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Post by Waverley on Jun 5, 2007 10:35:15 GMT 1
Sir William Arrol 1839 - 1913
Born in Houston in Renfrewshire, the son of a spinner. At the age of only 9 he began work in a cotton mill, by 1863 he had joined a company of bridge manufacturers in Glasgow. By 1872 he had his own business, the Dalmarnock Iron Works in the east end of the city.
Arrol went onto build the Forth Rail Bridge (1890) and replace the Tay Rail Bridge (1887) two of largest bridges in the world of their time and are still in use today. He was also built for Tower Bridge in London (1894), bridges over the Nile at Cairo (1908) plus multi-span bridges over the River Clyde at Bothwell and the River South Esk at Montrose. The Bankside Power Station in London, which now forms the Tate Modern Art Gallery, was also built by Arrol.
He was knighted in 1890 and was elected the Liberal Member of Parliament for South Ayrshire, from 1892 and 1906.
Arrol built a house on his estate at Seafield, near Ayr (1885), where he lived until his death in 1913.
Arrol's like every other large industrial company was to be used during the First and Second World Wars for the production of munitions. They also built the large suspension towers for the Forth Road Bridge in 1963.
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Post by Waverley on Jul 4, 2007 21:17:13 GMT 1
SIR WILLIAM ARROL THE builder of the great Forth Bridge, and senior partner in Dalmarnock Iron Works, was the son of a cotton-spinner who became manager of the mill of Messrs. J. & P. Coats in Paisley. He was born at Houston in 1839, and began work when nine years of age in Johnstone cotton mill. He afterwards "wrought in a mill in Paisley. This work, however, showed little prospect of advancement, so, at the age of fourteen, he bound himself apprentice to a Paisley blacksmith. At the end of his "time" he wrought in various towns of England and Scotland to improve his knowledge, and at the age of twenty-four became foreman in the boiler works of Messrs. Laidlaw & Sons, Glasgow. There he was entrusted with the carrying out of important contracts. Five years later he began business for himself in Bridgeton, and in 1871, having taken to bridge building, he founded Dalmarnock Iron Works. One of his first important tasks was the building of the Caledonian Railway Company's bridge over the Clyde at Bothwell. There he put into practice his idea of building the bridge on land, and then rolling it out over the water. Formerly bridges were rivetted piece to piece in their place. A little later he had the building of the great Caledonian bridge over the Clyde at the Broomielaw, and for that work he devised a new mechanical driller which saved immense labour. Another of his many inventions was a hydraulic rivetter which does better work than the old hand labour. And indeed no difficulty has ever arisen in his work which he was not able to overcome by some new resource. He had undertaken the contract to build the suspension bridge planned by Sir Thomas Bond to span the Forth, and had spent some thousands of pounds on preparatory works when, in 1879, that engineer's Tay Bridge collapsed with fearful loss of life. Fresh plans were made for both structures. Sir William Arrol was entrusted with the building of them, and they stand to-day for monuments of his skill and courage. At the opening of the great Forth viaduct on 4th March, 1890, the Prince of Wales, now His Majesty King Edward, intimated that Queen Victoria intended to confer the honour of knighthood on the builder. Since then Sir William has built the great Tower Bridge across the Thames, and many another mighty viaduct; and he is still building. In 1895 he was induced to adventure upon politics, and was elected for South Ayrshire as a Liberal Unionist. In the House of Commons as elsewhere he took his duties seriously, as one of his latest appearances, which attracted much attention went to prove. His first wife, Elizabeth Paterson. being for some years dead, he married again in 1905. The marriage took place in Scotland, and on the same night an important division took place at the House. Most men would have held themselves excused in the circumstances, but Sir William was present, and counted for his party in the division. For this sacrifice to duty he was made the recipient of a presentation by his fellow members at Westminster. Sir William has built for himself the beautiful house of Seafield at Ayr, where some day he may retire to enjoy the many academic and other honours which have come to him. ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=1252&search_term=Bridgeton%20Cross&search_join_type=AND&search_fuzzy=yes
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Post by Waverley on Jul 13, 2007 8:26:20 GMT 1
How ironic that I who was born and bred in Arrol Place off the London Road should've played golf on numerous occassions at Seafield Golf Course in Ayr which is actually part of Sir William Arrol's former estate...strange how you have links with your past which you never know about and only learn about by chance.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2009 21:20:26 GMT 1
VISIT OF THE MARQUIS TZENG, CHINESE MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY TO GREAT BRITAIN.
At the close of his ambassadorial residence in London and when about to return to his own country this highly distinguished and most accomplished and en- lightened statesman, now deceased, desired to make acquaintance with some of the provincial towns of England (sic), and in particular to visit Glasgow and its industries.
On Wednesday, 26th May, the party proceeded by special train, visiting Messrs. Dubs' Locomotive Works, Messrs. Morrison & Mason's Stone Sawing and Dressing Works, and the Steel Works of Scotland at Newton. At the latter works, Messrs. Arrol, Wilson, M'Clelland, and Lorimer, directors, with Mr. Riley, general manager, received the Marquis, and after a highly interested inspection of the great works with their ponderous machinery, His Excellency was enter- tained by them to luncheon.
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