their Lord .

’ Bloomsbury Chapel under Mr . Brock s pastorate h d r e a a very prosperous career , and was h . w o paid by the church to Mr Peto , expended it in

’ the purchase of the Diorama in Regent s Park , and

’ Y u its conversion into Regent s Park Chapel . o

’ r r . to will be g eatly pleased , w ote Mr Peto his wife ,

’ with Thomas s design for the interior of the 86 SIR M T N P E T OR O O.

f . n o Diorama It is o e the best I ever saw , and it

will make a very nice chapel . In the plans I am

t o n making it hold ot more than Bloomsbury, taking away the second gallery and putting the

’ children at the back , and leaving children s gal

’ leries to if be built ever wanted . Of the scheme of building chapels in the Metro

n polis he was a stanch supporter . We will c o

’

i . £500 e. tribute , he writes , the next three years , ,

He laid the foundation - stone of the

’ Metropolitan (Mr . Spurgeon s) Tabernacle . While

for own doing his utmost his denomination , he

of showed , by his restoration his parish church at

n o Somerleyton , that he had wish it should prosper f f at the expense o the Church o England . To the Commun ion being restricted to members

f wn m o his o deno ination he was strongly opposed , and felt very glad at the defeat of the supporters of close Communion in the Norwich Chapel

’ Case .

1 84 9 of In , at the conclusion the lawsuit de ciding that the Unitar ian s had n o right to share in

ﬁ f Hewle the bene ts o the Lady y Trusts , he was

on e appointed a trustee , and remained till his n m death , taki g, after his retirement fro business , a very active part in its administration . P E R S N A L 8 O . 7

He was also a member of the Court of the Fish ’ f mongers Company , and a director o the Rock Life

r - n a Assurance Society . Fo twenty o e ye rs he was treasurer of the Baptist Missionary Society . He

of ﬁve to defrayed the expenses deputations India ,

f . f West A rica , and Jamaica The result o the de putation to Jamaica was the extinguishment of a debt of In 1 84 9 the scheme of the Great Exhibition of 1 85 1 was started . A royal commission had been appointed , and an executive committee form ed .

an d The cost was gone into, the best site selected ; — then arose the most pressing question how the

’ funds were to be provided . The suggestion , says the late Sir H . Cole , in his Fifty Years of Public ’ f ff Work , came rom Lord Granville ; the next o er

. ho for from Mr Peto , w said he would be ready One commissioner repented of having given a guarantee , and with long face went about

i : to say ng The Government ought bear the loss , ” even and more . On July con

’

n . tin es Sir H . Cole , as I was passing Mr Peto s fﬁ o ce , in Great George Street , the following conver sation took place He asked me : How is the guarantee getting on T 88 SIR M OR TON P E O.

I replied : Not at all ; everybody is afraid t o ” begin .

o to S . M . P Rec llect , I am quite ready act

when the time ar rives . ou do H . C . The time has arrived , and y will ” good service by beginning it . w to f S . M . P I am going do n Lowesto t to ” night , and shall be back in a fortnight .

H . C That will be a fortnight lost , and ” time is most precious . ff . ﬁ . P : Do ou n S . M y feel co dent that if I o er

‘ ” to do anythin g it will be acceptable 2

ui ﬁ u H . C . Q te con dent ; what yo intend to ” do t . , do direc ly

t o f S . M . P Then come with me the Re orm ” Club , and I will write a letter to Colonel Grey .

We went at once to the writing- room of th e f . f Re orm Club , and Mr Peto wrote the ollowing letter

f or m u u 1 2 R e 1 850. Cl b, J ly ,

a of H ving, as a member the Finance

to f w Committee , had occasion con er ith Lord Gran ville on the subject of providing a guarantee fund towards carrying out the Great Exhibition of

of all 1 851 Industry Nations in , and understanding

9 SIR M R T N P E T 9 O O O. at once in the warm est terms for his public spirit and readiness to support us in our difﬁ cult task by

' t ” this spon aneous and most liberal oﬂer .

to I have the honour be , sir,

Your most obedient servant,

’ Y C . GRE .

The guarantee , Sir Henry relates , was started brilliantly , and before long about was

of subscribed, and the Bank England preferred to

n make the necessary advances o smaller sums . He

’ says in his diary : The Prince came into Grey s room , and, as his manner often was , sat upon the

’ table . I related the details of Peto s guarantee ; the Prince applauded it as a most useful thing in h avin g stirred up others . He said n ow was the f ’ time or work ; it was n ot plans that were wanted .

of The guarantee was the subject much comment ,

on . and Lord Overstone called Mr Taylor, Sir

' Morton s solicitor, and was shown that the guarantor was worth between and

Mr. Peto was subsequently appointed

’ on e of her Majesty s Commissioners for the exhi

bition .

In the spring of 1 854 the home was changed

4 1 2 n t from 7 Russell Square to , Kensi g on Palace P E R N A L : S O . 9

In Gardens . the ensuing year , on his retirement from Parliament , he received his baronetcy . The ﬁrst intimation he received of the intended honour was thus conveyed W ar De art m ent p , ‘ Feb 1 1 855 . , .

M Y D M R . T EAR PE O , Lord Aberdeen has at m y request rec om mended to the Queen that you should be made a

r baronet , and her Majesty has been g aciously f pleased to approve o the proposal . I hope this honour will be as agreeable to you and your family as I am sure it is well deserved .

For the public - spirited manner in which you came forward t o assist me with the Balaklava rail

in road , and thereby lost your seat Parliament , I am most grateful ; but your previous career and public conduct in the development of many a great undertaking would at any time have justiﬁed this f i f mark o di st nction at the hand o the Sovereign . Wishing you man y years of happin ess and pros

ar p ity .

I am , my dear Mr . Peto ,

Yours most sincerely,

’ TL NEWC AS E .

In reply to the Duke , Mr . Peto expressed himself 2 SIR M R T N PE TO 9 O O . thus That you should feel any satisfaction in the mode your wishes h ave so far been carried out is to me an ample return for any trouble I have taken ; but the mode in which you expressed your feelings by mentioning favourably my name t o the Sovereign

of in through the E arl Aberdeen , and its result the

f to honour con erred , leaves me unable express my sense of your kindness ; and my feeling that you have far over-valued anything I can have done is rendered much stronger by the kind expressions in your letter conveying to me the intimation of your

of on proposal , and the honour conferred me in

’ consequence . The T im es of February 1 0 said : The public

’ will learn with satisfaction that h er Majesty s

’

t of . Government , in apprecia ion Mr Peto s services , and more especially of his recent disinterested and patriotic conduct in retiring from the representa tion of Norwich to carry out the construction of the railway from Balaklava originated by the Duke

f t o o Newcastle , has recommended him the Queen

c on for a baronetcy, which will be immediately

’ Th of ferr ed upon him . e conferring the title was

azette f announced in the London G o February 1 6 . Later in the year Sir Morton Peto had to make journeys to Portugal and Algeria, and his letters

IR M R T N P E T 94 S O O O . the in of sun the middle the day, but cool and

f and delight ul in the mornings evenings . The

rooms are kept nearly dark , and the therm ometer 8 is scarcely ever so high as 0 degrees . The country

to a an d is fertile degree I never saw , where they ﬁ irrigate the crops are magni cent . At this season

ﬁn e n o f r ﬁ it is always they get rain o ve months .

n o n Just w the harvest operations are going o . The wheat is all cut with the sickle , and taken at once t -ﬂoor out o the threshing , where it is trod by oxen , or more usually by some fourteen to eighteen horses in a string running in a circle .

The views are often very singularly beautiful . On looking down from the mountains over the pine

- an d forests and olive plantations in the valleys , the

n r k . many windi g rivers , you view is very stri ing

so ou The atmosphere is clear, y can generally see ﬁ m from some forty to fty miles . But a idst all this beauty the habitations of man are most miserably dirty ; the people have n o ideas of cleanliness and comfort . I shall be obliged to provide habitations

hO S it als an d r n for our men , and p convenient a ra ge

u ments everywhere . I never saw a co ntry in which it is probable that railways will make so great a f change . When you get sixty miles rom Lisbon the value of thin gs is almost nomin al from the cost P E R S N A L O . 9 5

f ou to o transport , and it is only when y get within thirty or forty miles of the Tagus and the sea they f ’ have any outlet or their produce . In another letter he writes : I am tir ed of

to staying , a degree you cannot conceive . No one

’ is left in Lisbon , and after my day s work I walk

to every evening the same little garden , and sit alone and think of home and my loved ones there . f f The evenings are delight ul and the moon ull , and ’ f until nine o clock, when the dew begins to all

. f to freely , it is indeed beautiful It is a relie get away from business and sit in the cool evenings

’ f an d and think o other days other scenes .

1 85 an d In March , 7 , he was in Algeria , went to

Phili ppville and Constantine . Six days after leaving

a f Engl nd he wrote from the ormer place, after sixty- two hours at sea : The post leaves in half an

for hour ; I have only time a hasty lin e . We

on u landed a glorious morning , warm as s mmer .

u f Our ship lay close to a mo ntain eet high , clothed to nearly the top with verdure—certainly a

more beautiful sight I never sa w. The plants are

: f in perfection a beauti ul white erica , in exquisite b f loom , growing in some places ten to twelve eet

hi n g ; wild cactus , rhubarb , asparagus and cork

trees , myrtles and prickly pears, and a host of 6 SIR M RT N P E T 9 O O O.

a f n pl nts which, with my limited knowledge o bota y, f ’ I knew nothing o . His love of architecture equalled his love of scenery . In an earlier journey in France he wrote I have been greatly pleased with the line and the

u u r . co ntry , partic larly Cha tres It has one of the

on f oldest cathedrals in France , and e o the most

beautiful . The carving and the stained glass were

’ beyond any I ever saw . And we remember his

’ warm admiration for Axel B aig e etching of the f interior o the cathedral at Chartres .

Al in 1 860 of At giers , , some the calls he made gave him the Opportunity of seeing the interiors of

’ - old . the Moorish houses The Governor General ,

u he writes , inhabits the old town and co ntry

of house of the Dey Algiers , and such exquisite

work of imitation of lace I never saw . I was very

n much pleased with Consta tine , but this is very

’ superior . In 1 860 he made up his min d to part with

n r Somerleyton , and in the followi g yea he wrote :

f n ot It is right to be prudent and care ul , and

. ou bring reproach I enclose y an abstract , very

f l of our care u ly prepared , expenditure the last ﬁve

years . It is , as I expected , about a year .

I have asked Mr . H . to separate the cost of

3 SIR M R T N P E T 9 O O O.

in the Bayswater Road had been added to the city

’ in the last four years . In another letter he says : Nothin g can exceed the attention with which we have been received . I never met such courtesy and kin dness in any

to country before . They all seemed emulate each

other t o make our visit as pleasant as possible .

n o o of f There is, d ubt , a good deal eeling about the — A la bam a the only point of soreness I can detect . With the Irish element here the English are un

popular ; but Mr . Thurlow Weed told me , and

General Hooper also , that it was the earnest wish of all cultivated Americans to preserve the alliance

’ between the two countries . From Chicago he wrote : Three weeks to- day

since we left Liverpool , and we have travelled m of besides iles sea , of railway, and have seen so much it appears more like three

months . We have n ot had t o pay a single hotel

’ bill since New York . Later : I have very much

enjoyed my trip . I have endeavoured to throw

a t o ﬁn d side all prejudice , and out what is

of really good and worthy value , and I confess

r there is very much worth notice and rega d , with

. n very much I do not like Still , we are ot here so much t o criticise as to learn what is the real c on P E R S N AL O .

f ’ dition o the great people and country . In a Republic we cannot expect t o ﬁn d so much which we desire to have imitated in England as to feel ‘ f what is the real eeling towards England , and u what is likely to be the f ture of America . We have been to Washington ; there we saw the Presi t dent , and were received most cour eously and

f in kin dly . We ound him a very plain room with

’ a secretary , signing Pardons , and with no more pomp than I should receive a person on busin ess in Great George Street . He is decidedly an in tellec t ual f of and agreeable man , with much orce character . We were introduced by Governor

Walker . The President shook hands with us all , and welcomed us to Am erica ; he talked for half

r in an hou the most pleasant , friendly way , but every word was well chosen ; he showed a most in timate acquaintance with all that was tran

’ un . on e spiring in the co try I read of the Pardons , which simply required the party to take the oath

to of n of allegiance the Union the Sates , and er er to hold or so n t a slave , , in the event of doi g , o f for eit the pardon . After the most friendly talk we all left with extremely pleasant impressions of i our v sit . We went to the Treasury . Some 600

n young women were acti g as clerks , doing the Ioo SI R M R T N P E T O O O.

m i of duty ad irably , and keep ng the accounts the Government in the clearest and most intelligible — form we could not help wishing for simply the f ’ same thing in the Bank o Englan d .

Of Philadelphia he writes : I admire it more

than any other city in America . At dinner we met

General Meade , who gained the battle at Gettys

m to th e of burg , which did uch decide fate the

’ : r war he is most ag eeable . He also met General

of : Grant , whom he writes He is such a remark

ably quiet man . He does n ot talk much on any f subject . He put me very much in mind o the

m u E peror Napoleon , as he seems rather to e deavour in everything to draw the person into

conversation , taking as little part in it himself as

’ possible . It m ay be remarked that what Sir Morton noticed as to the Emperor Napoleon and General Grant

we might say of him . He had not great powers

of m conversation , but he was ore than an excellent

‘ ’ listener ; he had the art of making those easy

’ ﬁ w of with whom he conversed , ful lling S ift s test ’ w ﬁ good manners ; his remarks were al ays tting, and his genial manner and interest led on a better

talker , and after a pleasant hour in his room we have felt how much of the pleasure was due to th e

1 0 2 SIR III OR T N P E T O O .

for r quietly three hours o so . I get there also the

I llus tr a ted Lon don N ews Athen wum S a tur da , the , y

i n ff R ev ew . so ot o , etc I am in that respect badly but I often go from four t o ﬁve nights and do not

speak to a person . There are a great many

standard English works in the library . I have

’ been very greatly struck with Mr . Gladstone s

of meeting the details of the Irish Church Bill , and he has throughout kept his temper with much

’ : to excite and annoy . In another letter he says I have been m uch struck in reading Bunsen in regard to his constant looking up to God for

’ guidance . Seeley s Expansion of England is one of the most thoughtful books I have seen for ’ f a long time . Referring to a letter o the late Rev .

. . : d C M Birrell I read it several times to ay, but

I shall read it again when we meet . He combines

the Christian and reﬁned gentleman . I only knew

in i n a . s . . it one i stance in the s me degree , , Mr f m t Joseph Tritton , and I felt a ter y last visit o Blom ﬁeld I had lost much in n ot cultivatin g his f friendship more ; and this letter o Mr . Birrell makes

me feel the same in regard t o him . If spared in

’ God s good g uidance to return to England again t f i of o reside , I eel deeply in the even ng life

r u I must endeavour to avoid the error . Fo o r P E R S N AL 1 0 O . 3 selves and our dear ones we cannot be too much in

’ contact with minds and hearts like theirs . f Be ore settling down again in England , three 1 1 5 years were Spent abroad . Then from 87 3 to 87

Cowley House , Exeter , was the home ; the summer of 1 8 5 was w 7 spent at Stargrove , near Ne bury ; in 1 8 6 1 87 7 The Hollands , Yeovil , was rented ; from 7 to

1 884 n 1 884 he resided at Eastcote House , Pin er ; in

he moved to Blackhurst , Tunbridge Wells , where ,

with the exception of two winters at Cannes , he

resided till the end of his life .

It may be said that his home - life only strictly

commenced after his leaving business , for with that tie and his Parliamentary duties , and philanthropic

u work in addition , the ho rs spent at home were not many in comparison with those spent elsewhere .

It was rarely that the breakfast - table at Palace

Gardens had not some guest , invited or uninvited , who knew it was his only chance of a word with

Sir Morton . He was always attached to children . In a letter written while the Eastern Counties con

‘ u to tract was ndertaken , he said in reference little

b ut H I could not spare much time , I could not resist his solicitations to play one game of ninepins

with him on the table , he having bought them with a shilling I gave him and in a letter written 1 0 T P E T 4 SIR M OR ON O .

1 885 from Blackhurst in , referring to a grandson

. i s R a very good boy , gives no trouble , and he feels quite at home and amuses himself won

d r full e . y He is now building a house , and the

d . foundations are nearly one , and he asked H to

lay ﬁ . the rst stone . She excused herself , and L is

’ to do it and make the speech . Another letter , th hi s referring to e same grandchild , brings out strong wish that the characters of those dear to

him should be conspicuous by self- reliance : I think hi s having to rely so much on himself alone for amusement has been a good thing , for it has m - ade him much more self reliant . I asked him a few days since if he did not feel sometimes dull .

l : ﬁn d fﬁ He rep ied Grandfather , I it very di cult

in ﬁn d to get through all I have to do the day . I him very quick in calculation . We often play bagatelle , and he seldom makes a mistake in add

n m ing up the u bers . I consider , so far as I can

h as judge , he beyond an average of ability to learn , and he reasons for himself on facts in rather a

’ s triking way . After receiving the baronetcy Sir Morton wrote to

: i n his eldest son It is right I should say to you , ﬁ ff con dence , I shall make no di erence in property w r bet een you and your brothers , and my desi e will

1 0 6 SIR M T N P E T OR O O. never known to use any expression of regret for the n past , but e joyed the quiet of home and the society of his children . He felt that the past had been

ff to ﬁ unsettled , and the only e ect it had was con rm his peace of mind , and help him to look forward to the future with complete complacency .

‘ On leaving Cowley House he wrote : I feel if we make another move it ought to be the last , so that your mother and I could sit down quietly to end the span of life yet allotted to us by our

9 heavenly Father . In a birthday letter to a son he wrote I need not say , I am sure , how much I f t feel of com or and happiness amidst all my anxiety , in regard to my dear children and in another letter I often feel how grateful I should be that none of my children have been a cause of unhappi

’ ness , and that all have done so well . The main

oi h stay his c aracter was his religion . A friend wrote of him after his death : Amid all his trials

so he was resigned , and never lost the dignity of a s pirit at rest with itself , whatever material changes

’ ’ ‘ might come . This life , wrote Sir Morton , is a continued scene of trial , and it is well for us it is so , for our constant temptation is to make it our rest ; and all these changes tend , when rightly

to directed , make us look beyond , and to feel we L 1 0 P E R S ON A . 7 must seek in every trial to ﬁn d in it the blessing in

’ ‘ d n isguise . Agai : I thought you would like a copy of the Revised New Testament , and I wish to

ou n ot give y , as a birthday gift , only what you n would most value , but somethi g you would not cease to use . An ordinary book , however interest

in on f n ot ﬁ g , read and put the shel does ful l these conditions . I wish you many happy returns of

ﬁn d your birthday , and that each one may you happier than the preceding , and that you may

u attain ripe old age , having spent a life of usef l

s ness , happy in your elf , and made the cause of

’ happiness to many others .

’ The last remark recalls Sir Morton s utter un him selﬁshness . The one who was most with wrote

His patient , cheerful diligence in doing little things for the good and pleasure of others when the former means for strength and great things

were gone was remarkable ; he never complained , but went about the lesser things with as much zeal as if he had been dealing with thousands instead

n of units . If he read a book of special i terest , he

of would at once order a number copies , and him self send them where h e thought they would be

an d most useful , to those who had not the means

’ to spend even a little in such a dir ection . He well 1 0 8 SIR M T N P E T OR O O. illustrated Rothe ’ s saying To take pleasure in the smaller things of life is the noble privilege not

’ only of childhood , but of misfortune . His thought fulness for others was always without reproach . A writer in the public press said of him when hi s career was at its zenith , and it was calculated that one - seventh of the leading railways had been con structed by him : His demeanour to his inferiors is as unobtrusive and con siderate as his hear in g to

’ - his equals is courteous , polished , self possessed . Sir Morton impressed people very much by hi s dignified bearing . One who was for several years engaged in the negotiations of his fir m writes fi 1 85 1 The rst time I saw Mr . Peto was in , in a committee - room of the House of Commons (Private

Bill) . I was then a sucking engineer just out of my articles , and present as adjutant to the chief f engineer of the Bill , the preamble o which was exquisitely mauled by Mr . Serjeant Talbot , whose f ” o . power satire was a caution Mr . Peto was in

Parliament ; he had come in from the House , being the contractor , to hear the fun . How his eyes twinkled and ﬂashed $ I have seen women with eyes , but never a man with eyes as his . In those days there still survived the tradition of dandyism d among men of istinction , when such men as

1 1 0 SI R M T N P E T OR O O . on c e : i he had been to Alg ers , and was showing me there a little poc ket - album containing photographs

his ﬁ of Lady Peto and children , and , nding that I had not one of the kind , he on his return to

t o m England sent a similar album y wife , suggest ing her sending the photographs of my family out to me . I venture to say that very few men , having such an enormous amount of busin ess on their hands as he , would have taken the trouble or even have thought of doing such a kind and considerate action . I only mention it to show the kindly

u nat re of the man , so that we need not wonder at

n the magnetic i ﬂuence he had over his men . I am sure that every on e of his employés would have

ﬁr r f r gone through e o water o him . His liberality was proverbial , and always done in a princely way ;

’ in fact , he could not do a mean action . The following was written to us after his death It is with much regr et that I hear of the death of

n your father , by whom I was e gaged for some years on the works of the new Houses of Parliament . I

t o possess a gold watch , so kindly presented me in

1 846 of r . , inscribed , A tribute rega d Although so many years have passed away, I am prompted

’ to write to you on this occasion . To the last he preserved his in terest in young P E R S N A L 1 I 1 O .

men and strove to help them forward . One of the staff of the Union Bank of London wrote to us that when he entered the bank Sir Morton , although he knew nothin g of him beyond the recommendation f o . . u the Rev Dr Brock , became his s rety in a bond of £500 . His considerateness is shown by the following letter t o his youngest son concerning a young man whom he wished to advance : His father unwisely apprenticed him to Mr . payin g a premium

ff . ki which he could ill a ord If , without ma ng any

ﬁ ou sacri ce , y can put him to the bench and give him just what he is worth and no more , I shall be

’ glad ; but don t for a moment do what you feel is against the interest of the ﬁr m or your rule of

’ business .

h t o W ile living at Eastcote , up the last two years of his stay there (when he was prevented by illness) ,

u he was a reg lar attender at the Uxbridge Bench ,

. P . for of ff being a J Middlesex as well as Su olk , of which county he was a Deputy - Lieutenant and he took great interest in superintending any improve ments for neighbours .

His health improved at Blackhurst . I like this ’ f place more and more , he wrote ; and o the terrace w alk , with its pretty view , he was especially fond . M R 1 1 2 SIR O T ON PE T 0 .

He continued to take interest in missionary work

a Hewle and in the business of the L dy y Trust , though he could not attend the meetings of trustees or committees so regularly as he had done in the f earlier years o his Eastcote life . It was owing to these qualities of character an d

’ t o his activity that Sir Morton s closing years were f so happy . A ter alluding to his wife and children

1 8 9 : in a letter written in 7 , he adds To have attained the age of seventy with so lar ge a portion

for In of good health is another cause gratitude . these I feel I cannot count up the sum of all my heavenly Father has so graciously bestowed , and can only earnestly desire that He will give me a truly thankful heart , and make me to praise Him

’ for all He has done for me and mine . 1 888 f In November , , his health suddenly ailed , but he recovered sufﬁciently to go to Cannes the

f his followin g year . A ter return he could not take

n the same exercise as before . He greatly e jpyed — f reading e specially that o biographies . Mention

’ f of ing the Li e of Professor George Wilson , Edin

’ w t u burgh , I read it , he ri es , abo t ten years since , i ’ and am glad to read it aga n . His Five Gateways

’ O f Knowledge very good also . f He returned rom Cannes very much altered , and

PE R S N A L 1 1 O . 3 gradually became more feeble ; but as long as he could he strove against invalid habits .

W s In October , owing to a chill on the liver , he a

ﬁ t o an d f his con ned bed , he never a ter left room .

h for t His thoug tfulness others never deser ed him .

who He was afraid his daughter, shared in nursing,

would get tired , and begged she should be relieved . On his overb ear in g the doctor ask if he had c om

‘ “ : plained , he said Did he say complain On two mornings he sent to tell others to see the sun

ff so . rise , the e ect had pleased him On the morn 1 3 1 889 ing of his death , November , , when the

as curtains were drawn back , the sun came up ﬁ beyond the valley lled with mist , he turned his f t head to look at it , and just li ted his hand o show

those in the room that he saw it . He quite realized

’ the text , In Thy light we shall see light , and his f peace o mind was never for a moment troubled . Strength sufﬁced him to signify he wished to say

- wh o k good bye to the servants , had well and indly

in served him . One by one they came to see him .

Then he gradually sank . He was buried in Pembury (his parish) Church

i s ﬁ yard . It signi cant that the service over him who had ﬁrst brought in the Burials Bill was

shared between the Vicar , the Rev . J . H . Battersby , 8 T 1 1 4 SIR M OR ON P E T O .

D. D. n f . . An o and the Rev J gus , , the Pri cipal the

’ Regent s Park College (Baptist) . The latter took

h i n the service in the c urchyard, and an address said he had known Sir Morton for nearly ﬁfty

all f years , and had seen him in relations of li e , in u l prosperity and in tro b e , and he had known the sorrows and anxieties of his last illness . Like many other active and generous men , he had to submit to the loving discipline of their heavenly

Father in preparation for the eternal life , and learn

. em the lessons of patience and submission The g , was polished by friction , and the soul perfected b y sorrow . In his case patience had her perfect w ff ork , and a more noble , submissive su erer he d . an never knew He remembered his active life , ,

s to e pecially in regard missionary societies , his generosity, wisdom , and large heartedness . He

suﬁ rin s also remembered his sorrow and e g , and found it hard to say whether he loved the man more and admired him more in the on e state or in

’ . f h the other He was ait ful in them both .

The gravestone , which is divided for husban d

f : and wi e , bears the text And this is the record , Gd o f that hath given to us eternal life , and this li e

1 8 1 1 1 1 His Son ( John v . and at the entrance

the a - to pretty churchy rd is a lych gate , erected by

A P P E N D I X .

R AILWAY AN D O T HE R WO R K S E XE CUT E D B Y SIR MORTON PETO

x SIV F B U LD G A S W H I E LU E O O T T T M E , R S L ( c I IN C N R C I GSE L ) .

A n ts ge . M i tes . $ Gr eat West er n R ai lway P addi ngto n to Hanwell Hanwell Viaduc t $ So u E ast ern R ailway H tt e to Fo lkestone about 1 2 Fdlkeston e Viaduct Woolwich Graving Dock $ E ast ern Coun t ies R ailway (n ow Gr eat E aster n R ailway) London to Y ar m outh Lo n on t o E l M r M c K eon e d y . E l r M r M e r ( y to N o wich . y ick E l to P eter orou h M r M e r c y b g . y i k at ter I es Ch is t o St . v Lowest of t Har bo ur Wor ks $ Lo ndon an d South West er n R ailway Southam pt on to Dor M r Bea . t ty chest er o r n a M n e r a s M r M ii ller C w l l i l . R a a M r T P at son ilw y . . . W

T hese c on t rac t s were t aken b Gri l ssel and P et o r d 1 6 . y , i e p . A P PE N DIX 1 . 1 7

M E SSR S . P E T O AN D BE T T S .

iles Agents. M .

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M r . GT at e Don aster . , c r N r rn a M r GGes L n o n e R ai Geat o t . h lw y . il , i c l ; M r T te P et er . . Whi , 1 bor ough L r M r M K eone Lout E ast n o ns e R a . . c i c l hi il H , h ; a M r R o an Bosto n w y . F . J. w , 0 o ’ d Bi rm Ingham M r at son ar . C . W , W wick fififiwfi O x f ord or ester an d , W c , M r . M . M orallee an d J . Vi c lver ham ton R a l p i M r atson . C . W vvztg West E nd and Crystal P a ac e R a a i n l ilw y, clud n g t unn el un der i M r W t s n St r tham . . a o ea C . ; t he cor ner of the T c nn fi Upper L O T P a a e and the South l c , ggéd W at er T o er and e x w , t ension to Sout h N or wood S o ut h London and Crys

t al P a ac e R ai a and M r 0 . at son l lw y, . W N un n M r Ba n ea a d r . h d Geen J. ldwi wich B uenos A r es Gr eat y M l R ra f or $ ' C w d Sou b ern ﬁrst se t on , c i Dunagurg an d Vi t e sk p M r ar t an . W. H l d R ailway A g ers and Blidah R ai l i l M r M urr . C y Bo ulevar d de la R epub M r M urr . ' ue A e rs C y liq , lgi

N or f o E s t uar M r T . t e lk y . Whi N e ther la n ds Lan d C om r T i te M . . Wh pany FP I to om b urg H M r R ra f or RAIINZ; . . C w d Lever t on Branch R ail w a and Br M r G es e o r . G y idg ve . il R iver T r ent 1 SI R IlI OR T O N P E T 1 8 O.

Agents. BalakIava R a wa M r Beatt il y . y Lon on C at am and M r at son d , h h , . C . W Do er ailwa Str od M r Go der v R y ( o . . C w y L n n M r B t o o o . a w n d ) J . ld i

M ESSR S P E T O B R A SSE Y A N D BE T T S . , .

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t erranean R a a : M r . GGes ilw y . il Lyon s t o A vignon u e nsl r M ur to n Q e an d R ailways M . G i enn a R a r . Gles a M V ilw y . i M n or es ar ehou es M r o an i i W s . H ll d N e ean Br r ox p idge M . Willc

M E SS S P E T BR ASSE Y B T T A D R . O E S N , , A K S N J C O .

Gran T r un R a a M r . s M o n ea od e t r d k ilw y, J . H g , l ; l nc u n i t o r a M r . G. T at e T o ro n t o i di g V c i , ; B r e a d T s P i s M r n K n n ro . . R o a idg i F . J w , i g t oles R ailway st o n Q’ c ’ nd R ichm on d M r . . R ee e ue e J ki , Q b c Riiflway