George McFarlane
George McFarlane (1847-1908) of A. R. Brown, McFarlane and Co
1908 Obituary [1]
GEORGE McFARLANE was born in Glasgow in 1847, where he received his education.
He served an apprenticeship with Messrs. J. and G. Thomson, of Clydebank, and was afterwards second draughtsman with them for some years.
He then entered the service of the Cunard Co., where he gained experience as a sea-going engineer.
In 1872 the State Line was started, and he became associated with the undertaking as superintending engineer, which position he held for nineteen years, until the steamers of the company were acquired by the Allan Line in 1891. During that period he had full charge of all work of every kind, and managed the company's repairing work.
Since that date he practised as a consulting engineer and naval architect, and on the formation in Glasgow of the British Corporation of Shipping he was appointed their first chief engineer-surveyor. For leading Glasgow firms he designed and superintended the building of steamers, and was frequently commissioned by the Japan Mail Steamship Co. in connection with their numerous fleet of passenger steamers.
In 1900 the Glasgow agents of the company turned their business into a limited company, under the title of Messrs. A. R. Brown, McFarlane and Co., and he became the managing director of the engineering department. The senior partner of the firm also discharged the duties of the Consul for Japan.
A few years ago he was selected as a Member of the Consultative Committee appointed to confer on a number of technical matters with the Marine Department of the Board of Trade.
His death took place at his residence at Bellahouston, Glasgow, on 6th April 1908, at the age of sixty-one.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1891. He was also a Member of the Institution of Naval Architects, and a Member of Council of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders is Scotland.
Obituary 1908 [2]
. . . passed from school to the engineering works of James and George Thomson, then of Finnieston and subsequently of Clydebank, and after training he was for some time in the employment of the Cunard Co. On the formation of the State Steamship Co he became associated with it as superintending engineer . . . [more]