James Rennie Barnett OBE (6 September 1864 – 13 January 1965) was a Scottish
naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners.
{{Commons category, Architecture occupations
Design occupations
Architecture, Occupations ...
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[James Rennie Barnett, Birth and Death Certificates, General Register Office for Scotland.]
Early life
Barnett was born in
Johnstone
Johnstone ( sco, Johnstoun,
, son of Janet Barnett and James Barnett, a bookkeeper.
Career
At age 16, Barnett became an apprentice in the drawing office of G.L. Watson & Co. and remained for seven years.
[RINA Membership Application, RINA Archives.] During this time, Barnett completed a degree in Naval Architecture at the
University of Glasgow
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, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
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. Barnett received 1st prize in the Buoyancy and Stability of Ships Class. In 1896, he received the South Kensington 1st Class Honours Certificate and Medal for Naval Architecture. In 1888, Barnett joined
William Doxford & Sons
William Doxford & Sons Ltd, often referred to simply as Doxford, was a British shipbuilding and marine engineering company.
History
William Doxford founded the company in 1840. From 1870 it was based in Pallion, Sunderland, on the River Wea ...
as a Draughtsman, leaving in 1889 to return to G.L. Watson & Co. as Chief Draughtsman.
Barnett succeeded
George Lennox Watson
George Lennox Watson (30 October 1851 – 12 November 1904) was a Scottish naval architect. Born in Glasgow, son of Thomas Lennox Watson, a doctor at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and grandson of Sir Timothy Burstall, engineer and entrant at the ...
as Managing Partner of G.L. Watson & Co. in 1904 and retired in 1954 after more than 50 years of service. During his time at the firm, Barnett designed over 400 yachts, lifeboats and commercial vessels including:
*''Liberty'' (1908)
*''Sunbeam II'' (1929)
*''Taransay'' (1930)
*''Virginia'' (1930)
*'' (1930)
* (1932)
*''Titan'' (1935)
*''Blue Bird'' (1938)
*
Lifeboat design
Barnett succeeded Watson as Consulting Naval Architect to the
RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
in 1904 and held the position until 1947. Barnett brought about many changes in lifeboat design including increased efficiency and better operational stability. Notably, he developed the world’s first self-righting lifeboat and the . His book, ''Modern Motor Lifeboats'' is considered to be the standard work on the subject.
Honours
*
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(OBE), 1918.
*RNLI Gold Medal, 1947.
Legacy
Barnett died in 1965 at age 100.
[‘James Rennie Barnett Obituary’, Transactions of Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders, 1965.]
Selected works
Books
*''Modern Motor Lifeboats'', Blackie & Son Ltd, 1933.
Articles
* ‘Typical Forms of Racing Yachts’, ''Transactions of the Institute of Engineers & Shipbuilders'', 1900.
* ‘Steam Yachts: some comparisons’, ''Transactions of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects'', 1906.
* ‘Motor Lifeboats of the RNLI’, ''Transactions of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects'', 1910.
* ‘Recent Developments in Motor Lifeboats’, ''Transactions of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects'', 1922.
* ‘Motor Yachts’, ''Transactions of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders'', 1931.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnett, James Rennie
1864 births
1965 deaths
Scottish centenarians
Men centenarians
People from Johnstone
British naval architects
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Royal National Lifeboat Institution people