Robert Carstairs Reid (6 December 1845–1894) was a 19th-century Scottish civil engineer. He specialised in harbour works and water supply.

Life

He was born in Kettle, Fife on 6 December 1845, the second son of Amelia Carstairs (1818-1890) and her husband, Rev William Reid (1810-1884) the local minister. He was educated at the Edinburgh Institution then studied civil engineering 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 ...

before joining the office of James Leslie. His first major project was Thornhill Waterworks. He then did various surveys before working on the Lintrathen Extension to

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

's Waterworks and the Moorfoot Extension to

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

's Waterworks. In 1881 he became a partner with his friend, creating J & A Leslie & Reid, engineers. Their main work was upgrading Paisley's water supply. He died at home, 60 Palmerston Place in Edinburgh's West End in March 1894. He is buried in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

in western Edinburgh. The grave lies on the south side of the south-west spur.

Family

In 1875 he married Charlotte Leslie (1846-1935) sister of his schoolfriend and later business partner

Alexander Leslie Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (15804 April 1661) was a Scottish soldier in Swedish and Scottish service. Born illegitimate and raised as a foster child, he subsequently advanced to the rank of a Swedish Field Marshal, and in Scotland be ...

. Their children included William Carstairs Reid

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

(d.1937).

References

1845 births 1894 deaths People from Fife Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish civil engineers {{UK-engineer-stub