Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Engineer. William Neilson was born in Dublin on 21 February1875, the youngest son of H.C. Neilson of Fleet Street, Dublin. He was educated at Strangway's School and Trinity College, Dublin, from which he graduated with the BAI degree in 1897.(1) He then worked in the office of a Dublin contracting firm for two years and gained practical experience as an engineer on the construction of the Drumcondra Link Line. He left Ireland in 1900 and after five years in England went to India, where he has a distinguished career, culminating in his appointment as chairman of the Bombay Port Trust in 1925. He was awarded the OBE in 1919 as a result of his activities during the First World War, when he was Controller of Munitions in India. He died on 21 January 1932 while he was on leave in England.

Inst.CE: elected associate member, 4 Febrary 1902; transferred to member, 9 December 1913.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the obituary of Neilson in Min.Proc.Inst.CE 234 (1931-32, Pt. 2), 545-6, which see for further details of Neilson's career in India, and a brief biography in IB 67, 5 Sep 1925, ?.

(1) R.C. Cox, compiler, Trinity College School of Engineering: 'Graduates' in Engineering 1843-1992 (1993), unpaginated.