Benjamin Blyth II
Benjamin Blyth II | |
---|---|
| |
Born |
25 May 1849 Edinburgh |
Died |
13 May 1917 67) North Berwick, East Lothian | (aged
Nationality | Scottish |
Education | Edinburgh University |
Occupation | Engineer |
Spouse(s) | Millicent Taylor |
Children | Benjamin Edward Blyth, Elsie Winifred Blyth |
Parent(s) | Benjamin Hall Blyth I, Mary Dudgeon Wright |
Engineering career | |
Discipline | Civil |
Institutions |
Institution of Civil Engineers (president), Royal Society of Edinburgh (fellow) |
Practice name | Blyth and Blyth |
Benjamin Hall Blyth FRSE (25 May 1849 – 13 May 1917), often called Benjamin Blyth II, was a Scottish civil engineer.[1]
Life
Blyth, who was born at 36 Minto Street,[2] Edinburgh,[3] was the eldest of the nine children of the railway engineer Benjamin Blyth[1] and Mary Dudgeon Wright. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School between 1860-64 before studying for a Master of Arts degree from Edinburgh University, and graduated in 1867.
After the death of both parents – Benjamin Blyth in 1866 and Mary Dudgeon Wright in 1868 – Blyth and his siblings were brought up by their mother's sister, Elizabeth Scotland Wright.[4][5]
Following his father's death, Blyth entered the family engineering consultancy and became a partner five years later. Blyth served as a consultant to the North British Railway and the Great North of Scotland Railway and served in an advisory capacity to the British Army with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps. In 1872, he married Millicent Taylor [6] with whom he had a son, Benjamin Edward, who died in infancy,[7] and a daughter, Elsie Winifred.[1] He became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1877, being elected to its council in 1900. He served as vice-president in 1911 and in 1914 became the first practising Scottish engineer to serve as president.[8] On 7 February 1898 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[9]
In later life, Blyth lived in a large Victorian townhouse at 17 Palmerston Place in Edinburgh's West End.[10]
Blyth stood as the Unionist candidate for the East Lothian by-election of 1911, but lost to the Liberal candidate, John Deans Hope by 468 votes. One of his policies was opposing giving home rule to Ireland.[11]
Blyth was widowed on 12 September 1914 and he died in North Berwick nearly three years later on 13 May 1917, of "spittielioma of tongue"[12] and was survived by his daughter. His nephew, Benjamin Hall Blyth (sometimes referred to as Benjamin Blyth III) was the son of his brother Francis Creswick Blyth – who was taken on by Blyth and Blyth in 1909,[13] continued the consultancy after his death.[1]
He is buried on the obscured southern terrace of Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh, towards the east. His wife, Millicent Taylor (1852-1914) is buried with him. Their infant son, Benjamin Edward Blyth, who died in 1875 aged only six weeks old lies at their feet.
He trained James Simpson Pirie FRSE (1861-1943), founder of J S Pirie & Sons. Pirie ran Blyth & Blyth from his death until the end of the war.[14]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Dictionary of Scottish Architects entry
- ↑ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1849
- ↑ Old Parish Record of birth
- ↑ Will of Mary Dudgeon Wright, held by Scottish records
- ↑ Census of Scotland 1871
- ↑ http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf
- ↑ Blyth, E.L.I. 1893, The family of Blythe or Blyth of Norton and Birchet
- ↑ Watson, Garth (1988), The Civils, London: Thomas Telford Ltd, p. 252, ISBN 0-7277-0392-7
- ↑ Royal Society of Edinburgh fellows list Archived 4 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1905-6
- ↑ The Scotsman, various editions from 1911
- ↑ Death certificate, held by Scottish records office
- ↑ Blyth and Blyth: The First 100 Years, historical records held by company
- ↑ http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200444
Professional and academic associations | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Anthony George Lyster |
President of the Institution of Civil Engineers November 1914 – November 1915 |
Succeeded by Alexander Ross |