Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,046 pages of information and 246,693 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Edward Wilson

From Graces Guide

Edward Wilson (1820-1877) of Edward Wilson and Co

1820 12th August: Born in Edinburgh , twin brother of Allan Wilson (1820-1897) and son of Mr. John Wilson, civil engineer, of Glencorse, Midlothian.

Apprenticed to his father at Edinburgh waterworks.

Worked for Stark and Fulton, mechanical engineers in Glasgow.

After numerous jobs around the country to gain experience, he worked for the Railway Foundry, Leeds for E. B. Wilson and Co, (not related).

1845-48 he was the engineer for the Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland.

1856 of the Midland Great Western Railway, Dublin

Became Engineer in Chief of the West Midland Railway, then known as the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway. He held numerous similar roles with various railways, being connected with the Stourbridge, Bala and Dolgelly, the Bourton-in-the-Water, and other lines. He afterwards acted in a similar capacity for the Worcester, Bromyard, and Leominster, the Worcester, Dean Forest and Monmouth, the East Norfolk, the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct, the Caerleon and Newport; and for the Metropolitan Railway Company he carried out the difficult piece of line from Moorgate street to Liverpool-street, and the Metropolitan and St. John's Wood line. He also carried out the Cleveland extension mineral line, the Coleford line, the Felixstowe railway and pier[1].

1866 Edward Wilson became Consulting Engineer for the Great Eastern Railway in succession to Robert Sinclair. Constructed Liverpool Street Railway Station[2]

Of Dean's Yard, Westminster

"Years before 1881" he tried flue tubes for the admission of air to furnaces[3]

1877 Died. Buried in Kensal Green Cemetery



1878 Obituary [4]

EDWARD WILSON was born in 1820 at Glencross near Edinburgh.

After serving his apprenticeship under his father, who was engineer to the Edinburgh Water Works, he was articled to Messrs. Stark and Fulton, mechanical engineers, Glasgow.

He was next engaged upon the Caledonian Canal under Messrs. Jackson and Bean, and afterwards upon the Glasgow and Ayr Railway, the Hull and Selby Railway, and the London and Brighton Railway.

In 1847 he was appointed locomotive superintendent of the York and North Midland Railway, and in 1853 engineer-in-chief on the Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland.

From 1856 to 1863 he was engineer to the Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway, subsequently known as the West Midland Railway.

On the amalgamation of this with the Great Western Railway he established himself in London as a consulting engineer, and was connected with many railway and other engineering works, among the more important of which were the Metropolitan and Suburban Extension of the Great Eastern Railway, and the Liverpool Street Station of that line.

In 1867 he was appointed to assist the royal commissioners on railways in Ireland. He was consulting and constructing engineer to the Great Western Railway, the Great Eastern Railway, the Metropolitan Railway, and other lines; and was always largely engaged in parliamentary work. He appeared as witness on several great patent cases, notably the "fish joint" case; and was frequently called on by judges in nisi prius to explain points which arose in connection with mechanical engineering.

His death took place after a short illness on 26th August 1877, at the age of fifty-seven.

He became a Member of the Institution in 1856, and in 1860 and 1861 was a member of Council.



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