Comments on The Hubback Brothers Tribute: Charles Edwin Spooner - Arthur Hubback's Boss?

Hello Dr. Gywnn .... Hurm, a rather interesting pi...

2012-02-01T16:29:01.023+08:00

Hello Dr. Gywnn .... Hurm, a rather interesting piece of information you have there. In fact, according to A.B. submission to the A.R.I.B.A., it does state Offices FMS Railways in Penang circa 1904. We have yet to identify the building but could it have been Wisma Kastam? Everytime I get off the jetty in Penang I begin to ponder ... could the building be actually on Beach Street or was it in Butterworth?

As to why C.E. Spooners signature maybe on the document, you can look up our Facebook Page where Mr. Omar Ibrahim has shared some ideas on the possible 'political' & 'organizational' climate of that period at The Hubbacks 'Facebook' Page .......

I came across C.E.Spooner's signature on the b...

2011-12-15T22:34:26.060+08:00

I came across C.E.Spooner's signature on the bottom of the drawings for George Town's FMS railway station - on Penang Island. The building began in 1902 but sufferd problems with its piling as the land was reclaimed land - it was finally finished in 1907 I think. Other's tell me it was designed by A B Hubback - any thoughts on this?
And thank you for a great blog!

I am writing about ships built at Porthmadog. One...

2011-07-27T23:15:19.459+08:00

I am writing about ships built at Porthmadog. One of them was the C.E.Spooner, built 1878. This was named after Charles Easton Spooner who ran the Festiniog Railway for c 30 years. The family were wealthy and lived in a large Victorian stone house in its own grounds overlooking Porthmadog and the estuary of the rivers Dwyryd and Glaslyn.The ship set the record for an Atlantic crossing, west to east, in 13 days.

Charles Edwin was a son of Charles Easton and went to Malaya. He appeared to have gone to Ceylon in 1876 and then to Malaya, where he is asociated wih Kuala Lumpur and buildings as well as railways.

He came from a railway engineering family. His brother Percival went to India in the 1870s and was working on railways in East Bengal.

Curiously, a ship built at Borthygest, Porthmadog called the Pride of Wales worked in the Indian Ocean as a charter mail ship for the Indian government, and made visits to Indonesia and Malaya. She also visited Ceylon.

Any further information would be welcome at johnidrisjones@btinternet.com

John Idris Jones
Ruthin, North Wales