George Hurwood
George Hurwood ( -1864)
1842 George Hurwood of Ipswich, became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.[1]
Died 1864
1865 Obituary [2]
MR. GEORGE HURWOOD was the son of Mr. William Hurwood, a millwright resident at Bullingdon, near Sudbury.
At an early age he was apprenticed to his uncle, Mr. Samuel Wright, a millwright having extensive practice at Ipswich, under whose tuition he became a very skilful workman, and was employed on some of the most important works in the district.
He was so devoted to the mechanical art, that the chief portions of his leisure hours were occupied in constructing models of machines of great accuracy and beauty, one of which - that of a steam-engine - held for some years a prominent position at the Polytechnic Institution, London.
In due time his recognized skill and industry had their reward, and in 1837 he was established at Ipswich, by some gentlemen of capital, in a foundry, as managing partner of the firm of Bond, Turner, and Hurwood, where there were constructed some good steam-engines, and the machinery for many corn and paper mills, &c.
At the period of the construction of the Ipswich Docks, he took much interest in the progress of the work, and was entrusted with the contract for the dock-gates, which he executed very satisfactorily.
About the year 1850 his connection with the foundry ceased, and he established himself as a Consulting Engineer at Ipswich, and eventually he became, on the resignation of Mr. James Jones, the Resident Engineer of the Docks at that place, which post he held with great credit to himself and advantage to the port, until his decease, which occurred on the 26th of February, 1864.
He was at one period frequently employed by the Admiralty to conduct investigations on the probable effect upon tidal waters of projected railway and other works, and his judgment was highly respected.
He invented and patented several ingenious and useful mechanical contrivances, which have been extensively employed.
He joined the Institution of Civil Engineers as an Associate April 5th, 1842, and was transferred to the class of Members February 27th, 1854. He was a frequent attendant at the meetings, taking a useful part in the discussions, and he contributed two Papers entitled respectively 'Description of a plan adopted for carrying off an Accumulation of water, from the Warehouses, Cellars, &c. near the Wet Dock at Ipswich,' and 'On the River Orwell and the Port of Ipswich,' for the latter of which he received a Council Premium of hooks, Session 1860-61.
Mr. Hurwood was a quiet unobtrusive man ; he was not only a skilful mechanic and a good Engineer, but he possessed clear judgment, and he had by study and extensive reading well stared his mind. He was highly respected by his employers and by his fellow townsmen, by whom he was much regretted as a useful member of society.