Mervyn James Butler Pratt
Mervyn James Butler Pratt (1857-1884)
1885 Obituary [1]
MERVYN JAMES BUTLER PRATT, son of Mr. James Butler Pratt, late County-Surveyor of Leitrim, was born on the 5th of December, 1857.
At the age of fifteen he entered Trinity College, Dublin, and graduated M.A. in 18i7, with First Gold Medal, Moderatorship, and Professor Leslie’s prize in experimental science. He was for two years assistant to Professor Leslie in the laboratory, and on the death of that gifted man, Mr. Pratt became assistant to his father on the County Relief Works in Leitrim.
In May, 1881, he became assistant to Mr. J. R. Manning, M.Inst.C.E., the chief engineer of the Shannon Improvement Works. He built the weirs and sluices at Jamestown, and was subsequently engaged on similar works at Killaloe, Banagher, &c.; he was also engineer to several drainage works in Leitrim and Longford.
In 1883 he was appointed by the directors of the Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland to carry out the Killeshandra branch of that line, and was actively employed on the work at the period of his untimely death, which occurred on the 16th of March, 1884, from the effects of a surgical operation.
Mr. Pratt was elected an Associate Member on the 6th of February, 1883, having previously been a Student of the Institution.