John Thornhill
John Thornhill (1853-1896)
1897 Obituary [1]
JOHN THORNHILL, born on the 1st June, 1853, was the third son of the late Mr. John Thornhill of Cork.
After going through the engineering course at Queen’s College, Cork, he proceeded to India, and in April, 1874, obtained an appointment in the Public Works Department, being posted to the North-Western Provinces, where he served up to the time of his death.
He was first employed on general provincial works in the Allahabad District, and in 1875 was transferred to the Kumaon District, where he remained for over seven years and gained considerable experience in the construction of hill roads. He was in charge of the cart road to Ranikhet, a military station, situated at an elevation of over 6,000 feet, and also of other works of communication, in a difficult mountain country, which involved the erection of several suspension, lattice-girder and other bridges, at considerable elevations, in situations where the difficulties of carriage and labour were considerable.
He was subsequently employed as District Engineer in the Allahabad, Banda, Cawnpore, Shahjahanpur and Bareilly Districts, and officiated as Divisional Engineer in the Allahabad and Agra Divisions, in which latter charge he was employed when he died on the 17th September, 1896, having contracted fever while on inspection duty in the district.
Mr. Thornhill was elected an Associate Member on the 4th December, 1883.