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Basic Biographical Details

Name: Murdoch Paterson
Designation: Engineer
Born: 1826
Died: 9 August 1898
Bio Notes: Murdoch Paterson, the son of Donald Paterson of Inshes near Inverness and younger brother of William Paterson, was born in September 1826 and educated at the Royal Academy, Inverness. Following two years in the office of an Inverness banker, in 1846 he was articled to Joseph Mitchell, the Government engineer for construction of roads, bridges, harbours and buildings in the Highlands. In 1851 he left Mitchell to work on the enlargement of the harbour at Inverness but rejoined him as assistant on the new railway from Inverness to Nairn, begun in 1854 and remained as his assistant on the construction of other lines on the expanding Highland Railway, including the line from Inverness to Keith.

In 1862 Joseph Mitchell suffered a stroke and in the same year took William and Murdoch Paterson, into partnership, the firm being re-named Joseph Mitchell and Company. Mitchell eventually recovered but retired in 1867. The subsequent history of the firm is still unclear but it continued until at least November 1874 when Murdoch Paterson became chief engineer of the Highland Railway.

On the opening of the Caithness line from Helmsdale to Wick and Thurso which was taken over by the Highland Railway Company, he became Chief Engineer to the company on 6 November 1874, a post he retained until his death. His last work was the construction of the Inverness to Aviemore line which he almost saw to completion. He died at the agent’s house Leanach Station Inverness-shire on 9 August 1898, three months before the line opened,while superintending the finishing touches to the Culloden Viaduct.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this engineer:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 2Crown Villa, Victoria Circus, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandPrivate Early 1890s 
Item 2 of 2Achanor, Crown Drive, Inverness, Inverness-shirePrivateEarly 1890s1898 

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this engineer (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 4Joseph Mitchell18461851Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4Joseph Mitchell & Company1862 Partner 
Item 3 of 4Highland Railway Architects Department6 November 18749 August 1898 Chief Engineer until his death
Item 4 of 4Joseph Mitchellc. 18541862Assistant 

Buildings and Designs

This 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 911863Railway Bridge on Castle Grant EstateGrantown-on-Spey MorayshireScotland 
Item 2 of 911863Railway StationTain Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 3 of 911864Balnagown Railway ViaductBalnagown Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 4 of 911864Fearn Railway Station and ancillary buildingsFearn Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 5 of 91c. 1865Railway StationArdgay Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 6 of 911867Shin Railway ViaductInvershin SutherlandScotland 
Item 7 of 911868Railway StationLairg SutherlandScotland 
Item 8 of 911869Achanault Railway station, railway office and agent's houseAchanault Ross and CromartyScotlandRailway office
Item 9 of 911869Achnasheen railway station and ancillary buildingsAchnasheen Ross and CromartyScotlandRailway agent's house, office, waiting rooms and porter's house
Item 10 of 911869Garve Railway station and ancillary buildingsGarve Ross and CromartyScotlandRailway agent's house, office and waiting rooms
Item 11 of 911869Garve Railway station and ancillary buildingsGarve Ross and CromartyScotlandGoods shed, railway station
Item 12 of 911869House, AberchalderGlengarry Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 13 of 911869Locomotive shedDingwall Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 14 of 911869New Kelso Railway agent's house, office, waiting rooms and porter's houseNew Kelso, Lochcarron Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 15 of 911869Strathpeffer railway station and ancillary buildingsStrathpeffer Ross and CromartyScotlandRailway office and waiting rooms
Item 16 of 911869Strathpeffer railway station and ancillary buildingsStrathpeffer Ross and CromartyScotlandAgent's house
Item 17 of 911869Strome Ferry Railway station and ancillary buildingsStromeferry Ross and CromartyScotlandRailway agent's house and porter's house
Item 18 of 911869Two gate lodges at level crossingsDingwall Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 19 of 911869Two gate lodges at level crossingsAchnashellach Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 20 of 911870Achnasheen railway station and ancillary buildingsAchnasheen Ross and CromartyScotlandGoods shed at railway station
Item 21 of 911870Railway Bridge over Golspie BurnGolspie SutherlandScotland 
Item 22 of 911870Strome Ferry Railway station and ancillary buildingsStromeferry Ross and CromartyScotlandEngine shed
Item 23 of 911872Aultnabreac railway stationAultnabreac CaithnessScotland 
Item 24 of 911872Bilbster Railway StationBilbster CaithnessScotland 
Item 25 of 911872Bower railway stationBower CaithnessScotland 
Item 26 of 911872Georgemas Junction railway station and ancillary buildingsGeorgemas CaithnessScotland 
Item 27 of 911872Halkirk railway stationHalkirk CaithnessScotland 
Item 28 of 911872Scotscalder railway stationScotscalder CaithnessScotland 
Item 29 of 911872Thurso railway stationThurso CaithnessScotland 
Item 30 of 911872Watten railway stationWatten CaithnessScotland 
Item 31 of 911872Wick railway stationWick CaithnessScotland 
Item 32 of 911875Bridge of WickWick CaithnessScotlandReconstruction
Item 33 of 911876Inverness Railway StationInverness Inverness-shireScotlandAdditions
Item 34 of 911877Achanault Railway station, railway office and agent's houseAchanault Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 35 of 911877Delny (Delney) railway station, agent's houseDelny/Delney Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 36 of 911877Forres Junction Railway StationForres MorayshireScotlandArcade on north platform
Item 37 of 911877Keith Railway Station, goods shedKeith BanffshireScotland 
Item 38 of 911877Tain railway station, goods shedTain Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 39 of 911878Dunkeld railway stationDunkeld PerthshireScotlandVerandah on up platform
Item 40 of 911878Fearn Railway Station and ancillary buildingsFearn Ross and CromartyScotlandTwo porters' dwellings
Item 41 of 911878Forres Junction Railway StationForres MorayshireScotlandScreen on down platform
Item 42 of 911878Invergordon Railway Station and ancillary buildingsInvergordon Ross and CromartyScotlandThree porters' dwellings
Item 43 of 911878Inverness Railway StationInverness Inverness-shireScotlandVerandah at goods warehouse
Item 44 of 911878Inverness Railway station, block of ten and block of twelve workmen's housesInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 45 of 911878Kincraig Railway station and ancillary buildingsKincraig Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 46 of 911878Llanbryde Railway Station, porter's cottageLlanbryde MorayshireScotland 
Item 47 of 911878Railway station at the gasworksInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 48 of 911879Aberfeldy Station houseAberfeldy PerthshireScotland 
Item 49 of 911880Georgemas Junction railway station and ancillary buildingsGeorgemas CaithnessScotlandThree workmen's houses
Item 50 of 911882Blair Atholl Railway StationBlair Atholl PerthshireScotlandBlock of two porters' houses
Item 51 of 911882Block of two surfacemen's dwellingsInvershin SutherlandScotland 
Item 52 of 911882Pitlochry Railway StationPitlochry PerthshireScotland 
Item 53 of 911882Railway station at the gasworksInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 54 of 911883Enzie Railway StationEnzie MorayshireScotland 
Item 55 of 911883Forgie Railway StationForgie  Scotland 
Item 56 of 911883Ruthven (Rathven) Railway Station and ancillary buildingsRathven BanffshireScotland 
Item 57 of 911884Blair Atholl Railway StationBlair Atholl PerthshireScotlandPorter's house
Item 58 of 911884Buckie Railway StationBuckie BanffshireScotland 
Item 59 of 911884Novar Railway StationNovar Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 60 of 911884Portessie Railway Station, porters' housesPortessie BanffshireScotland 
Item 61 of 911884Ruthven (Rathven) Railway Station and ancillary buildingsRathven BanffshireScotlandTwo porters' houses
Item 62 of 911884Strome Ferry Railway station and ancillary buildingsStromeferry Ross and CromartyScotlandTwo porters' houses
Item 63 of 911885Fodderty Junction Railway Station, signalman's houseFodderty Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 64 of 911885Nairn Railway StationNairn NairnshireScotland 
Item 65 of 911885Strathpeffer railway station and ancillary buildingsStrathpeffer Ross and CromartyScotlandRailway station
Item 66 of 911886Dingwall Railway StationDingwall Ross and CromartyScotlandRailway station
Item 67 of 911887Grantown Railway StationGrantown-on-Spey MorayshireScotland 
Item 68 of 911889Inverness Railway station, block of ten and block of twelve workmen's housesInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 69 of 911891Allangrange Railway StationAllangrange Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 70 of 911891Avoch Railway StationAvoch Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 71 of 911891Corrachie Railway Station, block of two platehangers' housesCorrachie Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 72 of 911891Fortrose Railway StationFortrose Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 73 of 911891Munlochy Railway StationMunlochy Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 74 of 911891Redcastle Railway StationRedcastle Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 75 of 911892Burghead Railway StationBurghead MorayshireScotland 
Item 76 of 911892Hopeman Railway StationHopeman MorayshireScotland 
Item 77 of 911893Culloden Moor Railway ViaductClava Inverness-shireScotlandChief Engineer Highland Railway. Died shortly before completion
Item 78 of 911893Fochabers Bridge Railway StationFochabers MorayshireScotland 
Item 79 of 911894Findhorn Viaduct Tomatin Inverness-shire Chief Engineer. Highland Railway
Item 80 of 911894Tomatin ViaductTomatin Inverness-shireScotlandChief Engineer. Highland Railway
Item 81 of 911894Waterloo BridgeInverness Inverness-shireScotlandConsulting Engineer
Item 82 of 911895Culloden Moor, Railway StationCulloden Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 83 of 911895Daviot Railway StationDaviot Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 84 of 911895Moy Railway StationMoy Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 85 of 911895Tomatin Railway StationTomatin Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 86 of 911897Allt-na-Slanach ViaductMoy Inverness-shireScotlandChief Engineer. Highland Railway
Item 87 of 911897Duirinish Railway Station, block of three houses for agent and surfacemenDuirinishSkyeInverness-shireScotland 
Item 88 of 911897Erbusaig Railway Station, block of three surfacemen's housesErbusaig Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 89 of 911897Kyle of Lochalsh Railway Station, agent's house and four dwellingsKyle of Lochalsh Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 90 of 911897Plockton Railway Station, agent's house and block of two housesPlockton Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 91 of 911897Slochd Mhuic Railway Viaduct  Inverness-shireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this engineer:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Bell, S P1975A Biographical Index of British Engineers in the 19th Century New York & London: Garland Publishing, Inc. 
Item 2 of 2Scotlands People Website Wills & Testaments  Inverness Sheriff Court SC29/44/32

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this engineer:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers1898CXXXV pp351-3 - obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this engineer:
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Courtesy of Anne-Mary Wharton, great grand niece of Murdoch PatersonInformation via DSA website Sent September 2009

Images

© All rights reserved. © and courtesy of the Highland Railway Society 

© All rights reserved. © and courtesy of the Highland Railway Society