Charles Waring (c. 1827-1887) was born in Eccleshall, Yorkshire. He had at least two brothers, William (born c. 1821) and Henry (born c. 1823). By 1841 Charles was living in Micklegate, York and describing himself as a 'civil engineer'. The brothers formed a company (Waring Brothers) working on railway contracts.
In 1853 Messrs Waring Brothers and Shaw were working in the Central Peninsular Railway Company in Portugal. The contract was worth £800,000 for the 'entire execution of the works, and for furnishing the rolling stock' (Daily News, November 12, 1858).
Among the other projects were Dorset Central (1858), Ceylon (1859), the Pernambuco, Recife and San Francisco Railway (1860), Sicily (1862), the East Indian Railway (1862), The Bristol Port Railway (1863), the Honduras Railway (1870), and the Uruguay Central Railway (1871). In the 1860s Waring Brothers worked on several British projects including the Midland Railway, though this contract was sold to Joseph Firbank (1819-86), and Kensington alongside (Sir) John Kelk (1816-86) and Thomas Andrew Walker (1828-89). They were contractors for the 'earth and brickworks' for the London terminus station at St Pancras (1868). Waring's obituary noted:
With the exception of the late Mr. Brassey, Waring Brothers have probably built more railroads in foreign countries, especially in South America and Transylvania, than any other firm of contractors, whether British or foreign.
Waring wrote Brazil and her railways (Montreal: Gazette, 1883), State purchase of railways (London: Chapman and Hall, 1887).
Waring was elected Liberal MP for Poole in 1865 and 1868. However in May 1874 there was a petition served against him relating to several charges including bribery: he was disqualified and unable to stand in the 1874 election. He was selected as the Liberal candidate for Poole in the 1885 election.
Waring was married to Eliza and he had a son George. Apart from his London home in Grosvenor Gardens, Waring rented Wycombe Abbey from Charles Robert Carrington, marquess of Lincolnshire (1843–1928), who had been appointed governor of New South Wales in 1885. Waring, who had been suffering from 'an affliction of the heart', died at Wycombe Abbey on 26 August 1887. He left an estate of £552,270 ('There are no benefactions to charities').