Harold Gourley
Encyclopedia
Harold John Frederick Gourley (1886–18 December 1956) was a British
civil engineer
.
Gourley was born in Liverpool in 1886. He was the holder of a Master of Engineering
degree. On 5 October 1912 he gave a lecture to the Salford Technical and Engineering Association on reinforced concrete
construction. He also submitted a paper for publication in the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers
investigating the flow of water over circular weirs.
During the First World War Gourley served as a commissioned officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers
of the British Army
. By 1917 he was a Second Lieutenant
in the Territorial Force
(the army's volunteer reserve) and was also an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
on 1 December 1917. Gourley was made Second-in-Command
of a field company
and on 8 July 1918 was given the acting rank
of Captain
whilst he held this command Gourley was promoted to acting Major on 24 January 1919, by which point he was serving in the Welsh Division. He reverted to his permanent rank of Lieutenant on 31 March 1919 on ceasing to be employed (due to the end of the war). After the war he continued to be liable to recall to the army as he belonged to the Reserve of Officers until he reached the age limit on 14 November 1936.
On 22 April 1938 Gourley was appointed a land tax commissioner for the City of Westminster
and its Liberties
. Before 1935 he wrote a paper for Engineering entitled "Great works of the Roman invaders
". In 1945 he conducted a general survey of the water resources of Gloucestershire
for the county planning office. On 28 January 1949 he was a main speaker at a discussion on river flow surveys and records at Burlington House
which was chaired by Sir Roger Hetherington
and covered in The Observatory. During this period he was described as a "well known consulting engineer".
On 21 September 1951 he was one of 35 people injured by the Weedon rail crash
, the derailment of a passenger train on the West Coast Main Line
near to Weedon Bec
which killed 15 people. He was partially handicapped as a result and was awarded £47,720 damages by Mr Justice Pearce in the Queen's Bench Division in a judgment delivered on 1 April 1954, comprising £37,720 for loss of earnings, £9,000 for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, and £1,000 for out-of-pocket expenses. The damages awarded for loss of earnings were not subject to tax, but the amount awarded did not take account of the fact that the net earnings retained by Gourley - if he had not been injured - would have been reduced substantially by tax. An appeal against the damages was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, but the House of Lords
reduced the damages for loss of earnings to £6,695, to take account of the hypothetical income tax
and surtax
that would have been due on the actual earnings, setting a legal precedent known as the Gourley principle that remains important in English law.
Gourley became president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in November 1956. He died just six weeks into his term on 18 December 1956, becoming the first elected president to die whilst in office (Thomas Telford
, who was elected president for life, had previously died in office). As the ICE council was empowered to fill any vacancy except that of president a Special General Meeting was called. During this meeting Sir Frederick Arthur Whitaker
was elected as president to take effect from February. Whitaker served the remainder of Gourley's term in addition to the full 1957-58 term. A portrait of Gourley hangs in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.
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...
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...
.
Gourley was born in Liverpool in 1886. He was the holder of a Master of Engineering
Master of Engineering
A Master of Engineering or Master of Technology or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in Ingeniaria) (abbreviated M.Eng., ME or MEng) or Master of Technology (abbreviated M.Tech. or MTech) or Master of Science in Engineering A Master of Engineering (Magister in...
degree. On 5 October 1912 he gave a lecture to the Salford Technical and Engineering Association on reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
construction. He also submitted a paper for publication in the Proceedings 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...
investigating the flow of water over circular weirs.
During the First World War Gourley served as a commissioned officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
of 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...
. By 1917 he was a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
(the army's volunteer reserve) and was also an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 1 December 1917. Gourley was made Second-in-Command
Second-in-command
The Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army...
of a field company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
and on 8 July 1918 was given the acting rank
Acting (rank)
An Acting rank, is a military designation allowing an commissioned- or non-commissioned officer to assume a rank—usually higher and usually temporary—with the pay and allowances appropriate to that grade. As such, an officer may be ordered back to the previous grade...
of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
whilst he held this command Gourley was promoted to acting Major on 24 January 1919, by which point he was serving in the Welsh Division. He reverted to his permanent rank of Lieutenant on 31 March 1919 on ceasing to be employed (due to the end of the war). After the war he continued to be liable to recall to the army as he belonged to the Reserve of Officers until he reached the age limit on 14 November 1936.
On 22 April 1938 Gourley was appointed a land tax commissioner for the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
and its Liberties
Liberty of Westminster
The City and Liberty of Westminster was an independent liberty, located to the west of the City of London in the county of Middlesex, England....
. Before 1935 he wrote a paper for Engineering entitled "Great works of the Roman invaders
Roman conquest of Britain
The Roman conquest of Britain was a gradual process, beginning effectively in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, whose general Aulus Plautius served as first governor of Britannia. Great Britain had already frequently been the target of invasions, planned and actual, by forces of the Roman Republic and...
". In 1945 he conducted a general survey of the water resources of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
for the county planning office. On 28 January 1949 he was a main speaker at a discussion on river flow surveys and records at Burlington House
Burlington House
Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government...
which was chaired by Sir Roger Hetherington
Roger Hetherington
Roger Le Geyt Hetherington was a British civil engineer.Hetherington was born in London on the 20th December 1908, the eldest son of Sir Roger Gaskell Hetherington and his wife Honoria Ford. In 1921 Hetherington entered Highgate School. Hetherington held a Master of Arts degree and was...
and covered in The Observatory. During this period he was described as a "well known consulting engineer".
On 21 September 1951 he was one of 35 people injured by the Weedon rail crash
Weedon rail crashes
Weedon, Northamptonshire on the West Coast Main Line has been the site of two serious derailments in 1915 and 1951, killing 10 and 15 people respectively.-1915 rail crash:...
, the derailment of a passenger train on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
near to Weedon Bec
Weedon Bec
Weedon Bec , usually just called "Weedon", is a large village and parish in the district of Daventry, Northamptonshire, England. It lies close to the source of the River Nene.-Geography:...
which killed 15 people. He was partially handicapped as a result and was awarded £47,720 damages by Mr Justice Pearce in the Queen's Bench Division in a judgment delivered on 1 April 1954, comprising £37,720 for loss of earnings, £9,000 for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, and £1,000 for out-of-pocket expenses. The damages awarded for loss of earnings were not subject to tax, but the amount awarded did not take account of the fact that the net earnings retained by Gourley - if he had not been injured - would have been reduced substantially by tax. An appeal against the damages was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, but the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
reduced the damages for loss of earnings to £6,695, to take account of the hypothetical income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
and surtax
Surtax
A surtax may be a tax levied upon a tax, or a tax levied upon income.-United Kingdom:In 1929, Supertax was renamed Sur-tax...
that would have been due on the actual earnings, setting a legal precedent known as the Gourley principle that remains important in English law.
Gourley became president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in November 1956. He died just six weeks into his term on 18 December 1956, becoming the first elected president to die whilst in office (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:...
, who was elected president for life, had previously died in office). As the ICE council was empowered to fill any vacancy except that of president a Special General Meeting was called. During this meeting Sir Frederick Arthur Whitaker
Frederick Arthur Whitaker
Sir Frederick Arthur Whitaker KCB, DEng was a British civil engineer. Although born in the Colony of Natal, he was educated in Liverpool and received a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Liverpool. Whitaker joined the Civil Engineer in Chief's Department of the Admiralty at the...
was elected as president to take effect from February. Whitaker served the remainder of Gourley's term in addition to the full 1957-58 term. A portrait of Gourley hangs in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.