Joseph Henry Brady
Joseph Henry Brady (1851-1894)
1895 Obituary [1]
JOSEPH HENRY BRADY, son of Francis Brady, Chief Engineer of the South Eastern Railway Company, was born on the 6th of November, 1851.
After leaving school, he served a pupilage of five years to his father, during which time he was employed in the ordinary routine duties of an engineer’s office and on the construction of the Greenwich and Woolwich Railway.
He then, from 1872 to 1874, had charge, as Resident Engineer, of the construction of the Hythe and Sandgate branch line, and of the laying out of the Seabrook Estate near the latter town.
In October, 1874, Mr. Brady proceeded to South Africa to join the staff of the Cape Government Railways. For the first two years he was engaged as an Assistant Engineer on survey work, and was then appointed Acting District Engineer on the construction staff under the late Henry J. Pauling.
In May, 1877, he was placed in charge of a length of 25 miles, which was subsequently increased to 50 miles, and in July of the following year he was entrusted with the maintenance of the line beyond Worcester. He gradually took over the whole length of 230 miles, between Worcester and Beaufort West, and became responsible for the completion of the construction work of the several districts, including the erection of four important iron bridges.
In February, 1882, he was transferred from Section 2 to Section 1 of the open lines on the Western System (246 miles), and was placed in charge of extensive additions to the locomotive shops at Salt River.
He was appointed Acting Maintenance Engineer of the Western System in May, 1884. At the end of that year, however, he resigned the service.
In the spring of 1885 Mr. Brady obtained the post of Colonial Engineer and Sanitary Inspector in Gambia, where he remained for five years. During that time he acted twice as Treasurer and Collector of Customs for the colony, and also served as a Justice of the Peace and a Member of the Legislative Council.
In 1890 he was appointed Superintendent of Public Works in the island of Barbados. The principal work upon which he was occupied in that capacity was a scheme for improving the harbour of Bridgetown.
While engaged in the performance of his duties Mr. Brady was unfortunately attacked by sunstroke, which resulted in death on the 24th of July, 1894.
He was elected a Member of the Institution on the 5th of May, 1885.