John Edward Waller
John Edward Waller (1856-1930)
1930 Obituary[1]
THE LATE MR. J. E. WALLER.
We regret to note the death, on July 5 last, of Mr. John Edward Waller, late senior partner of Messrs. Kincaid, Waller, Manville and Dawson, consulting engineers, of St. Stephens House, Victoria-embankment, Westminster, London, S.W.l. A son of the late Dr. J. F. Waller, Barrister-at-Law, Dublin, Mr. J. E. Waller was born on December 31, 1856. He was educated mainly by private tuition and, in July, 1876, entered the office of .the late Mr. William Baker, Engineer-in-Chief of the London and North Western Railway. From July, 1878, to November, 1882, he acted as resident engineer, under Mr. Louis Trench, on the construction of the Roade to Northampton line, and on the reconstruction works of Rugby station. Towards the end of 1882, he proceeded to India to take up the appointment of personal assistant to Mr. A. W. Lawder, and was given charge of the setting out and construction of the Rohilkund and Kumaon Railway, North-West Province. Mr. Waller returned home, however, in September, 1883, and became engaged, under Mr. Joseph Kincaid and Messrs. Galbraith and Church, on Parliamentary plans for various railways and tramways. In April, 1885, he became chief assistant to Mr. Kincaid, and while occupying this position, had charge of the design, and subsequently supervised the construction of the Barranquilla Railway and pier, Colombia; the Bristol branches of the Midland Railway; the South Yorkshire Railway, connecting Denaby Main Colliery and the Hull and Barnsley Railway; the Birmingham Central Tramways ; and the Northfleet Electric Tramways. He also reported on various other engineering works, including a proposed pier at Kingston, Jamaica.
Mr. Waller entered into partnership with Mr. (now Sir) Edward Manville in 1892, and, in the following year, together with Mr. Manville, entered into partnership with Mr. Kincaid, the firm being joined in 1902 by Mr. (now Sir) Philip Dawson. Among other engineering works, Mr. Waller was actively connected with the construction of the railway from the Nile Valley, across the Libyan desert, to the Great Oases, and with the building of the railway from the Burma main line to Bawdwin in the Northern Shan States. He also carried out much work in connection with the construction of piers and harbour improvements at Puerto Colombia, first in 1891, and again in 1914. He was also extensively employed in Parliamentary and Board of Trade work, and in such matters as arbitration valuations for the purchase of tramway undertakings by local authorities, under the Tramways Act. Mr. Waller retired from the firm in December, 1924, and was living at Westgate-on-Sea at the time of his death. A former student member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, he became an associate member of the Institution on March 7, 1882, and rose to full membership rank on November 3, 1891."