Imrie Bell
Imrie Bell (1836-1906)
1836 Born son of Robert Fitzroy Bell, brother of Robert Bruce Bell. Robert Fitzroy Bell was a brother of James Stanislaus Bell, so Imrie was a cousin of Charles Napier Bell.
1907 Obituary [1]
IMRIE BELL, born at Edinburgh in 1836, was educated at Edinburgh High School, and served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Bell and Miller, of Glasgow.
After acting as Resident Engineer on the construction of the Meadowside graving-dock for Messrs. Tod and McGregor, of Glasgow, he entered the service of the East Indian Railway Company in 1859, and, proceeding to India, was appointed Resident-Engineer on the southern half of the large railway bridge over the Jumna at Allahabad. The plan adopted for sinking the foundations of this bridge on welIs was described by him in a communication to The Institution in 1868, for which he was awarded a Telford premium.
On the completion of the work in 1865, he joined the staff of the late Mr. Thomas Brassey, for whom he took charge, as contractor’s engineer, of the erection of the Sirsawa bridge over the Jumna.
Returning to Scotland in 1869, he was appointed in the following year Superintendent and Engineer of the Leith docks and harbour.
In 1872, on the nomination of the late Sir John Coode, Past- President, he became Executive Engineer for the construction of St. Helier’s harbour works and breakwater and La Corbiere lighthouse. An account of the latter interesting work was presented by Mr. Bell to The Institution in 1879.
He joined the firm of Bell and Miller at their Westminster office in 1878, removing subsequently to Glasgow, and on the death of Mr. Daniel Miller he became sole partner.
Retiring from business in 1898, he went to live at Croydon, where, after a short illness, he died on the 21st November, 1906, aged 70.
Mr. Bell was elected an Associate of The Institution on the 2lst May, 1867, and was transferred to the class of Members on the 21st April, 1868.
1906 Obituary [2]