John Williams (1818-1887)
John Williams (1818-1887) of the Taff Vale Railway
1861 Engineer of new works on the Taff Vale Railway
1887 September 05th. Died. 'We regret to announce the death of Mr John Williams, engineer for the Taff Vale Railway Company, which took place in London, early on Monday morning. Mr Williams joined the company 40 years ago, upon its formation, and he has been closely associated with its development and eminently successful career since that time. He was originally an assistant to Mr Bush, the engineer for the company, and consequently acted in a like capacity under Mr G. O. Fisher. Latterly he has been in charge of the parliamentary and new works, and has been actively engaged until very recently. He married the sister of the late Mr Evan Thomas, of Duffryn Frwyd, and has for some considerable time resided at Hendresythan. The deceased gentleman wept up to London to undergo an operation by Sir Henry Thompson, and it is presumed that the non-success of the operation caused his death which took place at three o'clock on Monday morning. As soon as the news reached Cardiff, the Taff Vale Railway Company hoisted flags half-mast high, and lowered their blinds as a token of respect for the deceased gentleman.[1]
1888 Obituary [2]
JOHN WILLIAMS was born in Glamorganshire in 1818, and articled about 1834 to Mr. Thomas Morris, engineer and surveyor, Newport, Monmouthshire, an experienced and energetic man, who gave him plenty of work early and late.
On leaving Newport, in 1837, Mr. Williams obtained an engagement on the engineering staff of Mr. Brunel, in the construction of the first line of the Taff Vale Railway from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff Docks, and he continued his connection with the Taff Vale Railway Company as Assistant Engineer, acting under Mr. George Fisher, M.Inst.C.E., and afterwards as engineer of new works, up to the time of his death half a century later, when the length of the lines of the Taff Vale railway system amounted to about 100 miles, exclusive of lines in course of construction, and the dividends paid by the Company had been from 10 to 15 per cent.
Mr. Williams had great experience in laying out lines of railway as well as in construction, as also an extensive acquaintance with Parliamentary Committees, mostly in cases connected with the Taff Vale Company’s interests.
He had a considerable private practice, in the course of which he made surveys for, and laid out important railway lines in England and Wales. Before his connection with the Taff Vale Company he was engaged on various waterworks and similar undertakings. He was a peculiarly energetic, hard-working, and genial man of business, and even late in life he was generally at work in his office by 9 A.M., although that involved a road and railway journey of more than an hour and a half‘s duration from the time he left his beautiful residence at Hendrescythan, near Llantrissant.
Mr. Williams married a sister of the late Evan Williams, J.P., of Duffryn Ffrwd, Glamorganshire, who survives him, but he left no children.
He died in London on the 5th of September, 1887, only about a week after having undergone a painful surgical operation.
He was elected a Member of the Institution on the 4th of May, 1875.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ South Wales Daily News - Tuesday 06 September 1887
- ↑ 1888 Institution of Civil Engineers: Obituaries