Alexander Gibb
Encyclopedia
Brigadier-General Sir Alexander Gibb GBE
CB
FRS (12 February 1872 – 21 January 1958) was a Scottish
civil engineer
.
Gibb was born in Broughty Ferry
, Dundee
, the son of the civil engineer, Alexander Easton Gibb, and the grandson of John Gibb, a founder member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
. He was educated at the High School of Dundee
, Rugby
and University College, London, although he left the latter after a year to become articled to the prominent civil engineers John Wolfe-Barry
and Henry Marc Brunel. Having completed his training, he became resident engineer on the Metropolitan Railway
's Whitechapel and Bow Railway extension. After two years he left to join his father's company, Easton, Gibb & Son
, of which he later became managing director.
In 1916, Gibb was appointed Chief Engineer Ports Construction to the British Army
in France
, with the rank of Brigadier-General. In 1918 he became Civil Engineer-in-Chief to the Admiralty
and in 1919 Director-General of Civil Engineering with the new Ministry of Transport
.
In 1921 he left government service and became a consultant engineer, founding Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners
the following year. This became the largest consulting civil engineering firm in the United Kingdom
and was involved in projects all over the world.
Gibb was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB) in 1918 for his war work and was knighted later the same year as Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(KBE). He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross (GBE) in the 1920 civilian war honours.
He also wrote The Story of Telford: The Rise of Civil Engineering, a biography of engineer Thomas Telford
, to whom his great-grandfather John Gibb had been a deputy. In 1936 he became President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
and in the same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
FRS (12 February 1872 – 21 January 1958) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
.
Gibb was born in Broughty Ferry
Broughty Ferry
Broughty Ferry is a suburb on the eastern side of the City of Dundee, on the shore of the Firth of Tay in eastern Scotland...
, Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, the son of the civil engineer, Alexander Easton Gibb, and the grandson of John Gibb, a founder member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
. He was educated at the High School of Dundee
High School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in the city of Dundee, Scotland which provides both primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils...
, Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and University College, London, although he left the latter after a year to become articled to the prominent civil engineers John Wolfe-Barry
John Wolfe-Barry
Sir John Wolfe-Barry was an English civil engineer of the late 19th and early 20th century. His most famous project was the construction of Tower Bridge over the River Thames in London.-Early career:...
and Henry Marc Brunel. Having completed his training, he became resident engineer on the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
's Whitechapel and Bow Railway extension. After two years he left to join his father's company, Easton, Gibb & Son
Easton, Gibb & Son
Easton, Gibb & Son was a Scottish engineering firm, specialising in public works projects.In 1900, Alexander Gibb became the firm's chairman and managing director, taking over from his father. Under his chairmanship, it was responsible for the construction of Rosyth Naval Dockyard, beginning before...
, of which he later became managing director.
In 1916, Gibb was appointed Chief Engineer Ports Construction to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with the rank of Brigadier-General. In 1918 he became Civil Engineer-in-Chief to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
and in 1919 Director-General of Civil Engineering with the new Ministry of Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
.
In 1921 he left government service and became a consultant engineer, founding Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners
Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners
Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners was a British engineering consultancy initially based in Westminster, London until 1974 when it relocated to Reading, Berkshire.The firm was founded by Scottish engineer, Sir Alexander Gibb in 1922....
the following year. This became the largest consulting civil engineering firm in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and was involved in projects all over the world.
Gibb was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB) in 1918 for his war work and was knighted later the same year as Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(KBE). He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross (GBE) in the 1920 civilian war honours.
He also wrote The Story of Telford: The Rise of Civil Engineering, a biography of engineer Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
, to whom his great-grandfather John Gibb had been a deputy. In 1936 he became President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
and in the same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Further reading
- Godfrey Harrison (First published in 1950). Alexander Gibb – The Story of an Engineer, Geoffrey Bles, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. - Biography, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
External links
- Sir Alexander Gibb at the Biographical Database of the British Chemical Community, 1880-1970