McManus 168

Full name

Charles Ower

Date of birth

31-07-1813^[1]

Place of birth

Perth^[1]

Gender

Male

Marital status

Married^[2]

Name of spouse

Mary Fleet^[2]

Children

Margaret b.1847,^[3] Charles junior b.c.1849,^[4] Leslie b.c.1851,^[4] Gregor b.c.1853,^[4] Stephen b.1855^[5][4] and Benjamin b.1857^[6][7]

Home address

Albert's Court, 39 Nethergate, Dundee^[8]
38 Castle Street, Dundee^[3]
103 Roodyards, Dundee.^[9]
11 Craigie Terrace/150 Ferry Road, Craigiebank, Dundee.^[10]
(Craigie Terrace now comprises the addresses approximately 208 Broughty Ferry Road to 2 Dalgleish Road)

Age at death:

63^[11]

Place of death:

11 Craigie Terrace, Craigiebank.^[11]

Date of death:

20-09-1876^[11]

Buried:

Western Cemetery, Dundee, Compartment 6, Lair 157 a,b,c.^[7]

Religious affiliation

Church of Scotland. Assumed as he was baptised and married by Ministers of the Church of Scotland.^[1][2]

Political affiliation

Unknown

Clubs / societies

In 1862, Charles Ower contributed One Guinea to the proposed statue of Sir David Baxter to be erected in Baxter Park.^[12] Attended the 36th Annual Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Nottingham, 1866.^[13]

Public offices

None known

Related subscribers

29 – Sir David Baxter – C.O. contributed to his statue, DB was among Camperdown Dock Lunch guests

45 – JK Caird- also attended Assoc. for Advancement of Science Meeting at Nottingham

Occupation

Civil Engineer, Industrial Architect, Architect^[14]

Employment

Employed by Trustees of Dundee Harbour,^[15][16] Self Employed Architect,^[14] Consultant to Trustees of Dundee Harbour.^[16][15]

Place of work

Harbour Trustees Offices

Work address

Dundee Harbour Works Office.^[8]
Harbour Chambers/Custom House Building/Harbour Buildings, Dock Street, Dundee.^[17]
32 Bank Street, Dundee.^[18]

Career to date:

He trained as a civil engineer and also practised as an architect, mainly on industrial projects initially.^[14] He acted as assistant to James Leslie, Dundee Harbour Civil Engineer and succeeded him in the post in 1846.^[14] Various developments and improvements to the Harbour as well as railways in the surrounding area, such as the Camperdown Dock (1857) and Dundee East Station (1850) are attributed to him.^[14][15][16] The construction of the Camperdown Dock was fraught with difficulties. Dundee City Archives published a Blog on 18-02-2018 "Disaster at Camperdown Docks" based on a journal (ref GD/DH/C1/20-21) kept by the Inspector of Works for the Harbour Trust at the time, summarising the dramatic events. The contractors claimed " unwarrantable and oppressive interference" by the Harbour Trustees and their engineer^[19] and claimed that Charles Ower had acted fraudulently by changing the original drawings.^[20] Arbitration began in London on 24-02-1863, was decided in favour of the Trustees and Charles Ower was put in charge of the work. The Dock and associated works were finally opened on 20-07-1865. The Dundee Advertiser had no doubt that this was a great personal triumph "No one can fail to see that Mr Ower, the Harbour Engineer, has, in the teeth of enormous difficulties been remarkably successful. He has brought to bear upon his work a thorough knowledge of his profession and a fertility of invention which, when allowed free play, produced effects almost magical for rapidity and completeness"^[21] By contrast, replying to a fulsome toast in his honour at the Celebration Lunch, Charles Ower is reported to have said (after making a brief joke which seems to refer to the difficulties with the contractors) " I am completely at a loss what to say. I am not a man of many words and therefore I hope you will be satisfied, if all I can state is that I thank you from the bottom of my heart". There were loud cheers.^[22] A list of his projects is attached to his entry in the Dictionary of Scottish Architects^[14] and Dundee City Archives holds various plans relating to his work.^[15] He is mentioned many times, either by name or as "the engineer" in the relevant minutes of the Harbour Trustees, also held in Dundee City Archives. A Floating Dock Gate at Alloa, designed by him and completed in 1862 was described as "a novel construction".^[14]. The design was part of the original proposals for the Camperdown Dock but due to the various delays, it was first used at Alloa. Charles Ower also proposed a circular railway and a section of a plan dated 1889-90 shows the route of "Proposed Dundee & Suburban Railway" passing very close to Craigie Terrace.^[23] At a meeting of the Harbour Trustees Sub-Committee on Dredging on 18-08-1869 Mr Ower said that it would be helpful to have engineering assistance in carrying out proposed new works and a Special Meeting of the sub-committee on the subject five days later agreed that a new Harbour Engineer be engaged at a salary of £400 per annum with Mr Ower being retained as Consulting Engineer on a salary of £175 pa. However, when this matter was remitted for approval by the full Board Meeting on 06-09-1869 his renumeration was set at £150pa, after a vote. ^[16] There is no indication in the minutes of these committees as to why Charles Ower should relinquish his post as Harbour Engineer, though his entry in the Dictionary of Scottish Architects refers to his health failing.^[14] (At a continuation of the same meeting on 06-09-1869 the Board heard from a deputation from the board of the North British Railway Company regarding their proposal to build a railway bridge over the Tay and "without committing themselves to details agreed to express generally their approval of the object contemplated as explained by Mr Stirling and Mr Bouch")^[16] He continued his private practice as an architect. His two eldest sons, Charles junior and Leslie had both been apprenticed to their father, 1864-1869 and 1866-1870 respectively. In 1873 Charles junior became his father's business partner and in 1874 Charles senior is believed to have retired, at which point, Leslie became his brother's business partner.^[14]