Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Engineer. Richard Boxall Grantham, the eldest son of JOHN GRANTHAM [1] JOHN GRANTHAM [1] , was born in Croydon on 13 December 1805. After attending school at Edenbridge, Kent, he entered the office of Augustus Charles Pugin when he was about sixteen. His fellow pupils included Charles Matthew, junior, James Pennethorne and BENJAMIN FERREY BENJAMIN FERREY . In 1823 he came to Ireland to assist his father in making a survey of the Shannon for the Government. He then worked with his father in rebuilding the bridges over the Shannon at Limerick, Killaloe, and Portumna, and in introducing steam navigation on the river from Killaloe to Shannon Harbour. After spending some time in England with his father and brother JOHN GRANTHAM [2]  JOHN GRANTHAM [2] surveying a line of railway from London to Birmingham for JOHN and GEORGE RENNIE GEORGE RENNIE , he returned to Ireland and was appointed to the county surveyorship of Co. Offaly in May 1834,(1) of Co. Clare in December 1834(2) and of Co. Limerick in 1836. He does not appear to have taken up the latter post(3) but instead, at the end of 1836, returned to England, where he spent the rest of his career - apart from a period in South America - occupied mainly in railway and drainage work.

Inst. CE:  present at inaugural meeting, 6 Aug 1835;(4)  elected member, 25 Jun 1844.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the obituary of Grantham in Min.Proc.Inst.CE 108 (1891-2), 399, which see for details of his subsequent career.

(1) Dublin Evening Post, 20 May 1834.
(2) O'Donoghue.
(3) According to O'Donoghue, John Walker, the previous incumbent, resigned at an unspecified date, and William Horne was appointed to the post in November 1836.
(4) Photocopy of transcript of minutes of first meeting of Engineers' Society of Ireland, 6 Aug 1835, in IAA, Jones File F73.