Richard Costain (1839–1902) was the founder of

Costain Group Costain Group plc is a British construction and engineering company headquartered in London, England. It was established by Richard Costain and Richard Kneen in 1865, initially operating as builders in and around Lancashire. During the early 2 ...

, one of the United Kingdom's largest, oldest and best-known

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

businesses.

Early life

He was born and raised in the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

. His father was a shoe maker. He married on 8 March 1866 at

Rushen Rushen ( ; ), formally Kirk Christ Rushen, is one of the seventeen historic parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the island (part of the traditional ''South Side'' division) in the sheading of the same name. Administrat ...

parish church, to the sixth daughter of Richard Kneen, of Cross-e-Caley in Rushen. Costain lived at Birkdale Park, in Southport.

Career

Richard Costain moved to

Crosby, Merseyside Crosby is a coastal town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. it is north of Bootle, south of Southport and Formby, and west of Netherton, Merseyside, Netherton. It abuts the areas of Blundellsands to the north and Water ...

where, in 1865, he founded a small but well-equipped construction business. In the early days of the business, he worked in partnership with his brother-in-law William Kneen and together they expanded the business until it was operating both in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

and on the

. He worked with Richard Kneen of Southport in the 1860s, with the business at 3, Albert Road, in Waterloo, known as Costain and Kneen. Kneen and Costain purchased tracts of land, then built many houses on them.Isle of Man Genealogy (1)
/ref> Masons and

joiner Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining pieces of wood, engineered lumber, or synthetic substitutes (such as laminate), to produce more complex items. Some woodworking joints employ mechanical fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, ...

s were recruited from Arbory on the Isle of Man.

Personal life

Richard Costain later lived at

Blundellsands Blundellsands is an area of Crosby in the ceremonial county of Merseyside, England and in the historic county of Lancashire. The area was created as a suburb for wealthy businessmen from Liverpool by the Blundell family of Crosby Hall in the m ...

, located near Crosby.Isle of Man Genealogy (2)
/ref> He died in

West Derby West Derby ( ) is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England, in the east of the city. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,382. History West Derby Mentioned in the ''Domesday Book'', West Derby achieved significance far earlier tha ...

in 1902, leaving the business, by then known as Richard Costain Limited, to his son William Percy Costain. He died aged 63 on 1 July 1902, at 'Port-y-Shee'. His funeral was at St Luke's Church, Great Crosby.''Liverpool Mercury'' Saturday 5 July 1902, page 8

Family

In 1866, Costain married Margaret Kneen.

References

1839 births 1902 deaths 19th-century English businesspeople British construction businesspeople Construction and civil engineering company founders People from Crosby, Merseyside 20th-century English businesspeople {{UK-business-bio-1830s-stub