GILES, GEORGE FREDERICK LEE #

Belfast Harbour Engineer, 1892-1904. George Giles, fifth son of the English engineer Alfred Giles (1816-1895), was born circa 1855.   He was chief resident engineer at Southampton docks, when he was selected out of 109 candidates to fill the post of Chief Engineer to the Belfast Harbour Commissioners in succession to THOMAS ROSS SALMOND  THOMAS ROSS SALMOND in 1892. During the twelve years he spent in Belfast, he was responsible for many improvements to the harbour, including extension works in connection with the Musgrave Channel, which resulted in the reclamation of over 100 acres of land for industrial and commercial purposes. His last and most important undertaking, unfinished at the time of his death, was the construction of a new graving-dock, the largest in the world, adjoining the Alexandra Dock.

At the time of the 1901 census Giles was living in Ballycultra, Co. Down, with his wife Nellie, thirteen-year-old daughter, Constance, and six-year-old son, Ernest.  In 1904 he was granted two months leave to travel to Egypt on account of a deterioration in his health. On 19 December, before he could set out, he died suddenly of apoplexy at home.  He is described as a genial man, highly-regarded professionally and well-liked personally.  His pupils and assistants included ARTHUR ULICK BURKE. ARTHUR ULICK BURKE.

Inst.CE: elected associate member, 1 February 1881; transferred to class of member, 8 May 1888.

Address: Hilsea, Cultra, Co. Down, at time of death.

See WORKS.

All information in this entry is from the obituary of Giles in Min. Proc. ICE 162 (1904-5), 414-5, which see for an account of his earlier career, and the notice of death and obituary in IB 46, 31 Dec 1904, 878,902.

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