Charles Rivers Wilson
Sir Charles Rivers Wilson (1831–1916) was a British civil servant and financier.
Biography
Wilson was born in London on 19 February 1831. He studied at
Paris Exhibition of 1878
, having been already appointed Comptroller General of Office for Reduction of National Debt in 1874.
Whilst holding this position, Wilson visited
Suez Canal Company. Early in 1878 he was selected as vice-president of the Commission to enquire into the Egyptian financial situation. A few months later, in May, Wilson was nominated Financial Minister in Egypt.[1]
In 1879, Wilson and the first Prime Minister of Egypt,
Khedive Ismail and the inauguration of his son Tewfik
as Khedive, Wilson was appointed president of the Commission for the Liquidation of the Egyptian Debt, with full powers to regulate the financial position of Egypt. On the conclusion of this duty he returned to his post in London.
On retiring from his post as Comptroller General of the National Debt Office in 1894, he became in 1895 president of the
Grand Trunk Railway of Canada. He appointed Charles Melville Hays as general manager, who undertook a major reorganisation of the railway. In 1903 he launched the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. He also served as director of the Alliance Assurance Company (from 1880), and as chairman of British Electric Traction
Company from 1896.
He was created a
K.C.M.G. in 1880 and was promoted G.C.M.G. in 1895. Married twice, he had no children and he died in London on 9 February 1916. He is buried with his second wife, Violet, in Kensal Green Cemetery, opposite the grave of Wilkie Collins
.
The town of Rivers, Manitoba is named after him.
Notes
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2014) |
- ^ Hansard 11 August 1879 - Egyst Observations
References
- Farnie, D.A. (2004). "Wilson, Sir Charles Rivers (1831–1916)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36948. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922). "Wilson, Sir Charles Rivers". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 32 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. p. 1016.
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