Basic Biographical Details Name: | Blyth & Blyth | Designation: | | Born: | 1913 | Died: | After 1957 | Bio Notes: | Benjamin Hall Blyth junior, eldest son of railway engineer Benjamin Hall Blyth, gained the degree of MA from Edinburgh University and entered his father's firm as an apprentice in 1867. He was taken into partnership in 1871, at which point the practice was being run by his uncle Edward Laurence Ireland Blyth and George Miller Cunningham, his father having died from overwork in 1866 leaving just over £56,000. Edward retired in 1886 and David Monro Westland, who had joined the firm in 1863 and had risen to the post of chief assistant, was taken into partnership, the practice title changing to Cunningham, Blyth & Westland. When Cunningham retired in 1893, the firm was renamed as Blyth & Westland. It remained thus after 1909 when Benjamin Hall Blyth junior's nephew Benjamin Hall Blyth III was taken into partnership, but adopted the final title of Blyth & Blyth when Westland retired in 1913.
Benjamin Hall Blyth junior was elected a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1877, a member of the Council in 1900, and Vice-President in 1911, and in 1914 had the distinction of being the first practising engineer in Scotland to be elected President of the Institution. At the time of his death in 1917, his nephew was in France, serving as a Colonel with the Royal Engineers, having enlisted on the outbreak of the First World War. The firm's chief assistant, James Simpson Pirie, was then made a partner, Benjamin Hall Blyth III returning to the partnership at the cease of hostilities.
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. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 135, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1913 | After 1948 | Blyth & Blyth, MICE, listed at this address in Builder 1957/02/01 p252 (W & A Gilbey Warehouse) |
Employment and TrainingEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | c. 1901 | Bon Accord Bar | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | | | 1924 | Bridge, Kirkcudbright | Kirkcudbright | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | With Louis Gustav Mouchel as engineer | | 1924 | New Bridge over River Esk | Musselburgh | | Midlothian | Scotland | Widened bridge | | 1930 | Bridge over the River Oich | Aberchalder | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Mears and Carus-Wilson as architects. Blyth and Blyth as consulting engineers | | 1931 | New Dunglass Bridge | Oldhamstocks/Cockburnspath | | Berwickshire/East Lothian | Scotland | | | 1931 | Spey Bridge | Grantown-on-Spey | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | 1931 | Tyninghame Bridge | Tyninghame | | East Lothian | Scotland | Rebuilding | | 1933 | Factory for Central Farmers Ltd, Aberhill | Aberhill, Methil | | Fife | Scotland | | | 1933 | Invermoriston Bridge | Invermoriston | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Mears & Carus-Wilson as architects; Blyth & Blyth as enginners | | 1933 | Lomond Bridge | Balloch | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | 1934 | Fort Augustus Bridge over the River Oich | Fort Augustus | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Sir Frank Mears as architect, Blyth & Blyth as engineers | | 1936 | Bridge of Findhorn | Findhorn | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | 1938 | Findhorn Bridge over the River Findhorn | | | Morayshire | Scotland | | | 1938 | Station Bridge | Galashiels | | Selkirkshire | Scotland | | | 1939 | Ancrum Bridge | Ancrum | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | | | 1939 | Johnstone Bridge | Annan | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1939 | New Bridge | Ancrum | | Roxburghshire | Scotland | | | 1939 | Wick Harbour Bridge | Wick | | Caithness | Scotland | | | 1949 | 3 Clifton Terrace | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Plans for reconstruction | | 1949 | Buildings for Riverside Milling Co Ltd, Shearer Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Prepared plans for alterations and additions | | 1950 | Heriot Brewery premises | Roseburn | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Architects for new roof and straw shed | | 1951 | East Pilton Works, Pilton Drive | Pilton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | For additions and alterations | | 1951 | Heriot Brewery premises | Roseburn | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Prepare plans for erection of cold storage room and timber store | | 1953 | Bernera Bridge | | Great Bernera | | Scotland | | | 1 February 1957 | Warehouse, W & A Gilbey & Co, Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Builder p252 | | 3 April 1959 | Tolbooth Wynd Bridge | Leith | | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Scotland | accepting tender applications per Builder p664 - CHECK role | | 27 November 1959 | Bernard Street Bridge | Leith | | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Scotland | accepting tenders by Dec 14 per Builder p783 | | 1960(?) | Western General Hospital, Neurosurgical Department | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | civil engineers | | 7 October 1960 | Meldrum House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | consulting engineers | | 18 November 1960 | University of Edinburgh, David Hume Tower (Arts Building) and redevelopment of George Square | | | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Scotland | per Builder p956 | | 1961 | University of Edinburgh, Department of Civil Engineering | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | structural engineers per Builder 20 Jan 1961 p82 | | 28 April 1961 | Heddell's Park and Annsbrae housing | Lerwick | Mainland | Shetland | Scotland | structural engineers for project per Builder p792 | | 1966 | Central Area Redvelopment with shopping precinct, Regent Street | Hamilton | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Appointed as surveyors for Flats in Duke Street as part of this development | | 1967 | Midlothian County Council Buildings | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | June 1968 | Office Block and Shopping Development | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | Late 1980s | Ibrox Park football stadium | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Remodelling | | 1990 | Scottish Nuclear Headquarters | Peel Park, East Kilbride | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Consulting mechanical/electrical engineers |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Blyth & Blyth | 1948 | A history of the firm of Blyth & Blyth, chartered civil engineers, consulting structural engineers … 1848-1948 | | Edinburgh: C J Cousland | | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p16, p165-7 George Square redevelopment - Arts Tower p168-9 Heddell's Park and Annsbrae Housing | | Johnston, W T | | Scottish Engineers and Shipbuilders | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 4 November 1949 | | | p595 | | Builder | 19 August 1949 | | | p245 | | Builder | 6 January 1950 | | | p28 | | Builder | 7 December 1951 | | | p813 | | Builder | 4 May 1951 | | | p640 | | Builder | 1 June 1951 | | | p803 | | Builder | 1 February 1957 | | | p252 |
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