Edward Brough Taylor
Edward Brough Taylor (1856-1941)
1941 Obituary [1]
EDWARD BROUGH TAYLOR was born in Pimlico on the 4th August, 1856, and died at East Molesey, Surrey, on the 7th February, 1941.
He was educated at King’s College, London, and received his early engineering training as a pupil with Messrs. James Simpson & Company, of Grosvenor Road, Pimlico, and in the office of his father, Mr. John Taylor, M.Inst.C.E., by whom he was placed in charge of extensive works for the Bristol Waterworks Company.
In 1882 he was taken into partnership in the firm of Messrs. John Taylor and Sons, and on his father’s death, in 1891, he became senior partner, a position which he retained for 50 years.
In addition to his advisory activities for the Bristol Waterworks Company, he designed and carried out extensive works for the Colne Valley, Chatham, Aldershot, and Herne Bay Water Companies, all of which obtained their supplies from the chalk, of which formation he had made a close study, becoming a recognized authority upon it. He also advised numerous other water undertakings in England and Wales, and was frequently retained to give evidence before parliamentary committees. He was one of the principal witnesses in the prolonged arbitration proceedings in connexion with the formation of the Metropolitan Water Board.
For many years he advised the Shanghai Waterworks Company, especially in regard to its extensive pumping-plant, and also visited Newfoundland, Genoa, and Russia in connexion with the augmentation and purification of water-supplies. More recently he designed waterworks for the City of Karachi, India....[more]
1941 Obituary [2]
"EDWARD BROUGH TAYLOR
We greatly regret to have to record the death, on February 7th, of Mr. E. Brough Taylor, senior partner of John Taylor and Sons, chartered civil engineers, Westminster.
Edward Brough Taylor was born in 1856 in Pimlico. He was the second son of Mr. John Taylor, M. Inst. C.E., who had gained considerable experience in his profession of waterworks engineer and was largely responsible for the design of waterworks at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Cardiff, Bristol, Newport and various other cities ; he was also responsible for the construction of extensive works for the Lambeth Waterworks Co and was chief engineer to the New River Co.
Mr. Brough Taylor was educated at King’s College, Strand, received his early engineering training in his father’s office in Great George Street, Westminster, and was later sent to Bristol in charge of extensive works which were being carried out for the Bristol Waterworks Co at that time. In 1882 he and his younger brother, the late Mr. G. Midgley Taylor, M. Inst. C.E., were taken into partnership. Mr. John Taylor died in 1891 and since that date Mr. Taylor held the position of senior partner of John Taylor and Sons, although latterly his health prevented his taking as active a part in professional w’ork as he wished.
After his father’s death he continued to advise the Bristol Waterworks Company and was responsible for large extensions of its works. He also designed and carried out very extensive works for the Colne Valley, Chatham, Aldershot and Herne Bay water companies, all of which undertakings obtained their supplies from the chalk, of which formation Mr. Taylor had an intimate knowledge. In the case of the Colne Valley Water Co, he was responsible for the carrying out of over 230 separate contracts, involving the construction of wells, adits, pumping machinery, large diameter mains and service reservoirs. He also advised on various other water undertakings in this country, including Shrewsbury, Church Stretton, Swanage, Slough, Maidstone, Midhurst, Porthcawl and other places in South Wales.
The principal undertaking with which he was concerned outside the British Isles was the Shanghai Waterworks Co, whom he advised for many years, particularly in regard to its extensive pumping plant. In his early years he visited Newfoundland to advise on water supply in that island, and in 1909 he visited Genoa to report on a project for bringing new sources of water supply to that city and the neighbouring districts. Just before the Great War he visited Russia to prepare a scheme for the augmentation and purification of the existing supply to the city of St. Petersburg from Lake Ladoga, and more recently advised and designed works for the city of Karachi.
Mr. Taylor was elected an associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1881 and was transferred to full membership in 1890. He was also a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the Geological Society."