William Nairn Forbes
Forbes's design for the
Forbes was also architect in 1831 of the
Education and early life
William Nairn Forbes was the sixth son of John Forbes, of Blackford in
From 1812 he attended
Career in India
Forbes was commissioned
In December 1819 Forbes was recalled to Britain to supervise the manufacture of new machines for the Royal Mint at Calcutta.[2] In 1820, he joined the London-based Institution of Civil Engineers as corresponding member.[2] With the completed tools and parts he returned to India in 1823 and was put in charge of the new mint's construction as "Superintendent of the Mint Machinery".[2] Forbes also authored a report on the channel linking the Hooghly River and the Ganges, advising on the engineering of keeping it open for navigation.[2]
Forbes requested in November 1825 that he be allowed to join the
In 1831 Forbes designed the new building for the mint, known as the "Old Silver Mint", which he designed in the newly fashionable Greek Revival style.[1] In 1832–33 Forbes joined a team surveying a route for a canal between Rajmahal and Calcutta and submitted the survey report.[2] Forbes was appointed Master of the Calcutta Mint in June 1836.[2] He was promoted major in 1839.[2]
In 1839, work began on the construction of Forbes's designs for
Forbes was made lieutenant-colonel in 1841.[2] For five months in 1847 – the year the cathedral was completed – Forbes was an acting member of the Military Board in place of the absent Chief Engineer.[2] Forbes had spent much energy on the cathedral project, in addition to his official duties.[2] That December, Forbes was sent again to Britain sit on a commission into the running of the Royal Mint.[2] In April 1849 this work was done and Forbes returned to the mint in Calcutta, in which post he remained until 1854, having been promoted colonel in 1852.[2]
Forbes was member of various
Illness and death
In 1854, the year he was promoted
Forbes embarked on the "Oriental" on 9 April 1855; he died at sea on 1 May.[2]
A bust of Forbes in the Calcutta Mint was installed by the then Government of India, and a monument dedicated to him inside the cathedral and financed by public subscription was erected after his death.[2]
Bibliography
External links
- Churches in India at KolkataOnline