Sir Guilford Lindsey Molesworth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1828 |
| Died | 1925 |
| Nationality | English |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Civil engineering |
| Institutions | Institution of Civil Engineers (president) |
| Projects | Royal Arsenal,Woolwich |
Sir Guilford Lindsey MolesworthKCIE (1828–1925) was anEnglishcivil engineer.
Molesworth was born inMillbrook, Hampshire, the son ofJohn Edward Nassau Molesworth, Vicar ofRochdale. The elder Molesworth was a great-grandson ofRobert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth.[1] Sir Guildford's great niece was Margaret Patricia Molesworth (1904–1985), the grandmother ofSophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.[2][3]Molesworth and his four brothers - William, solicitor John "the calculator", George and Rennell - were educated at theKing's School, Canterbury where he found football "a great attraction". He then attended theCollege for Civil Engineers atPutney, apprenticed under Mr Dockray in the London and North Western Railway, and under Sir William Fairbairn at Manchester.[4]
He became a chief assistant engineer of theLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway, but soon resigned to conduct the constructions at theRoyal Arsenal,Woolwich, during theCrimean War. He received the Watt Medal and the Manby premium in 1858 from the Institution of Civil Engineers for his paper onConversion of Wood by Machinery. He returned to London for a number of years, worked at his profession, then went toCeylon in 1859 and in 1862 became chief engineer of thegovernment railways inCeylon. From 1871 to 1889 he lived in India and was consulting engineer to the Indian government with regard to State railways. He was made aKnight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) byQueen Victoria in 1888, the year she elevated her Indian manservant,Abdul Karim, to the position ofMunshi.[5][6]He received medals from the British Government for his services during theAfghan War and theBurma War, and was president of theInstitution of Civil Engineers in 1904.[7][8]
Molesworth was consulted on a number of occasions on the suitability of adopting a narrow gauge rather than a broad one. He was generally against the narrow gauge as he regarded the cost savings as illusory. His broad gauge line toKandy was meant to prove that the gauge was practicable in steep mountains.
He published theMolesworth's Pocket Book of Engineering Formulae. This useful little volume contained formulas and details on many engineering related subjects. The first edition was published in November 1862 and ran to over thirty editions (The twenty-eighth edition[9] was published in 1921).
His other works include:
In 1999, when I (the Right Honourable the (12th) Viscount Robert Molesworth) had the honour to be invited to Windsor Castle to represent the family at the marriage of Prince Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones (whose paternal grandmother was Margaret Patricia Molesworth)....
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)| Professional and academic associations | ||
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| Preceded by | President of theInstitution of Civil Engineers November 1904 – November 1905 | Succeeded by |
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