John Reid Chalmers
John Reid Chalmers (1845-1917)
1917 Obituary [1]
JOHN REID CHALMERS was born in Glasgow on 20th September 1845.
He received his education at the parish school in connexion with Dennyloanhead Church.
In 1862 he commenced his apprenticeship with Messrs. W. Simons and Co., London Works, Renfrew, where he passed through the various shops and drawing office, leaving them to take an appointment as draughtsman with a firm of Civil and Mechanical Engineers in Glasgow.
He subsequently accepted a position as leading draughtsman with Messrs. Allibon, Noyes and Co., Northfleet, and on the closing of this Company's Works he returned to Glasgow, and entered the drawing office of Messrs. John Elder and Co., Govan, for a short period, whence he again journeyed South to take up the position of leading assistant with Messrs. J. and G. Rennie, Greenwich, where he was responsible for the design and construction of much dredging and marine machinery, and special machinery for extensions of Chatham Dockyard.
In 1873 he was appointed Engineer to H.M. Prisons, resigning this position in 1887, owing to ill-health, induced by a faulty operation. Recovering somewhat from this illness, he devoted his energies to the improvement and development of mechanical devices, and many improvements in hydraulic machinery originated with him.
He also acted as consulting and inspecting engineer to various bodies as occasion arose, by whom his engineering abilities were highly appreciated. His death took place, as a result of an operation, at his residence in London on 10th August 1917, in his seventy-second year.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1886; he was also a Member of the Society of Arts, a Manager of Public Schools under the London County Council, and a keen worker in all educational and municipal matters.