William Murray Alston
William Murray Alston (1844-1923), chief engineer of the Clyde Trust.
Born at Wormatong, Australia, the son of John Alston
1923 Obituary[1]
"We regret to have to record the death of Mr. William Murray Alston, late chief engineer of the Clyde Trust. Mr. Alston was educated at Madras College, St. Andrews, and Larchfield Academy, Helensburgh, but he served his apprenticeship as a civil engineer in Glasgow. He joined the engineering staff of the Clyde Trust in the sixties, and while so employed he superintended the construction of Mavisbank Quay, Plantation Quay, Queen's Dock, Princes Dock, and Rothesay Dock. In 1880 he was attached to the head office, and was afterward associated with the late Mr. James Deas in the designs for new works. In 1900, on the death of Mr. Deas, Mr. Alston was unanimously appointed his successor. The harbour continued to extend, and every development during his regime was directed and superintended by Mr. Alston.
Mr. Alston, in the course of his professional career, wrote a considerable number of papers on dock construction for learned societies, and his wide experience was always at the service of the many deputations from other places which from time to time visited the Port of Glasgow. In 1908 he had a serious breakdown which necessitated an enforced holiday of six months. After his return to business Mr. Alston took his work less arduously, and in July, 1918, after 55 years of continuous service with the Clyde Trust, he retired.....