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James Bisset (mayor)

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123: 62: 115: 77: 95:). This railway stretched from Cape Town to Wellington, and his team began work on it on 31 March 1859. Another section was built from Cape Town to Wynberg. In 1861 he worked on construction of Cape Town's tramways, including the line to Sea point, (originally horse-drawn) with the "Green Point Tramway Company". He later also completed a similar project for Port Elizabeth. 22: 138:. The few existing rudimentary lines were to be turned into a nationwide network, connecting the country's ports to the diamond fields of Kimberley and the agricultural hinterland. James Bisset had played a significant part in deciding on the gauge to be used for the national railway system, and was involved in selecting 52:
James Bisset was born in 1836 in Aberdeen, Scotland, son of a City Councillor and Master of Mortifications William Bisset and his wife Margaret. He was one of 6 brothers and 3 sisters. He trained as an engineer at London University and did his early work on Crystal Palace, Sydenham station as well as
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in Cape Town, Dutch Reformed Churches and several other buildings in Beaufort West and Graaff-reinet, as well as the Town Hall and principal churches of
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During this time, he also worked on a range of architectural and engineering projects throughout the Cape, including the old
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Early in his career, on 16 October 1862, he had married Elizabeth Magdalena Christina Jarvis, daughter of Cape Town Mayor
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He was a councillor for Liesbeeck Municipality (1883–1886), Mayor of Wynberg (1886, 1893) and briefly Mayor of Claremont.
344: 134:, driving a massive expansion in the Cape's economic infrastructure, consolidated the country's railway lines into the 122: 142:
for this purpose. He inaugurated and directed the first early railway line of the "Cape Midland Line", running from
324: 319: 339: 61: 334: 251: 314: 212: 36:, responsible for many of the Cape's early buildings and communications infrastructure. He was also Mayor of 204: 268: 114: 151: 135: 92: 162:
Bisset typically pursued several simultaneous occupations throughout his career. He served in the
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In 1872, the Cape attained a degree of independence from Britain and its first Prime Minister,
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In 1858 he was sent to the Cape, aged 22, to begin work on its first railway, for the infant
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James Bisset died on 8 October 1919 at Beauleigh, his house in Kenilworth, Cape Town.
150:. He was also appointed to lead construction of the "Cape Eastern Line", running from 247: 208: 189: 99: 76: 177: 163: 143: 103: 32:(14 October 1836 – 8 October 1919) was an architect and civil engineer of the 293: 193: 176:. He also succeeded in making Wynberg the first municipality in the greater 80: 197: 173: 131: 41: 220: 216: 33: 139: 66: 172:
While Mayor of Wynberg, he obtained the grant of land for what became
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a range of railway projects and public buildings around Europe.
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and chaired the School, Municipal and Hospital Boards.
291: 16:Scottish-born South African architect and mayor 83:'s Town Hall, an early work of James Bisset. 109: 56: 183: 121: 113: 75: 60: 20: 292: 180:area to get electric street lighting. 126:The first railway line in East London. 65:Bisset's "Long Cottage" on Main Road, 118:The Cape Government Railways in 1882. 157: 13: 350:Scottish emigrants to South Africa 310:Alumni of the University of London 14: 361: 330:Mayors of places in South Africa 215:. Another was the international 25:Cllr James Bisset in later life 261: 236: 1: 229: 221:William Molteno "Bill" Bisset 213:Governor of Southern Rhodesia 89:Cape Railway and Dock Company 47: 7: 211:where he briefly served as 10: 366: 242:P. Brooke Simons. (1995). 345:Politicians from Aberdeen 100:Mutual Assurance building 246:. Human & Rousseau. 136:Cape Government Railways 110:Cape government railways 93:Cape Government Railways 325:Cape Colony politicians 320:South African engineers 340:Cape Colony architects 127: 119: 84: 73: 57:Early work in the Cape 26: 335:Cape Colony engineers 244:Old Mutual, 1845-1995 184:Family and later life 125: 117: 91:(later to become the 79: 64: 24: 315:People from Aberdeen 128: 120: 85: 74: 27: 209:Southern Rhodesia 207:before moving to 357: 284: 283: 281: 279: 265: 259: 240: 158:Political career 365: 364: 360: 359: 358: 356: 355: 354: 290: 289: 288: 287: 277: 275: 273:artefacts.co.za 269:"BISSET, James" 267: 266: 262: 241: 237: 232: 190:Hercules Jarvis 186: 160: 112: 59: 50: 17: 12: 11: 5: 363: 353: 352: 347: 342: 337: 332: 327: 322: 317: 312: 307: 302: 286: 285: 260: 234: 233: 231: 228: 198:Test cricketer 185: 182: 178:Cape Peninsula 164:Anglo-Boer War 159: 156: 144:Port Elizabeth 111: 108: 104:Port Elizabeth 58: 55: 49: 46: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 362: 351: 348: 346: 343: 341: 338: 336: 333: 331: 328: 326: 323: 321: 318: 316: 313: 311: 308: 306: 303: 301: 298: 297: 295: 274: 270: 264: 257: 253: 249: 245: 239: 235: 227: 224: 222: 218: 214: 210: 206: 203: 199: 195: 194:Murray Bisset 191: 181: 179: 175: 170: 167: 165: 155: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 124: 116: 107: 105: 101: 96: 94: 90: 82: 81:Beaufort West 78: 72: 68: 63: 54: 45: 43: 39: 35: 31: 23: 19: 276:. Retrieved 272: 263: 256:James Bisset 255: 243: 238: 225: 205:South Africa 187: 174:Wynberg Park 171: 168: 161: 132:John Molteno 129: 97: 86: 51: 42:South Africa 30:James Bisset 29: 28: 18: 305:1919 deaths 300:1836 births 217:Rugby union 152:East London 34:Cape Colony 294:Categories 278:25 October 252:0798133112 230:References 140:Cape gauge 67:Muizenberg 48:Early life 202:captained 148:Uitenhage 71:Cape Town 254:. p.46. 219:player 38:Wynberg 250:  196:was a 280:2018 248:ISBN 200:who 146:to 296:: 271:. 223:. 154:. 106:. 69:, 44:. 40:, 282:. 258:.

Index


Cape Colony
Wynberg
South Africa

Muizenberg
Cape Town

Beaufort West
Cape Railway and Dock Company
Cape Government Railways
Mutual Assurance building
Port Elizabeth


John Molteno
Cape Government Railways
Cape gauge
Port Elizabeth
Uitenhage
East London
Anglo-Boer War
Wynberg Park
Cape Peninsula
Hercules Jarvis
Murray Bisset
Test cricketer
captained
South Africa
Southern Rhodesia

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