Person
Sheilds, Francis Webb (1820 - 1906)
- Born
- 8 October 1820
Ireland - Died
- 18 January 1906
Southampton, United Kingdom - Occupation
- Engineer
- Alternative Names
- Wentworth-Sheilds, Francis Webb (Also known as, 1877 - )
Summary
Francis Sheilds was an engineer with experience of building railways in Britain before he came to Australia. Between 1843 and 1849 he was Engineer to the Sydney City Council, working largely on water projects. He then became Engineer for the Sydney Railway Company before the railway was opened to the public. The first line constructed, that between Sydney and Parramatta, was built on the alignment he selected. Sheilds was a strong advocate for the 5ft 3 inch gauge. His recommendation was adopted by the Company (and in the other Australian colonies) but rescinded after his resignation in favour of the 4ft 8 inch gauge proposed by his successor, James Wallace. New South Wales railways thus did not connect with those in other colonies. On returning to the United Kingdom in 1851, Sheilds resumed working for his former employer, Charles Vignoles. Sheilds was involved with a number of projects, including the Crystal Palace, in which he sought solutions to the design of iron beams and framed girders. His book is The strains on structures of iron work was published in 1861.
Details
Chronology
- 1843 - 1849
- Career position - City Surveyor, Sydney City Council
- 1849 - 1850
- Career position - Engineer, Sydney Railway Company
- February 1851
- Life event - Returned to the United Kingdom
- 1 Apr 1856
- Career event - Associate (AssocInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London
- 6 Dec 1859
- Career event - Member (MInstCE), Institution of Civil Engineers, London
- 1861
- Publication - Book: "The strains on structures of iron work"
- 1877
- Life event - Changed his surname to Wenworth-Sheilds
Related entries
Published resources
Books
- Hagarty, Donald, The building of the Sydney Railway: the known story of the work of six men - a naval surveyor, four engineers, and the contractor who, with many others built the first railway from Sydney to Parramatta, 1848 - 1857 (Redfern, N.S.W.: Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division, 2005), 464 pp. Details
Edited Books
- Bailey, M. R.; Chrimes, M. M.; Cox, R. C.; Cross-Rudkin, P. S. M.; Hurst, B. L.; McWilliam, R. C.; Rennison, R. W.; Ruddock, E. C.; Sutherland, R. J. M.; Swailes, T. ed., Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 2: 1830-1890 (London, United Kingdom: Thomas Telford Publishing, 2008), 907 pp. 'Sheilds, Francis Webb', p.701. Details
Journal Articles
- Phippen, Bill, 'A book by Francis Sheilds: an amazing addition to ARHSnsw Archive', Engineering heritage Australia magazine, 3 (7) (2021), 20-2, https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/Learned%20Society/EHA_Magazine_Vol3_No7_January_2021.pdf. Details
Resources
- Institution of Civil Engineers, London, 'Application: 1303, 1856', Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818-1930, ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/3585/. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 17 May 2022, Last modified: 19 May 2022