William Willcox
William Willcox (1830-1889)
1890 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM WILLCOX was born at Areley, Staffordshire, January 18th, 1830, and was educated at Park School, Bewdley. He studied engineering under Mr. Stephen Ballard and Mr. Samuel Willcox (his brother), who carried out important contracts for the late Mr. Brassey.
From 1860 to 1863, Mr. William Willcox was engaged on the Melbourne and Castlemaine Railway, in Victoria, and was on his brother’s staff in constructing railways in New South Wales. In 1863 he returned to England, and from that time until 1869 was in charge of works for Messrs. Brassey and Ballard, upon the Evesham and Ashchurch Railway and on the London and Bedford portion of the Midland Railway.
In 1870 and 1871, Mr. Willcox was District Engineer on the East Hungarian Railway for Messrs. Taring Brothers; and from 1872 to 1874 he was engaged in the survey of the Parana and Matto Grosso Railway, in Brazil.
In 1874 Mr. Willcox went out to South Africa, and from that time to 1883 was engaged in carrying out surveys and railway works for the Government of Cape Colony. In 1883 he constructed the section of the Kimberley Line from Orange River to Modder River ; on its completion, in consequence of the suspension of railway work in South Africa, Mr. Willcox turned his attention to gold-mining, but he did not meet with the success which he anticipated in his new enterprise, and when railways were recommenced he undertook the surveys in the Free State on the lines from Colesberg to Bloemfontein, and from Harrismith to the Natal border. It was while engaged upon the latter survey that he caught a cold, which he neglected in his anxiety to push on the surveys ; pneumonia supervened, and he died at Harrismith, August 14th, 1889. Mr. Willcox had a good practical knowledge of his profession, and possessed a remarkable faculty in the selection of country, which proved most valuable to him in his varied Colonial railway experience. He was elected a Member of the Institution on the 4th of March, 1884.