| Richard Costain | |
| 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.
He was born and raised in the Isle of Man. His father was a shoe maker.[1]
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.[2]
Richard Costain moved to Crosby, Merseyside where, in 1865, he founded a small but well-equipped construction business.[3] 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.[4] He worked with Richard Kneen of Southport in the 1860s, with the business at 3, Albert Road, in Waterloo, known as Costain and Kneen.[5]
Kneen and Costain purchased tracts of land, then built many houses on them.[6] Masons and joiners were recruited from Arbory on the Isle of Man.[6]
Richard Costain later lived at Blundellsands, located near Crosby.[7]
He died in West Derby in 1902,[7] leaving the business, by then known as Richard Costain Limited, to his son William Percy Costain.[3] He died aged 63 on 1 July 1902, at 'Port-y-Shee'.[8] His funeral was at St Luke's Church, Great Crosby.[9]
In 1866, Costain married Margaret Kneen.[6]