Edward Betts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Betts
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Historical photo of Edward Betts
National Portrait Gallery, London |
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| Born | 15 June 1815 |
| Died | 21 January 1872 (aged 56) Aswan, Egypt
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| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Civil engineering contractor |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Peto |
| Children | Eight |
| Parent(s) | William Betts, Elizabeth Haywood |
Edward Ladd Betts (born June 5, 1815 – died January 21, 1872) was an important English engineer and builder. He was mostly known for building many railways, which were like the highways of his time! He helped connect cities and towns across England and even in other countries.
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Edward Betts's Early Life
Edward Betts was born in a place called Buckland, near Dover in England. His father, William Betts, was also a successful builder who worked on railways.
Edward started learning about building when he was an apprentice in Lincoln. But he became more interested in engineering. He then worked for another engineer, Hugh McIntosh, helping to build the Black Rock lighthouse in Beaumaris, Anglesey.
Building Railways Across England
Edward Betts's first big railway job was helping to build the Dutton Viaduct. This was a huge bridge for the Grand Junction Railway. He worked for Hugh McIntosh, with the famous engineer George Stephenson.
After McIntosh passed away in 1840, Edward and his father started their own family business, "William Betts & Sons." They won contracts to build parts of the South Eastern Railway. This included lines near Marsden and Ashford, and the Saltwood tunnel.
They also got big jobs for the Midlands County Railway, which made the Betts family move to Leicester. They also worked on the Manchester-Birmingham Railway. Edward kept getting more contracts, especially around the city of Chester.
In 1845, Edward's father retired. Edward then took full charge of the Betts company.
Working with Samuel Morton Peto
In 1846, a big building partnership ended between two major contractors, Samuel Morton Peto and Thomas Grissell. After this, Edward Betts started working with Samuel Morton Peto on parts of the Great Northern Railway.
Peto and Betts: A Powerful Team
In 1848, Edward Betts and Samuel Morton Peto officially became business partners, forming "Peto and Betts." Together, they worked on many railway projects.
Often, they also teamed up with another famous builder, Thomas Brassey. This group was known as "Peto, Brassey and Betts." One of their biggest projects was building the Grand Trunk Railway in Canada. Edward Betts was in charge of managing this huge job, which included building the amazing Victoria Bridge over the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal.
The Grand Crimean Central Railway
Peto, Betts, and Brassey also built a very important railway during the Crimean War. It was called the Grand Crimean Central Railway. They built it incredibly fast! This railway helped transport supplies, especially heavy ammunition, from Balaclava to British soldiers fighting in the siege of Sevastopol.
Edward Betts was especially responsible for getting all the supplies and equipment needed. He also arranged for a fleet of ships to carry everything from England to the Black Sea. Plus, he found all the workers, known as navvies, and skilled people needed to do the job very quickly.
Edward Betts's Family Life
In 1843, Edward Betts married Ann Peto. She was the sister of his business partner, Samuel Morton Peto. Edward and Ann had eight children:
- Edward Peto Betts (born 1845)
- Elizabeth Peto Betts (born 1846)
- Morton Peto Betts (born 1847) was a famous English sportsman. He scored the very first goal in an English FA Cup Final!
- Alice Peto Betts (born 1849)
- Ernest William Peto Betts (born 1850) became a Church of England minister.
- Percy Campbell Betts (born 1856)
- Herbert Peto Betts (born 1857) also became a Church of England minister.
- Ann Gertrude Betts (born 1858)
Edward and Ann are buried together in the family vault at St Peter and St Paul's Parish Church in Aylesford.
Around 1850, Edward Betts bought a large home called Preston Hall near Aylesford in Kent. He had it rebuilt in a grand style and had 18 staff working there. He also had a home in London and later moved to Great George Street in Westminster.
Edward was a magistrate (a type of judge) and a Deputy Lieutenant. In 1858, he became the High Sheriff of Kent, which was an important local role. In 1865, he tried to become a Member of Parliament for Maidstone, but he didn't win.
Later Work and Challenges
Edward Betts and Samuel Peto were always willing to take big risks in their business. For example, after they built the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway, they decided to operate it themselves for 21 years.
In the 1860s, Betts and Peto agreed to build a railway line between London Bridge and Victoria for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. They were paid in shares and bonds from the railway company. To get enough money for this huge project, they got involved in complicated financial plans. Also, wars in other countries made it harder for them to work on their overseas projects. They took on too much.
Sadly, they faced big financial problems when a bank called Overend, Gurney and Company collapsed. This caused a major banking crisis in 1866. Railway companies were hit very hard, and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway company couldn't pay its debts. This meant the shares Betts and Peto had been paid with became worthless. They couldn't pay their own creditors and faced serious financial difficulties the next year.
After this, Edward Betts only worked on smaller projects. He made some changes to the Metropolitan Railway and tried to improve the River Danube for boats, but that project didn't succeed.
Edward Betts's Later Life
After his financial difficulties, Edward Betts had to sell Preston Hall. His friend, Thomas Brassey, bought it. Edward moved to a smaller home in Bickley Park, near Bromley, Kent.
In 1871, his doctors sent him to Egypt for his health. But he passed away the next year in Aswan.
