Robert Oswald
Robert Oswald (1855-1904)
1905 Obituary [1]
ROBERT OSWALD was born in Glasgow on 29t11 May 1855.
He was educated at Milnes School and Mearns Street Science Classes, Greenock.
In 1871 he commenced an apprenticeship of seven years with Messrs. John Scott and Co., engineers and shipbuilders, of Greenock, after which he was engaged from 1878 to 1882 in designing and constructing marine and other machinery for the following Greenock firms - Messrs. Kincaid and Donald, Messrs. Caird and Co., Messrs. Steel and Co., and Messrs. Rankin and Blackmore.
In 1882 he went out to China and was engaged in designing and constructing marine and land engines for Messrs. S. C. Farnham, of Shanghai, until 1888 when he entered the drawing office and became assistant superintendent in the Imperial Arsenal at Tientsin.
From April 1900 to the outbreak of hostilities in the same year he acted as superintendent of the Arsenal in the absence of Mr. Stewart, and was responsible for the manufacture of mild steel, shells, field guns, sulphur, silver coins, steamers, engines, boilers, cartridges, smokeless powder, &c.
For the services rendered by him to the sick and wounded and to the troops generally he received the special thanks of the Secretary of State for India and of Lieut.-General Sir Alfred Gaselee, Commander of the British Contingent China Field Force.
In the autumn of 1900 he began on his own account in Tientsin as consulting engineer, surveyor, and architect. In a short time he had established a good business and had constructed some of the finest buildings in Tientsin, including the large Victoria Buildings, the Russo-Chinese Bank, and the Yokohama Specie Bank.
In 1902 he took into partnership Mr. Loup and Mr. Lee, the firm being styled Messrs. Oswald, Loup, and Lee.
In June 1904 he returned home, and illness supervening, his death took place in Edinburgh, on 12th December 1904, in his fiftieth year.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1903.