Basic Biographical Details

Name: Charles Ower (senior)
Designation:  
Born: 1813
Died: 20 September 1876
Bio Notes: Charles Ower Senior was born on 31 July 1813, the son of Thomas Ower and Jean Gregor, and was christened in Perth on 1 August. He trained as a civil engineer although he was also to practise as a primarily industrial architect. In 1846 he succeeded James Leslie as Dundee Harbour Engineer with freedom to practise on his own account. He was extensively employed on related railway work, designing Dundee East Station with an arched train shed in 1850 and the Dock Street tunnel linking the Dundee and Perth and the Dundee and Arbroath lines: he also proposed a circular railway round the town.

Ower married Mary Fleet on 1 September 1846. There were at least three sons of the marriage: Charles, born 1849; Leslie, born 1871; both of whom were architects and civil engineers and continued his private practice after he retired as Harbour Engineer in 1869 at the age of 56; and Stephen who was a stockbroker and retained the house Ower had built for himself at 11 Craigie Terrace.

Charles Ower Senior appears to have retired in 1874 and died on 20 September 1876 leaving the then very substantial moveable estate of £17,789 11s 1d.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4Harbour Works Office/Custom House, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness1846 *  
Item 2 of 411, Craigie Terrace, Craigiebank, Dundee, ScotlandPrivatec. 1846  
Item 3 of 4Harbour Chambers, Dock Street, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness1850 *After 1869 
Item 4 of 432, Bank Street, Dundee, ScotlandBusiness18711876 

* earliest date known from documented sources.


Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 5Charles Ower (junior)c. 1864c. 1869Apprentice 
Item 2 of 5Leslie OwerSeptember 18661870Apprentice 
Item 3 of 5Leslie Ower18701872Assistant 
Item 4 of 5Charles Ower (junior)1873May 1874Partner 
Item 5 of 5Leslie Ower1874May 1874Assistant 

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 20 Paton & Fleming Warehouse  DundeeScotlandDate unknown
Item 2 of 201837Ladyloan Chapel of EaseArbroath AngusScotlandWon competition to secure job. One of 15 entrants.
Item 3 of 201841House, Camperdown RoadBroughty Ferry DundeeScotland 
Item 4 of 20c. 1846Semi-detached houses, 11 and 12 Craigie TerraceCraigiebank DundeeScotland 
Item 5 of 201849Kerbat Burn Reservoir  DundeeScotland 
Item 6 of 201850Dundee East Station  DundeeScotland 
Item 7 of 201850East Port Calender  DundeeScotlandOriginal building
Item 8 of 201850Ferry Port-on-Craig LighthouseFerry Port-on-Craig DundeeScotlandLighthouse heightened 15 feet
Item 9 of 201857Camperdown Dock  DundeeScotland 
Item 10 of 201861East Poorhouse and Maryfield HospitalStobswell DundeeScotlandLarge additions
Item 11 of 201861 or 1864Dundee Courier and Dundee Advertiser Offices  DundeeScotlandExtensive enlargement - Western extension.
Item 12 of 201862Floating Dock GateAlloa ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 13 of 201864Camperdown Dock, transit shed 25  DundeeScotland 
Item 14 of 201869Victoria Dock (with Swing and pedestrian bridges)  DundeeScotlandWith David Cunningham
Item 15 of 201869Victoria Dock, East Graving or Dry Dock and Pump House  DundeeScotlandConsulted on completion
Item 16 of 201870Dundee Courier and Dundee Advertiser Offices  DundeeScotlandNew upper works - 2nd floor addition over whole building
Item 17 of 20187357 Magdalen Yard Road  DundeeScotlandRemodelling and enlargement to east
Item 18 of 201874Victoria Dock, South Shed  DundeeScotlandWith David Cunningham
Item 19 of 201874Victoria Dock, transit sheds  DundeeScotlandWith David Cunningham
Item 20 of 201875Boase & Co premises  Dundee Addition

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Johnston, W T Scottish Engineers and Shipbuilders   
Item 2 of 4Johnston, W T2003Artists of Scotland Officina Publications CDROM 
Item 3 of 4Post Office Directories     
Item 4 of 4www.familysearch.org www.familysearch.org Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints: Website 

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Engineeringc. 1876Vol 22 p 281 - obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2 Dundee Harbour Board Archive  
Item 2 of 2Dundee City Archives and Record CentreDundee Drawings Collection