George Blair (1826-1894)
George Young Blair 1826-1894
George Young Blair was born in 1826 at Drumrauch, his father’s farm near Dundee.
He was apprenticed as a mechanical engineer and specialised in building marine engines
After working in Scotland for some years, he became a manager in the engineering department at Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co at Jarrow.
He left Jarrow in 1855 to manage the Locomotive Engine Works of Fossick and Hackworth at Stockton.
He become a partner in the firm after Hackworth’s retirement in 1864 and then sole owner after Fossick’s retirement soon after.
The firm grew rapidly and within 30 years covered an area of about 14 acres and employed 2,500 workmen.
The firm specialised in triple-expansion and quadruplex engines for steamships.
Mr Blair was married three times. His first wife was a Miss Thorn. They had one daughter and two sons, all of whom died in early life.
His second wife was Margaret Borrie (1836-88). They married on 4 Sep 1862 at St Hilda’s, Middlesbrough. Margaret came from a Scottish shipping background. They had four children, one son and three daughters. In 1888 his wife Margaret died aged 52 and was buried at Hutton Rudby.
1889 March 20th. He married Marian Bower at Chelsea. [1]
1894 September 22nd. George died. [2]. George Blair’s obituary describes the works running 'night and day, the electric light in the higher shops making them a conspicuous object for a considerable distance around'.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Jakesbarn