Charles Driver

Driver began his career as a draughtsman in the office of Frank Foster, Engineer to the Commissioners of Sewers, in London. In 1852, he was employed by Liddell and Gordon as a draughtsman, and he completed designs for bridges and stations for the Midland Railway on their Leicester and Hitchin Railway. His original case of drawing tools with a monogrammed lid 'ChD 1855' has been passed down through the family.

Starting in 1857, he worked under Robert Jacomb-Hood in the Engineer's Office of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway including work on designs for their London Bridge terminus. In 1866, he created designs for the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line stations.{{cite news |author= |title=Opening of the Tunbridge Wells and East Grinstead Branch of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000257/18661003/049/0004 |newspaper=Sussex Advertiser |location=British Newspaper Archive |date=3 October 1866 |access-date=8 August 2016 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} In 1867, he designed for Box Hill & Westhumble railway station{{cite news |author= |title=Opening of the Dorking and Letherhead Railway |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000938/18670321/066/0003 |newspaper=Brighton Gazette |location=British Newspaper Archive |date=21 March 1867 |access-date=8 August 2016 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} on the new Leatherhead to Dorking line. In 1862, he designed the Slade drinking fountain in Kennington Park for Felix Slade.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kenningtonpark.org/park-monuments|title = Park Monuments}}{{cite news |author= |title=Drinking Fountain in Kennington Park |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000443/18620531/045/0006 |newspaper=South London Chronicle |location=British Newspaper Archive |date=31 May 1862 |access-date=8 August 2016 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} In 1863, he submitted designs for Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork and although his design was admired, he lost out to William Burges.{{cite news |author= |title=The Architectural Exhibition |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000357/18630411/022/0011

|newspaper=Illustrated Times |location=British Newspaper Archive |date=11 April 1863 |access-date=8 August 2016 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}

After 1864, he assisted civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette with designs for the landing stages and masonry of the Thames Embankment including work on the dolphin lamp standard, and for the pumping stations at Abbey Mills and Crossness. These innovative facilities reduced diseases, such as deadly cholera epidemics, by moving raw sewage and polluted effluent downstream of London for discharge into the Thames.

File:Abbey Mills pumping station - geograph.org.uk - 3012698.jpg

In 1869, he began work for the Crystal Palace company designing and building the Aquarium, Orangery, and repairing the Water Towers. He also pioneered the use of ornamental tile work in industrial interiors. Based on the success of the Crystal Palace Aquarium, Driver won a contract in 1872 with the Council of the Vienna Exhibition to design a permanent aquarium in Vienna.{{cite news |author= |title=Epitome of News British and Foreign. |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000484/18720921/031/0003 |newspaper=Tamworth Herald |location=British Newspaper Archive |date=21 September 1872 |access-date=8 August 2016 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}

In 1872, Driver completed the Horton Infirmary at Banbury in Oxfordshire.{{cite news |author= |title=Miscellaneous |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000915/18720412/029/0004 |newspaper=Merthyr Telegraph and General Advertiser for the Iron Districts of South Wales |location=British Newspaper Archive |date=12 April 1872 |access-date=8 August 2016 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} Beginning in 1873, he worked with Sir James Brunlees and Alexander McKerrow on designs for King's Lynn Bridge, Clifton and other stations. He was also the architect for the piers at Llandudno, Nice, and Southend-on-SeaObituary, The Builder v.79, 10 Nov 1900, p. 423-4 Starting in 1882, he assisted Sir Douglas Fox and Francis Fox with designs for Preston Fishergate Hill railway station and for Southport railway station and others on the Cheshire lines extension. From 1888, he worked with Edward Woods in preparing designs for Mercado Central de Santiago, and for stations on the Buenos Aires and Ensenada Port Railway. From 1894 to 1895, he was on the design teams for stations on the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway.

He designed the West Pier Pavilion at Brighton, and was the architect for the stations (including the "Station of Light" in São Paulo, Brazil) on the São Paulo Railway.Soukef Jnr, A. 2000. Cem Anos Luz, Luz Station. Dialeto, Sao Paulo He was also responsible for Dorking Town Hall, Dorking Waterworks, Dorking Union, and many shops and residences in Dorking; Banbury Hospital; the late Sir Tatton Sykes and Ellesmere Memorials; and the Mark Masons’ Hall in Great Queen Street. He also enjoyed painting oils and water colours, some of which survive today.{{Cn|date=June 2025}}

He died on 27 October 1900{{cite journal |date=1901 |title=The Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |journal=Institution of Civil Engineers |publisher= |volume=143}} and is buried in West Norwood Cemetery. He left an estate of £1,601 6s. 6d, probate being granted to his widow, Caroline Driver, on 16 November 1900.

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• Paul Dobraszczyk, writing in the Architectural History journal, 2006.{{full citation needed|date=October 2014}}

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Category:19th-century English architects

Category:1832 births

Category:1900 deaths

Category:Burials at West Norwood Cemetery

Category:Architects from London

Category:Artists' Rifles soldiers

Category:British railway architects

Category:Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects