John Aird (engineer)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Aird, 1st Baronet (3 December 1833 – 6 January 1911) was a notable English
civil engineering
contractor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is the Great Grandfather of Ollie Parkes. He also served as Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Paddington North
from 1887 to 1906, was the first Mayor of Paddington in 1900, and became an enthusiastic collector of British art.
, south-east London
before setting up his own contracting business, John Aird & Co.
, in 1848. On his 18th birthday in 1851, Aird junior joined the family firm – which subsequently traded as John Aird & Sons for a while. The business had initially focused on gas and water network installations, but soon expanded into more general building work.
John Aird's first significant scheme was the dismantling, transportation and re-erection of The Crystal Palace
buildings from the 1851 Great Exhibition from central London's Hyde Park
to Sydenham
in south London.
Other company projects included the construction of reservoirs and of railways and dock
s work.
Aird became an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers
in 1859.
After the firm merged with Lucas Brothers
and his father's death John Aird junior became chief partner and the name of the business reverted to John Aird & Co. in 1895.
Under Aird's leadership, the firm also became internationally famous for building the first Aswan Dam
; the business was also later engaged to increase the height of the dam.
for Paddington North
from 1887 to 1906.
on Lord Salisbury
's recommendation on 5 March 1901. He died in January 1911 at his country home of Wilton Park in Beaconsfield
, Buckinghamshire
and he was buried at nearby Littleworth.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
contractor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is the Great Grandfather of Ollie Parkes. He also served as Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Paddington North
Paddington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Paddington North was a borough constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington in London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
from 1887 to 1906, was the first Mayor of Paddington in 1900, and became an enthusiastic collector of British art.
Early life
Aird was the son of a former mason – also called John Aird (1806-1876) – who was superintendent of the Phoenix Gas Company's gasworks in GreenwichGreenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
before setting up his own contracting business, John Aird & Co.
John Aird & Co.
John Aird & Co. was once a leading British civil engineering business based in London.-Early history:The company was founded in 1848 by John Aird with the objective of laying mains for gas and water companies in London....
, in 1848. On his 18th birthday in 1851, Aird junior joined the family firm – which subsequently traded as John Aird & Sons for a while. The business had initially focused on gas and water network installations, but soon expanded into more general building work.
Engineering career
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
buildings from the 1851 Great Exhibition from central London's Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
to Sydenham
Sydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
in south London.
Other company projects included the construction of reservoirs and of railways and dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
s work.
Aird became an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
in 1859.
After the firm merged with Lucas Brothers
Lucas Brothers, Builders
Lucas Brothers was a leading British building business based in London.-Early history:The business was founded by Charles Thomas Lucas and Thomas Lucas . They were the sons of James Lucas , a builder, of St Pancras, London...
and his father's death John Aird junior became chief partner and the name of the business reverted to John Aird & Co. in 1895.
Under Aird's leadership, the firm also became internationally famous for building the first Aswan Dam
Aswan Dam
The Aswan Dam is an embankment dam situated across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. Since the 1950s, the name commonly refers to the High Dam, which is larger and newer than the Aswan Low Dam, which was first completed in 1902...
; the business was also later engaged to increase the height of the dam.
Political career
Aird served as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Paddington North
Paddington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Paddington North was a borough constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington in London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
from 1887 to 1906.
Personal life and family
Aird married Sarah Smith of Lewisham on 6 September 1855 and they had eight children: John (who became, in succession to his father, Sir John Aird), Malcolm, Sarah, Jessie, Ada, Vida, Gertrude, and Dorothy.Retirement
Aird was created a baronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
on Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
's recommendation on 5 March 1901. He died in January 1911 at his country home of Wilton Park in Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield is a market town and civil parish operating as a town council within the South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies northwest of Charing Cross in Central London, and south-east of the county town of Aylesbury...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and he was buried at nearby Littleworth.