Charles Edwin Compton

Charles Edwin Compton (c1831-1902)

of the South Wales Railway

Superintendent on the South Devon Railway

of the Great Western Railway

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1902 Obituary.

Mr. Charles Edwin Compton, who for many years was the Divisional Superintendent at Plymouth for the Great Western Railway, died on Friday morning at his residence, Moorland Park, South Brent, at the age of seventy-one years. After an association with railway work for nearly half a century, Mr. Compton sought his well-earned retirement on June 30th, 1898, when he was succeeded as Divisional Superintendent for this district by Mr. H. Y. Adye, who removed here from South Wales.

Mr. Crompton, who leaves a widow but no family, was a native of Gloucester, his father having been connected with the Civil Service there. He was educated at the Grammar School, Gloucester, and was afterwards articled to a firm of solicitors in that city. In 1850, however, he entered upon his long and honourable railway service, his first appointment being with the South Wales Railway Company. He was stationed at Neath, and issued the first ticket on the opening of the line between Chepstow and Swansea. A succession of important posts were entrusted to him, and eventually he was given charge of the Cardiff station and a district which embraced 80 miles of railway, including Cardiff Docks and the goods department at Newtown.

Mr. Compton then was moved to a still more responsible position at Swansea, and he eventually became assistant superintendent at the line extending from Grange Court to New Milford. Up to the time of the amalgamation of the South Wales Railway with the G.W.R. he acted in that capacity, after which he went to Paddington as an assistant to the general manager. His knowledge of South Wales, however, led to his returning to his former district, and it was not until 1886 that Mr. Compton came to the West of England as superintendent of the South Devon Railway.

Ten years later the Great Western Railway took over the line, and Mr. Compton was at once appointed divisional superintendent of the line from Exeter to Penzance and the intermediate branches, a position he held for thirty years. He had a very large circle of friends in the West of England, and more especially in the Three Towns, and was always held in very high esteem by all the servants of the Great Western Railway who worked under him and respected by those under whom he served....

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