James Hunter Tasker
James Hunter Tasker (1822-1851)
1852 Obituary [1]
Mr. James Hunter Tasker was born at Greenock, in the year 1822, and in due course prosecuted his studies at the College, at Glasgow, where he distinguished himself by his general acquirements, but more particularly by his attainments in mathematics, and carried off some honours.
In 1840-41 he became the pupil of J. E. Errington (M.Inst. C. E.), under whom he was engaged on most of the lines of Scottish Railways, and eventually was appointed the Resident Engineer, during the construction of the Scottish Central Line, the works of which, as of the Scottish Midland Line, he brought to a satisfactory termination.
He continued, until 1850, in the management of the former of these lines, when a change having occurred in the direction, he accepted the post of general Manager of the Aberdeen Railway, but had scarcely commenced his duties, when he was seized with fever, which, after a very few days' illness terminated, on the 9th of January 1851, at the early age of twenty-nine years, a life which promised to be valuable to his fellow-creatures.
Mr. Tasker was elected an Associate of this Institution in 1844.
He possessed considerable attainments in the theory as well as the practice of his profession, and his conciliating disposition and business habits, rendered his assistance in the conduct of Bills before Committees of the House, very valuable to his friends and agreeable to his antagonists.
His early decease was much regretted by Messrs. Locke and Errington, under whom he had been so long engaged, and by a large circle of friends