Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,710 pages of information and 247,104 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

James Craik

From Graces Guide

James Craik (c1847-1902)

Born at Kelton, Kirkcudbrightshire, the son of James Craik and his wife Helen Alexander

1880/5 G. K. Winter and J. Craik patented a Telegraph block instrument.[1]

1891 Married at Dalrymple to Mary Leck and had one daughter

1901 Living at Lower Grove House, Putney: James Craik (age 54 born Scotland), Director of railways. With his wife Mary and one daughter.[2]


1902 Obituary.[3]

...the death of Mr. James Craik, Director of the Central Argentine and Southern Mahratta Railways.

The deceased gentleman came out to India about 1872, as an Assistant Traffic Manager for the Madras Railway Company. He was almost immediately placed in charge of the let District, extending from Madras to Mallapuram, and proved a most efficient and capable Traffic Officer. He conducted the working of traffic during the great Indian Famine in a thoroughly satisfactory manner, and though his hands were full of work he found time to give a period of rest occasionally to a hard-worked Stationmaster by personally taking charge of the station and looking after the trains for a few hours. He was beloved and respected by the staff, who looked up to him as an able and considerate superior. His ability and clear-headedness in all branches of railway business were fully acknowledged by Mr. R. B. Elwin, Agent and Manager, and Mr. H. E. Church, Traffic Manager, gentlemen who were widely known in the Indian Railway world for many years.

Mr. Craik left the Madras Railway to take up the appointment of Traffic Manager of the Southern Mahratta Railway Company. After a few years spent on that line he proceeded to South America, on being appointed General Manager of the Argentine Railways. About three years ago, the deceased gentleman retired from the active duties of railway life, and settled down on a property which he had purchased at Roehampton, near London. His death will be heard of with sincere regret by the old employees of the Madras Railway Co.


See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. Science Museum [1]
  2. 1901 Census
  3. Madras Weekly Mail - Thursday 27 March 1902