William Gilchrist Gilchrist
William Gilchrist Gilchrist (1849-1899)
1899 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM GILCHRIST GILCHRIST, born on the 10th March, 1849, began his engineering career as a pupil of the late Mr. P. J. Margary on the South Devon and Cornwall Railway.
In 1870 he entered the service of the Public Works Department of the Government of India, and was appointed to the Holkar State Railway as an Assistant Engineer, in which capacity he was employed on the construction of heavy works and on the Nerbudda Bridge. His services, as one of the staff employed on the surveys in connection with the Indore State Railway, were approved by the Governor-General in Council in 1871.
In 1875 he was transferred to the Neemuch State Railway, and was engaged on the Melhambal and Ghumber Bridges until October, 1878, when he took furlough.
Returning in November of the following year, he was posted to the Neemuch-Nasirabad Railway, but in March, 1880, he was transferred to the Kathiawar Railway and placed in charge of the Bhavnagar Division.
Mr. Gilchrist was specially commended by the Bombay Government for the rapid progress made with the bridge-work on that line. He was next engaged for three years on the Holkar-Scindia-Neemuch Railway, after which, in June, 1884, he was transferred to the Cuddapah-Nellore State Railway.
In 1886 and 1886 he was engaged on survey work for the Madras and the Godra-Rutlam Railways.
Mr. Gilchrist's services were lent to the South Indian Railway Company for a year from April, 1887. He then took furlough, owing to ill-health, and, on returning, was posted in February, 1889, to the Villupuram-Dharmaveram State Railway.
From August, 1890, to March, 1892, he was engaged on work for the Nilgiri Railway Company, after which he was employed on the Kalka-Simla, the Arsikere-Mangalore, and the Singhia-Madaripur-Chandpur Railway surveys.
Mr. Gilchrist came to England on furlough in July, 1897. In December of the following year he underwent a severe operation, which, however, gave only temporary relief, and death ensued at St. Kilda, Salcombe-Regis, Sidmouth, on the 26th May, 1899.
Mr. Gilchrist was a most zealous Freemason, and held office in the District Grand Lodges of the Punjab and Madras. He took an active interest in the volunteer movement in India, and when he left in 1897 was Lieutenant-Colonel commanding a battalion of Bangalore Rifle Volunteers.
Mr. Gilchrist was elected as Associate on the 1st December, 1874, was subsequently placed in the class of Associate Members, and was transferred to the class of Members on the 15th February, 1887.