Basic Biographical Details

Name: Benjamin Hall Blyth III
Designation:  
Born: 1880 or 1881
Died: 12 October 1948
Bio Notes: Benjamin Hall Blyth was born in 1880 or 1881, the son of Francis Creswick Blyth, stockbroker, and Deborah Tod, and the nephew of Benjamin Hall Blyth junior of Edinburgh. He was taken into partnership in the family civil engineering firm in 1909, the practice title remaining as Blyth & Westland. When David Monro Westland retired in 1913, the practice adopted its final name of Blyth & Blyth.

Benjamin Hall Blyth III enlisted in the Royal Engineers on the outbreak of the First World War, serving in France and reaching the rank of Colonel. He was still overseas at the time of his uncle's death in 1917, whereupon the firm's chief assistant, James Simpson Pirie, was made a partner.

There was very little construction work in hand between 1918 and 1927, but thereafter the firm became involved in the extensive new programme of reconstruction of the country's roads and bridges instigated by the Ministry of Transport and the Local Authorities. They also became consultants to many industrial concerns such as mills, factories and breweries.

In 1930 James Reed, who had graduated BSc at Edinburgh University and subsequently trained with Redpath Brown & Company and Balfour Beatty & Co before becoming chief assistant in the Blyth firm in 1927, was taken into partnership. Pirie retired in 1935, Blyth and Reed continuing in partnership thereafter. Throughout the latter changes the practice title remained unchanged as Blyth & Blyth.

Blyth III was appointed Lord Dean of Guild of the City of Edinburgh in 1946, but was forced to resign on account of ill health in 1947. He continued in practice but the following year his failing health and an increase in business led to a decision to take into partnership Miss M I Fergusson, who had graduated BSc in Civil Engineering at Edinburgh University and had served as an apprentice and latterly assistant to the firm since 1936. Blyth III died on 12 October 1948 at Fairfield, Kinnear Road, Edinburgh, aged 67, leaving estate of £34,075 11s 3d.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2135, George Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness   
Item 2 of 2Fairfield, Kinnear Road, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1948 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2Blyth & Westland19091913Partner 
Item 2 of 2Blyth & Blyth1913After 1948Partner 

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 211899Shiel BridgeArdnamurchan ArgyllScotland 
Item 2 of 211906Kincardine-Dunfermline Railway  FifeScotland 
Item 3 of 211907Methil Harbour and DocksMethil FifeScotlandDock no 3
Item 4 of 211924Bridge, KirkcudbrightKirkcudbright KirkcudbrightshireScotlandWith Louis Gustav Mouchel as engineer
Item 5 of 211924New Bridge over River EskMusselburgh MidlothianScotlandWidened bridge
Item 6 of 211930Bridge over the River OichAberchalder Inverness-shireScotlandMears and Carus-Wilson as architects. Blyth and Blyth as consulting engineers
Item 7 of 211931New Dunglass BridgeOldhamstocks/Cockburnspath Berwickshire/East LothianScotland 
Item 8 of 211931Spey BridgeGrantown-on-Spey MorayshireScotland 
Item 9 of 211931Tyninghame BridgeTyninghame East LothianScotlandRebuilding
Item 10 of 211933Factory for Central Farmers Ltd, AberhillAberhill, Methil FifeScotland 
Item 11 of 211933Invermoriston BridgeInvermoriston Inverness-shireScotlandMears & Carus-Wilson as architects; Blyth & Blyth as enginners
Item 12 of 211933Lomond BridgeBalloch DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 13 of 211934Fort Augustus Bridge over the River OichFort Augustus Inverness-shireScotlandSir Frank Mears as architect, Blyth & Blyth as engineers
Item 14 of 211936Bridge of FindhornFindhorn MorayshireScotland 
Item 15 of 211938Findhorn Bridge over the River Findhorn  MorayshireScotland 
Item 16 of 211938Station BridgeGalashiels SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 17 of 211939Ancrum BridgeAncrum RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 18 of 211939Johnstone BridgeAnnan DumfriesshireScotland 
Item 19 of 211939New BridgeAncrum RoxburghshireScotland 
Item 20 of 211939Wick Harbour BridgeWick CaithnessScotland 
Item 21 of 211953Bernera Bridge Great Bernera Scotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Bailey, Rebecca M1996Scottish architects' papers: a source book Edinburgh: The Rutland Press 
Item 2 of 4Blyth & Blyth1948A history of the firm of Blyth & Blyth, chartered civil engineers, consulting structural engineers … 1848-1948 Edinburgh: C J Cousland 
Item 3 of 4Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture   
Item 4 of 4Johnston, W T Scottish Engineers and Shipbuilders