William Simpson (1869-1933)
1933 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM SIMPSON, O.B.E., was harbour engineer under the River Wear Commission from 1907 to 1922 and during this period had been connected with important developments of the Port of Sunderland, including the enlargement and deepening of the harbour channel.
He was born in 1869 and received his practical training from 1885 to 1889 under the harbour engineer of Aberdeen, and later in the engineering workshops of Messrs. James Abernethy. He then became assistant engineer on the Glasgow Joint Railways.
Subsequently he joined the staff of the Clyde Navigation Trust under the late Mr. James Deas, M.I.Mech.E., whom he assisted in carrying out the design and construction of the Princess Tidal Docks covering 73 acres, and of a graving dock at Govan, 880 feet long.
In 1892 he joined the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and became assistant to Mr. W. B. Worthington, M.I.Mech.E., and three years later was appointed assistant harbour engineer at Aberdeen under Mr. R. Gordon Nicol, M.I.Mech.E.
On retiring from his Sunderland appointment about ten years ago he took up private practice and designed the new graving dock constructed by Messrs. W. T. Greenwell and Company. He was awarded the O.B.E. for his services during the War as Port Defence Officer.
He had been a Member of the Institution since 1902, and he was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
His death occurred on 3rd January 1933.