Civil Engineers
‘Regarding your paper’s remarks about the Navy, I recall some thoughts that ocurred to me a few years ago when I was harbour engineer for India and was cruising around the coasts of that country in various steamers. In the man-of-war of the past the sails, masts, and rigging might be called the engines of the ship; they were her only means of locomotion. Therefore the young officers were taught practical knowledge of all of this… Yet although steam has taken the place of the wind engine of the past, we still have midshipmen, leiutenants, etc though they no longer take charge of the engines of the ship as formerly. These officers do not amalgamate with, but rather look down on the real workers of the ship. But why should they? Is there anything more derogatory to an officer and a gentleman in knowing about the bolts, rivets, valves, etc than to a Nelson being aquainted with the ropes and sails of the past? Certainly not. The steam engine takes more brains than the wind engine, that is all. I believe the Navy will never be in a healthy state till all distictions in working duties are done away with. When that is made imperative, then the engineer officers of the future will be drawn from the same class as the engineers of the past.’ One rather suspects that George Robertson, the civil engineer who wrote this letter to The Scotsman in 1877, thought that such looking down on engineers was not just an issue for the Navy.
Robertson was a son of Lord Benholme, a Scottish judge. Clearly his father did not view engineering as a lesser career for he happily agreed to George studying at the Civil Engineering College. George then worked under the British civil engineer, James Rendel on the extensions to London Docks. In 1860 he came to Edinburgh, having been appointed to design and supervise the construction of the Albert and Edinburgh Docks and other works at Leith. (engraving of docks at the time) He lived at Number 47 and swiftly became involved in Edinburgh life. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, President of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts and a member of the Royal Company of Archers. Being a supporter of improved education he championed the Watt Institution, a technical college that attracted a large number of middle-class students with new subjects in the sciences, technology and the social sciences. In 1869 the college permitted women to attend lectures and graduate, twenty years before any Scottish university, and in 1874 appointed a female director. A much earlier civil engineer living in the street was John Geddes (Number 49). In 1847 Geddes became a partner with Robert Bald, widely regarded as one of Scotland’s best surveyors and civil engineers. In 1808 Bald had travelled with Thomas Telford to survey the Göta Canal in central Sweden. Geddes and Bald published reports on a range of mineral deposits, workings, buildings and drainage at collieries across Scotland, and also submitted proposals for a variety of engineering projects, including new railway lines. Geddes often acted as agent for the lets or sales of properties: ‘The Estate of Bardowie is now to be let. The Paraffin Oil got from this shale is of excellent quality, and the estate is within six miles of Glasgow.’
James Peddie (Number 14) worked in partnership with Henry Wylie on a number of important civil engineering works, including the Bridport Railway, completed in 1857; the Kirkcudbright swing-bridge over the navigable portion of the River Dee; and the Selkirk and Galashiels railway, opened in 1866, which includes the impressive Leaderfoot Viaduct (photo) over the River Tweed. He also worked with his architect brother, John, on the proposal for the formation of Cockburn Street, linking Edinburgh's Royal Mile with Waverley Station.
Alexander Oliver Riddell (Number 54) worked mainly as a civil engineer, although he also described himself as an Insurance Agent. In 1837, he was employed as the Assistant Engineer on the development of the Glasgow and Edinburgh railway, and gave evidence to the House of Commons Committee who were investigating problems with the railway line. Riddell was asked if he had surveyed the line himself. Riddell replied: ‘I surveyed from Glasgow to Castlecary, and again from Almond water to beyond Linlithgow, to Nicolton, two or three miles west of Linlithgow. About thirty miles.’ He then explained that while others had surveyed the rest he had checked their surveys. ‘Did you satisfy yourself of the accuracy?’ He replied yes. In 1847, he was Deputy Chair of the company developing the Edinburgh and Bathgate railway line that had received its assent the year before. Yet in spite of his work with the new railway lines, or possibly as a result of unwise investments in them, he was declared bankrupt in 1848.