Alec George Vaughan-Lee
Alec George Vaughan-Lee (c1869-1960), of Coode, Son and Matthews, consulting civil engineer
1960 Obituary [1]
WE have learned with regret of the death of Mr. Alec George Vaughan-Lee, which occurred at his home at Weybridge, Surrey, last Monday, April 4. He was in his ninety-second year, and for forty-five years was in practice as a consulting engineer in Westminster. He did not, in fact, retire from his partnership until 1956, when, of course, he was well into his eighties.
Mr. Vaughan-Lee was educated at Walton Lodge and Eton, subsequently serving a pupilage with Stothert and Pitt, Ltd., Bath.
In 1889 he became an assistant to the late Sir John Coode for the design and construction of the first sea wall at Hodbarrow Mines, Cumberland, and a year later transferred to Coode, Son and Matthews' London office.
In 1892 Mr. Vaughan-Lee was engaged as an assistant engineer on the construction of the Prince of Wales Pier, Dover, later becoming superintending engineer of the Admiralty at Dover Harbour under Coode, Son and Matthews. He was compelled to relinquish that position in 1908 on account of a serious illness.
In 1911, Mr. Vaughan-Lee was appointed chief engineer to Coode, Son and Matthews and in 1921 was taken into the partnership. He continued as a partner in the firm until his retirement only four years ago.
During his long career as a consultant, Mr. Vaughan-Lee was responsible for the design and execution of various structures, including harbour and dock works at Famagusta Singapore, Prai, at Port Sudan, and Jersey, and the following bridges: Valley Bridge, Scarborough; the Haven Bridge at Great Yarmouth; the Abu Deleig and Khartoum-Omdurman bridges in the Sudan, and dams and barrages on the River Nile, including the Mohammad Aly Barrages near Cairo, a flood relief scheme on the River Euphrates, and the Kut Barrage on the River Tigris in Iraq.
Mr. Vaughan-Lee was elected an associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1894 and transferred to full membership in 1903. He served on the Institution's council for five years. He was also a member of the panel of engineers appointed in 1943 to report on the Severn Barrage scheme.
For his services to Egypt, he was awarded the Order of the Nile and the Order of the Khedive Ismail by the Egyptian Government.
1960 Obituary [2]