Robert Rawlinson

Robert Rawlinson

Infobox Engineer


image_width = 150px
caption = Robert Rawlinson in Crimea, 1855
name = Robert Rawlinson
nationality = English
birth_date = 28 February 1810
birth_place = Bristol, England
death_date = Death date and age|1898|5|31|1810|2|28
death_place = London, England
education =
spouse =
parents =
children =
discipline = Civil,
institutions = Institution of Civil Engineers (president),
practice_name =
significant_projects =
significant_design =
significant_advance =
significant_awards =

Sir Robert Rawlinson KCB (28 February, 1810 - 31 May, 1898) was an English engineer and sanitarian.

Early life

He was born at Bristol. His father was a mason and builder at Chorley, Lancashire, and he himself began his engineering education by working in a stonemason's yard.

Career

In 1831, he obtained employment under Jesse Hartley in the engineers office at the Liverpool docks, and for four years from 1836 he was engaged under Robert Stephenson as assistant resident engineer for the Blisworth section of what is now the London & North-Western main line from London to the North.

Returning to Liverpool, he spent some years as assistant-surveyor to the corporation, and then in 1844 accepted an engineering post on the Bridgewater Canal. Three years later he returned to Liverpool, to superintend the design and construction of the famous brick-arched ceiling in the St George's Hall, in succession to, his friend H. L. Elmes. During this period Rawlinson's reputation as a sanitarian had been growing, and when the Public Health Act was passed in 1848 he was appointed one of the first inspectors under it. He inspected many of the chief towns of England, and his reports on the sanitary conditions he found brought him in many cases into great unpopularity with the municipal rulers.

Early in 1855 popular feeling was so aroused by the waste of life that was going on among the British troops in the Crimea through disease, and by the mismanagement of the campaign, that the Aberdeen ministry was forced to resign. Lord Palmerston, who then became prime minister, sent a sanitary commission, consisting of Rawlinson and two medical members (Dr. John Sutherland and Dr. H. Gavin), with full powers from the War Office, to do whatever it thought would lead to better hygienic conditions in camp and hospital. The commission reached Constantinople in March, and, by insisting on what now seem the most obvious precautions, succeeded within a few weeks in reducing the death-rate in the Levantine hospitals from 42 to 23.4%. Passing on to the Crimea, it effected a similar improvement there, and by the end of the year the health of the whole British army in the field was even better than it enjoyed at home.

Rawlinson's next great public service, for which he was made C.B. in 1865, was in connection with the distress caused in Lancashire by the collapse of the cotton manufacturing industry consequent on the American Civil War. In 1863 it was suggested that, in order to provide employment for the starving operatives, the government should start works of utility, profit and ornament, and Rawlinson being sent to make an official investigation into the question, reported, after visiting nearly 100 towns, that 1/2 million sterling might be advantageously expended in providing water-supply and drainage, forming streets, etc., in those places. The result was that the Treasury was authorized to advance 1,200,000 the amount was afterwards increased) for carrying out such works, which proved of enormous public benefit.

In 1866 he acted as chairman of the Royal Commission on the Pollution of Rivers, and a few years later was appointed chief engineering inspector to the Local Government Board; on retiring from this position in 1888 be was promoted to be KCB

Later life

Between May 1894 and May 1895 he served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers.Citation | first = Garth | last = Watson| title = The Civils | publisher = London: Thomas Telford Ltd | page = 252
year = 1988 | isbn = 0-727-70392-7
] He died in London on 31 May 1898 and is buried there in Brompton Cemetery. [http://www.brompton.org/Residents.htm]

References

*1911

ee also

*Worthing Pier

External links

*

s-start s-npo|pro s-bef|before=Alfred Giles s-ttl|title=President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
years=May 1894 – May 1895
s-aft|after=Benjamin Baker end


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rawlinson — This most interesting surname, while ultimately of Old Scandinavian origin, is a patronymic form of the Old French personal name Raulin and Middle English Rawlin . These personal names are double diminutives of Raw , a shortened form of Ralph,… …   Surnames reference

  • Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon — The Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo Saxon, until 1916 known as the Rawlinsonian Professorship of Anglo Saxon, was established by Richard Rawlinson of St. John s College, Oxford, in 1795. The Chair is associated with Pembroke College …   Wikipedia

  • George Rawlinson — (* 23. November 1812 in Chadlington, Oxfordshire; † 6. Oktober 1902 in Canterbury) war ein britischer Historiker und Geistlicher der Kirche von England. Rawlinson war der dritte Sohn des Pferdezüchters Abram Tyzack Rawlinson und dessen Ehefrau… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Brian Rawlinson — (* 21. November 1921 in Stockport; † 23. November 2000 in Exeter) war ein britischer Schauspieler. Rawlinson war ein populärer Bühnen , Fernseh und Filmschauspieler und trat in etlichen Filmen der Carry on… Filmreihe auf. Seine bekannteste Rolle… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • St. George's Hall, Liverpool — Infobox Historic building caption=St George s Hall name=St George s Hall latitude=53.4086 longitude= 2.9801 location town=Liverpool location country=ENG architect=Harvey Lonsdale Elmes Sir Charles Cockerell client= engineer=Sir Robert Rawlinson… …   Wikipedia

  • Institution of Civil Engineers — Fichier:IceLogo.jpg Création 1818 Type Organisation professionnelle Siège 1 Great George Street, Londres, UK Langue(s) Anglais Budget …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Rawlingson — This most interesting surname, while ultimately of Old Scandinavian origin, is a patronymic form of the Old French personal name Raulin and Middle English Rawlin . These personal names are double diminutives of Raw , a shortened form of Ralph,… …   Surnames reference

  • Rawlison — This most interesting surname, while ultimately of Old Scandinavian origin, is a patronymic form of the Old French personal name Raulin and Middle English Rawlin . These personal names are double diminutives of Raw , a shortened form of Ralph,… …   Surnames reference

  • Rawlyns — This most interesting surname, while ultimately of Old Scandinavian origin, is a patronymic form of the Old French personal name Raulin and Middle English Rawlin . These personal names are double diminutives of Raw , a shortened form of Ralph,… …   Surnames reference

  • List of civil engineers — This list of civil engineers is a list of notable people who have been trained in or have practised civil engineering. Contents: Top · 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”