Alexander Cunningham Boothby
Alexander Cunningham Boothby (1857-1888) of Little and Boothby and Boothby and Watson
1889 Obituary [1]
ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM BOOTHBY, eldest son of Colonel Boothby, of St. Andrew’s, N.B., was born on the 26th of February, 1867.
He received his education at St. Andrews, and thereafter entered the office of the late Mr. John Sang, an engineer who had at that time extensive business connections in Fife. While with him Mr. Boothby was engaged in many important local works, including the water-supplies of Cupar, and other towns in Fife. He was also employed in the preparation of the Parliamentary plans and estimates of the Burntisland Direct Mineral Railway, and various other schemes which had been entrusted to Mr. Sang.
After leaving Mr. Sang’s office in 1876, he commenced business in Kirkcaldy with Mr. L. S. Little. This partnership continued for five years, and thereafter Mr. Boothby carried on business on his own account in Fife, until his more extended practice necessitated his having an office in London, when he assumed as partner Mr. Claud R. Watson, who had served articles in his office.
Amongst the more important works carried out by Mr. Boothby may be mentioned the Elie, St. Monan’s, and Earlsferry water-works, the Kinghorn sewage-works, and several other minor town and estate water-, sewage-, and drainage-schemes. He originated and was employed to prepare the parliamentary plans and estimates in connection with the Seafield dock and railway scheme, which was carried through Parliament in the face of great opposition in 1883. He was also employed as engineer for the Kirkcaldy Tramways Company, whose Bill passed through Parliament in the same Session.
Before his removal to London, Mr. Boothby had for some time been entrusted by Messrs. Barlow and Son with the superintendence of the testing of the wrought and cast iron used in the construction of the New Tay Viaduct, but this important and responsible position he felt obliged to relinquish, as he found it required more personal superintendence than he could afford to give to it. He designed and carried out (along with Mr. W. T. E. Fosbery) the works in connection with the Bury St. Edmunds sewage-disposal, and at the time of his death was engaged, in connection with Messrs. Barlow and Son, in several large and important engineering enterprises now in progress. He took a keen interest in the practical applications of electricity, and was interested in several inventions.
He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution on the 5th of December, 1882, and died at Leamington on the 17th of December, 1888.