© All rights reserved. Edinburgh and the Lothians at the opening of the twentieth century / by A. Eddington. Contemporary biographies / edited by W.T. Pike 

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Basic Biographical Details

Name: Benjamin Hall Blyth II
Designation: Architect, Engineer
Born: 25 May 1849
Died: 13 May 1917
Bio Notes: Benjamin Hall Blyth junior was born on 25 May 1849, the eldest son of the railway engineer Benjamin Hall Blyth and his wife Mary Dudgeon Wright. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School 1860-64. He 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. After 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 consulting engineer to the North British and Great North of Scotland Railways, and Lieutenant Colonel of the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps. He 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.

In 1872 Blyth married Millicent Taylor of Dodsworth Hall, Yorkshire: she predeceased him on 12 September 1914. He died on 13 May 1917 at Kaimend, North Berwick, leaving moveable estate of £31,311 15s 5d and was survived by his daughter Elsie Winifred Blyth (Mrs Couper).

His nephew, Benjamin Hall Blyth III, continued the practice thereafter.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect, engineer:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Kaimend, North Berwick, East Lothian, ScotlandBusiness 1917 
Item 2 of 2135, George Street, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusinessBefore 18671917 

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect, engineer (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 6B & E Blyth18631867Apprentice 
Item 2 of 6Blyth & Cunningham18671871Assistant 
Item 3 of 6Blyth & Cunningham18711886Partner 
Item 4 of 6Cunningham, Blyth & Westland18861893Partner 
Item 5 of 6Blyth & Westland18931913Partner 
Item 6 of 6Blyth & Blyth19131917Partner 

Buildings and Designs

This architect, engineer 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 211872Victoria Bridge  AberdeenScotland 
Item 2 of 211876Caledonian Railway Bridge over the Clyde  GlasgowScotland 
Item 3 of 211876Glasgow Central Station  GlasgowScotland 
Item 4 of 211877Ayr New BridgeAyr AyrshireScotland 
Item 5 of 211877Carron DockGrangemouth StirlingshireScotland 
Item 6 of 211881Carlisle Citadel StationCarlisle CumberlandEnglandAlterations and additions
Item 7 of 211883Manor BridgeManor PeeblesshireScotland 
Item 8 of 211883Spey ViaductGarmouth MorayshireScotlandWith Patrick M Barnett
Item 9 of 211884Perth Joint StationPerth PerthshireScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 10 of 211884Railway ViaductCullen BanffshireScotland 
Item 11 of 211885Belford Bridge  EdinburghScotland 
Item 12 of 211889Bridge over Gala WaterGalashiels SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 13 of 211891Muirfield Golf CourseGullane East LothianScotlandOriginal clubhouse which consisted of 7 bedrooms, kitchen and office accommodation, small committe dining room and great hall/clubroom. Blyth was a club member.
Item 14 of 211892Grange Cricket Club PavilionGrange EdinburghScotland 
Item 15 of 211892Waverley Station  EdinburghScotlandAlterations and additions including Mound outer tunnels
Item 16 of 211894North Bridge  EdinburghScotland 
Item 17 of 211895Muirfield Golf CourseGullane East LothianScotlandScheme for more dressing accommodation - extent of work not known.
Item 18 of 211896Glasgow Bridge  GlasgowScotland 
Item 19 of 211899Shiel BridgeArdnamurchan ArgyllScotland 
Item 20 of 211906Kincardine-Dunfermline Railway  FifeScotland 
Item 21 of 211907Methil Harbour and DocksMethil FifeScotlandDock no 3

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architect, engineer:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Bailey, Rebecca M1996Scottish architects' papers: a source book Edinburgh: The Rutland Press 
Item 2 of 3Blyth & Blyth1948A history of the firm of Blyth & Blyth, chartered civil engineers, consulting structural engineers … 1848-1948 Edinburgh: C J Cousland 
Item 3 of 3Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture   

Images

© All rights reserved. Edinburgh and the Lothians at the opening of the twentieth century / by A. Eddington. Contemporary biographies / edited by W.T. Pike 

© All rights reserved. Edinburgh and the Lothians at the opening of the twentieth century / by A. Eddington. Contemporary biographies / edited by W.T. Pike