:Richard Costain
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{{Infobox person
| name = Richard Costain
| honorific_prefix =
| image =
| birth_name = Richard Costain
| birth_date = 1839
| birth_place = Isle of Man
| death_date = 1 July 1902
| death_place = West Derby, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| occupation = Construction business owner
}}
Richard Costain (1839–1902) was the founder of Costain Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest, oldest and best-known construction businesses.
Early life
He was born and raised in the Isle of Man. His father was a shoe maker.Isle of Man Times Saturday 29 March 1884, page 3
He married on 8 March 1866 at Rushen parish church, to the sixth daughter of Richard Kneen, of Cross-e-Caley in Rushen. Costain lived at Birkdale Park, in Southport.Manchester Courier Monday 19 March 1866, page 4
Career
Richard Costain moved to Crosby, Merseyside where, in 1865, he founded a small but well-equipped construction business.{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32580 |title=Sir Richard Rylandes Costain |publisher=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|accessdate=12 May 2020}} 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 and on the Isle of Man.{{cite web|url=http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/mquart/mq12c01.htm|title=William Kneen|publisher= Manx Notebook|accessdate=12 May 2020}} He worked with Richard Kneen of Southport in the 1860s, with the business at 3, Albert Road, in Waterloo, known as Costain and Kneen.Liverpool Daily Post Thursday 30 May 1867, page 4
Kneen and Costain purchased tracts of land, then built many houses on them.[http://www.isle-of-man.com/cgi-bin/interests/genealogy/bulletin/index.pl?noframes;read=529175 Isle of Man Genealogy (1)] Masons and joiners were recruited from Arbory on the Isle of Man.
Personal life
Richard Costain later lived at Blundellsands, located near Crosby.[http://www.isle-of-man.com/cgi-bin/interests/genealogy/bulletin/index.pl?noframes;read=529170 Isle of Man Genealogy (2)]
He died in West Derby 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'.Liverpool Weekly Courier Saturday 5 July 1902, page 6 His funeral was at St Luke's Church, Great Crosby.Liverpool Mercury Saturday 5 July 1902, page 8
Family
References
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Category:19th-century English businesspeople
Category:British construction businesspeople
Category:Construction and civil engineering company founders
Category:People from Crosby, Merseyside
Category:20th-century English businesspeople
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