Record

Authorised form of nameBaker; Sir; Benjamin (1840 - 1907); civil engineer
Dates1840 - 1907
NationalityBritish
Place of birthKeyford, Frome, Somerset, England
Date of birth31 March 1840
Place of deathBowden Green, Pangbourne, England
Date of death19/05/1907
Dates and placesBurial:
Idbury, near Chipping Norton
Memorial Window:
North aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey, London, England
Occupationcivil engineer
Research fieldCivil engineering
ActivityCareer:
Joined staff of Sir John Fowler, becoming a partner (1875); involved in constructing the Metropolitan Railway, London (1861) and the District Railway (1869); the firm were Consulting Engineers to the first underground railways in London; constructed the Forth Bridge (1882-1890); Baker designed the Aswan Dam (1898-1902) and Assyut Dam; designed Avonmouth dock; died of syncope.
Honours:
KCMG 1890; KCB 1902
Memberships:
MICE; ASME (Honorary); Society of Engineers (Honorary); Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society (Honorary)
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election05/06/1890
Age at election50
ProposerDavid Edward Hughes
William Henry Preece
John Fletcher Moulton
Frederick Augustus Abel
Thomas Hawksley
Frederick Bramwell
James Dewar
James Thomson
William Thomson
William Robert Grove
John Gray McKendrick
Robert Grant
James Thomson Bottomley
Royal Society activityRoyal Society roles:
VP 1906-1907
RelationshipsParents: Benjamin Baker and Sarah Hollis
General contextHelped develop the underground railway system of London.
Helped design and build the first Aswan dam.
Helped design the vessel for the transportation of Cleopatra's Needle from Egypt to England.
Expert witness at the public inquiry into the Tay Bridge disaster.
SourcesSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB
Obituaries:
Proc Roy Soc Series A 1910-1911 vol 84 pp i-xi signed by W C U
Royal Society codeNA6909
Archives associated with this Fellow
Reference numberTitleDate
EC/1890/02Baker, Sir Benjamin: certificate of election to the Royal Society
NLB/29/787Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, to Sir Benjamin Baker, Fellow of the Royal Society9 December 1904
NLB/21/371Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, to Sir Benjamin Baker, Fellow of the Royal Society6 November 1900
NLB/26/648Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison to, Sir Benjamin Baker, Fellow of the Royal Society5 May 1903
NLB/28/139Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, to Sir Benjamin Baker, Fellow of the Royal Society16 January 1904
MC/19/36Letter from [Benjamin] Baker, 2 Queen Square Place, Queen Anne's Mansion, Westminster, to [Robert William Frederick] Harrison, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society12 December 1904
NLB/35/349Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, to The Editor "The Times"22 May 1907
NLB/35/350Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, to Messrs Harrison & Sons22 May 1907
RR/11/234Referee's report by Benjamin Baker, on a paper 'On the three-bar motion of watt' by William Brennand24 January 1893
NLB/28/115Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, to Sir Benjamin Baker, Fellow of the Royal Society12 January 1904
NLB/33/716Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, to; Augustus Desire Waller, Lord Avebury [John Lubbock], Sir Benjamin Baker, Dr Henry Frederick Baker, Professor David Ferrier, Professor Sydney John Hickson, Dr A Scott, Mr Albert Charles Seward, Professor William Johnson Sollas, and Professor Silvanus Phillips Thompson, Fellows of the Royal Society26 October 1906
AP/73/1Unpublished paper, 'On some recent investigations in connection with the electro-deposition of metals' by T C Graham27 October 1896
AP/73/1/1Unpublished manuscript, 'On some recent investigations in connection with the electro-deposition of metals' by T C Graham27 October 1896
MC/19/35Letter from [Benjamin] Baker, 2 Queen Square Place, Queen Anne's Mansions, Westminster, to the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society13 March 1904
MC/19/34Letter from [Benjamin] Baker, 2 Queen Square Place, Queen Anne's Mansions, Westminster, to the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society8 January 1904
MC/26/160Letter from [Ernest R] Matthews, Borough Engineer, Borough of Bridlington, Town Hall, Bridlington, to Sir Joseph Larmor, [Secretary] of the Royal Society, Burlington House, S.W18 January 1911
MC/19Volume 19 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1904
MC/22Volume 22 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society1907
MC/22/479Letter from William Cawthorne Unwin, Palace Gate Mansions, 29 Palace Gate, Kensington, to [Robert William Frederick] Harrison14 June 1907
MC/22/480Letter from William Cawthorne Unwin, Palace Gate Mansions, 29 Palace Gate, Kensington, to [Robert William Frederick] Harrison1 July 1907
Add to My Items

    Collection highlights

    Browse the records of some of our collections, which cover all branches of science and date from the 12th century onwards. These include the published works of Fellows of the Royal Society, personal papers of eminent scientists, letters and manuscripts sent to the Society or presented at meetings, and administrative records documenting the Society's activities since our foundation in 1660.

    The Royal Society

    The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of
    the world's most eminent scientists and is the
    oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.
    Registered charity number 207043

    Website design ©CalmView



    CONTACT US

    + 44 207 451 2500
    (Lines open Mon-Fri, 9:00-17:00. Excludes bank holidays)

    6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG

    Email Us →

    SUBSCRIBE

    Subscribe to our newsletters to be updated with the
    latest news on innovation, events, articles and reports.

    Subscribe →

    © CalmView