William Henry Robinson Crabtree
William Henry Robinson Crabtree (1857-1905)
1906 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM HENRY ROBINSON CRABTREE, Borough Surveyor and Engineer of Doncaster, died on the 27th December, 1905, aged 48. The eldest son of the late Mr. William Crabtree, who was then Borough Surveyor of Southport, the subject of this notice was born at Ardwick, Manchester, on the 9th December, 1857, and received his engineering training under his father, between 1873 and 1876.
On the expiration of his pupilage, he served as Assistant Engineer and subsequently as Resident Engineer on the main sewerage works and on the North Promenade extension, seawall and reclamation of 43 acres of foreshore at Southport.
In 1880 he joined the staff of the late Mr. James Mansergh, Past- President, for whom he acted as Resident Engineer on sewerage works for Beckenham, Shortlands, Bethesda and Burton-on-Trent, and waterworks for Bethesda, Sherborne and Rotherham.
In 1887 Mr. Crabtree was selected for the appointment of Borough Surveyor and Engineer of Doncaster, a post which he retained until his death. During his tenure of this office, he designed and carried out amongst other works sewerage and watersupply extension works, new' hospitals, schools, baths and other buildings, as well as various street improvements and, in conjunction with Mr. J. N. Shoolbred, the Corporation electric-light and power supply and tramway-system. He also laid down the pipeline by which Doncaster is now supplied with water from Sheffield.
In addition to the sufficiently onerous duties of his office, he also acted in recent years as agent in charge of the Corporation estates. He was devoted to his duty, in the performance of which he spared no personal efforts, and his death was deeply regretted by the community which he served with unvarying zeal and ability.
Mr. Crabtree was elected an Associate Member of the Institution on the 29th May, 1883, and was transferred to the class of Members on the 18th December, 1900.