Alexander Leslie FRSE PRSSA (16 September 1844 – 7 December 1893) was a Scottish civil engineer. He served as President of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts from 1890 until his premature death in 1893. He specialised in harbour works and reservoirs.

Life

He was born in Dundee on 16 September 1844 the son of the civil engineer James Leslie and his wife Jane Hunter (1804-1887). He was educated at the Edinburgh Institution (now Stewarts Melville) then studied mathematics at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. In 1862 he joined the offices of

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and

Thomas Stevenson Thomas Stevenson PRSE MInstCE FRSSA FSAScot (22 July 1818 – 8 May 1887) was a pioneering Scottish civil engineer, lighthouse designer and meteorologist, who designed over thirty lighthouses in and around Scotland, as well as the Stevenson s ...

as a trainee lighthouse and harbour engineer. He worked here for three years and his projects included a new breakwater at Wick. He then briefly gained extra experience as a land surveyor with a Mr Macbey of Elgin before joining the firm of Morkle & Prodham working on the Blaydon and Conside Railway. From 1865 he was also partially employed in his father's office, and in 1871 he was created a Partner, and came to aid his father in several projects, the firm thereafter being called J & A Leslie. In 1882 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposers being

and

Peter Guthrie Tait Peter Guthrie Tait FRSE (28 April 1831 – 4 July 1901) was a Scottish mathematical physicist and early pioneer in thermodynamics. He is best known for the mathematical physics textbook ''Treatise on Natural Philosophy'', which he co-wrote wi ...

. In 1881, prior to his father's death (in 1889) a further partnership was created with his brother-in-law, Robert Carstairs Reid (1845–1894), to create Leslie & Reid. Robert had earlier been a school friend and probably through this connection met his sister, Charlotte Leslie (1846–1935). On Reid's death he took on William Archer Porter Tait. He died on 7 December 1893 aged 49. He is buried with his parents in Dean Cemetery.

Projects

Alnwickhill Alnwickhill ( ) is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is on the southern edge of the city, approximately from the city centre. It neighbours the areas of Liberton and Kaimes. The area is now primarily residential, but was th ...

Reservoir (1875) plus second phase in 1888 *Water Tower in Dalkeith (1879) *

Gladhouse Reservoir Gladhouse Reservoir, formerly known as Moorfoot Loch, is a reservoir in Midlothian, Scotland, five miles (8 km) south of Penicuik. It is the most southerly reservoir in Midlothian, as well as being the largest area of freshwater in the Lot ...

(1879) *

Edgelaw Reservoir Edgelaw Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in Midlothian, Scotland, UK, four miles west of Temple. It was created in 1880 by James Leslie and his son Alexander. See also *Gladhouse Reservoir *Glencorse Reservoir *North Esk Reservoir *Rosebe ...

(1880) *Rosebery Reservoir (1880) * Paisley water supply (1881) *Williamwath Bridge,

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. I ...

(1882) *Reservoir on the Gask Burn in Perthshire (1887) *

Reservoir (1888) created a

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

in 1996City of Edinburgh Council: Listed Building Records *Reservoir serving

Leven Leven may refer to: People * Leven (name), list of people with the name Nobility * Earl of Leven a title in the Peerage of Scotland Placenames * Leven, Fife Leven ( gd, Inbhir Lìobhann) is a seaside town in Fife, set in the east Central ...

in Fife (1889)

Family

He was married to Mary Marjoribanks (1845–1912). His great uncle was the eminent mathematician John Leslie.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leslie, Alexander 1844 births 1893 deaths Scottish civil engineers Engineers from Dundee Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh