PIERCY
,
BENJAMIN
(
1827
-
1888
),
civil engineer
;
b. near
Trefeglwys, Mont.
,
16 March 1827
, the third son of
Robert
Piercy
, later of
Chirk
, a
commissioner
,
valuer
, and
surveyor for the inclosure of commons and for tithe commutation awards
, with an extensive practice in the counties of
Montgomery
,
Denbigh
, and
Flint
.
Benjamin
was trained in his father's office, and became, in
1847
,
chief assistant
to
Charles
Mickleburgh
,
surveyor
and
land-agent
, of
Montgomery
. In
1851
,
Henry
Robertson
(q.v.)
, sought his assistance to prepare plans for the
Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Bill
, and later for a railway from
Oswestry
to
Newtown
. He commenced independent practice as
engineer
for the
Red Valley Railway Bill
for constructing a line from
Shrewsbury
to
Minsterley
. The Bill was rejected, but he succeeded in piloting, against strong opposition, a Bill for a railway from
Shrewsbury
to
Welshpool
, with a branch to
Minsterley
. This feat established his reputation as a
witness in parliamentary committees
, and thereafter he was
engaged upon nearly every project for introducing railways into Wales
. At this period he lived at
Welshpool
. The
Welsh
railways in the construction of which he was actively engaged included the
Oswestry
,
Ellesmere
, and
Whitchurch
, the
Oswestry
and
Newtown
, the
Llanidloes
and
Newtown
, the
Newtown
and
Machynlleth
, the
Welsh coast railways
, the
Aberdovey
,
Barmouth
, and
Pwllheli
, the
Vale of Clwyd
, the
Caernarvonshire
, the
Denbigh
,
Ruthin
, and
Corwen
, the
Mid-Wales
, the
Hereford
,
Hay
, and
Brecon
, and the
Wrexham
,
Mold
, and
Connah's Quay
. In these constructions he performed feats of engineering, notably bridges over the
Severn
, the
Mawddach
, and
Traeth Bychan estuaries
, the fine stations at
Oswestry
and
Welshpool
, and the
Talerddig
cutting. He
prepared plans for a viaduct
from
Ynys-las
to
Aberdovey
, but it was abandoned in favour of the deviation to
Dovey Junction
. In
1862
he began a long term of work in connection with the
Royal Sardinian Railway Company
, involving the
resurveying and planning of the standard and narrow gauge lines
on the island, and the
construction of a harbour
on the
Golfo di Aranci
. He acquired large estates in
Sardinia
, where his son still resides, and did much to
improve agriculture on the island
by
drainage and afforestation projects
and by the
breeding of cattle, horses, and sheep
. He became an intimate friend of
Garibaldi
, whose son,
Ricciotti
, became his pupil. His services to
Sardinia
were recognized by his creation as a
Commendatore of the Crown of Italy
. In
Italy
he was employed on a scheme for the canalization of the
Tiber
and on the plans of the
Acqua Marcia
, which supplied
Rome
with water. In
France
, he was
engineer-in-chief
of the
Napoléon-Vendée Railway
from
Tours
to
Sables d'Olonne
. He was also
engineer
to the
Assam Railway
in
India
, and projected its extension into
Burma
. In
1881
he purchased the
Marchwiel Hall estate
, and for the last years of his life devoted his attentions mainly to the
resuscitation of railways in North Wales
, consolidating their finances, and planning extensions to develop mineral resources. He was
placed on the commission of the peace for Denbighshire
, and was
parliamentary candidate
for
Peterborough
in
1883
. He was a fine
chess player
, and he laid out one of the best cricket grounds in the country at
Marchwiel
. He d. in
London
24 March 1888
, and was buried in the
Kensal Green cemetery
. By his wife
Sarah
, daughter of
Thomas
Davies
of
Montgomery
, whom he m. in
1855
, he had three sons and six daughters.
Bibliography:
-
Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers
, 1837 ff
, xcvi, 1889, 333-9;
-
R. Williams
,
Montgomeryshire Worthies
, second ed., 1894
(2nd ed.), 237-41;
-
National Library of Wales Manuscripts
9745-857.
Author:
Evan David Jones, F.S.A., (1903-87), Aberystwyth.
