George Buchanan (c.1790-1852)
Civil engineer
c.1790 Born in Edinburgh the third son of David Buchanan (1745–1812), a printer and publisher at Montrose.
Educated at Edinburgh University, where he was a favourite pupil of Sir John Leslie.
c.1812 he began business as a land surveyor but soon became a civil engineer.
Constructed harbours and bridges
1822 he was invited by the directors of the Edinburgh School of Arts to deliver a highly successful course of lectures on mechanical philosophy.
1827 Buchanan drew up a report on the South Esk estuary at Montrose in connection with a local salmon-fishing dispute.
1845/6 Commissioned by the Sheriff of Edinburgh to supervise on behalf of the city works on the tunnel of the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway under the New Town
1848 responsible for the erection of a near 400 ft chimney at the Edinburgh gasworks, and carried out a series of experiments to assure its stability.
1852 died of lung disease on 30 October.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Biography, ODNB