William Wasteneys Smith
William Wasteneys Smith (1838-1914)
of 59 Sandhill, Newcastle-on-Tyne
1915 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM WASTENEYS SMITH was born at Conisborough, near Doncaster, on 10th January 1838.
He was educated privately, and served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Dodds and Sons, locomotive builders, etc., of Rotherham.
In 1859 he joined the Royal Navy as assistant engineer, and was for four years on H.M.S. "Bacchante," which was stationed at that time in the Pacific.
In 1866 he resigned from the Navy, and having secured an appointment with Messrs. Waring Bros., railway contractors, he was sent out by them to Portugal, where he acted as civil engineer on the railways which they were constructing.
Returning to England in 1868, be was appointed Inspector of Bridges to the Russian Government, and was sent to Messrs. Hawks, Crawshay and Co.'s Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne, which at that time were constructing wrought-iron girder bridges for the Transcaucasian Railways.
In 1872 he commenced business on his own account as consulting engineer, etc., at Newcastle-on-Tyne, which is now carried on by his sons, under the name of Wasteneys Smith and Sons.
He invented the stockless anchor, which is largely adopted by the British and Foreign Governments, and also by the Mercantile Marine. Many of the present battleships, battle cruisers, etc., of the British Navy carry these anchors.
His death took place at his residence, Backworth Hall, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, on 22nd July 1914, in his seventy-seventh year.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1881.