John Aird & Co.
John Aird & Co. was once a leading British civil engineering business based in London.
Private | |
Industry | Construction |
Fate | Withdrew from Civil engineering |
Founded | 1848 |
Defunct | 1990s |
Headquarters | London, UK |
Key people | Sir John Aird, Jnr, (Chairman) |
Early history
The company was founded in 1848 by John Aird (1800–1876) with the objective of laying mains for gas and water companies in London.[1]
In 1851 Aird was joined by his son, also called John, and the business was for a while known as John Aird & Sons. John Aird, Jnr was the real driver behind the business.[1]
![](../I/m/Egypt.Aswan.AswanLowDam.01.jpg)
Structure
After the company began collaborating with Lucas Brothers, their combined businesses were re-organised in 1870 as follows:[1]
- Lucas Brothers - Building
- Lucas and Aird - Railway work and civil engineering
- John Aird & Sons - Water and gas contracts
In 1895, when Sir Charles Lucas died, the businesses were reorganised again:[1]
- John Aird & Co. - Railway work and civil engineering
- Aird & Sons - Water and gas contracts
Major projects
Major projects involving John Aird & Co. included:
- Re-locating Crystal Palace to Sydenham completed in 1851[1]
- Millwall Dock completed in 1868[2]
- Aswan Low Dam completed in 1902[3]
- Assiut Barrage completed in 1903[3]
- Hodbarrow Sea Defences completed in 1905[4]
Demise of the business
The business was still continuing in the 1990s under the leadership of Sir John Aird, 4th Baronet although no longer undertaking major civil engineering work.[5]
References
- "Portraits by the friend of Sherlock Holmes discovered in the City of Westminster" (PDF). Westminster Council. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
- Hobhouse, Hermione (1994). "'The Millwall Docks: The docks', in Survey of London: Volumes 43 and 44, Poplar, Blackwall and Isle of Dogs,". London: British History Online. pp. 353–356. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- Egypt bond Archived 2005-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
- "Hodbarrow Sea Defences". Engineering Timelines. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- "Engineer of an Orient success: Sir John Aird". The Independent. 11 September 2004. Retrieved 15 February 2019.