Person    | Male  Born 3/1/1802  Died 25/1/1871

Sir Proby Cautley

Categories: Engineering, History

Countries: India

Civil engineer and palaeontologistFRS. Born Suffolk. Proby was his mother's maiden name. 1819 went to India as a commissioned second lieutenant. Apart from a few years his work there was mainly engineering in nature rather than military. While there he developed a strong interest in geology and, together with Hugh Falconer, made a large collection of fossils which they gave to the British Museum. Cautley married while in India and had a son. For health reasons his wife and son returned to England while Cautley worked on the Ganges Canal. After two years he joined his family in London in 1845 only to discover that his wife was having an affair and, 9 months later produced twins. This must have been a nasty time for Cautley: his own son died in 1846 while he was laboriously and publicly divorcing his wife. 1865 he remarried and 1868 retired to a large house, The Avenue, at Sydenham Park, where he died.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir Proby Cautley

Commemorated ati

Skempton Building plaques

2018: Eamonn Doyle has written to correct our "east to west", saying that the...

Read More

Other Subjects

Henry Philip Creese

Henry Philip Creese

Deck Engineer on the RMS Titanic. A résumé of his life can be found on the Encyclopedia Titanica website. He is also commemorated on the Engineers Memorial, Andrews East Park, Above Bar Street, Sou...

Person, Engineering, Tragedy

1 memorial
William Bridges Adams

William Bridges Adams

Author and engineer. Born in Woore, Shropshire. He invented the 'Adams Axle' which was used on British trains throughout the steam age. His writings include 'English Pleasure Carriages' and 'Roads ...

Person, Engineering, Journalism / Publishing

1 memorial
Kingschoole sluice

Kingschoole sluice

"Kingschoole" refers to the passage of the Tyburn river through the grounds of Westminster School.  'Sluice' refers to an artificial water channel controlled at its head by a gate.  And there is in...

Building, Engineering

1 memorial
Alexander Binnie

Alexander Binnie

Civil engineer.   Born 77 Ladbroke Grove.  Worked in Wales and then India.  Returned and in 1890 was appointed chief engineer to the London County Council.  Worked on the Blackwall road tunnel, the...

Person, Engineering, India, Wales

3 memorials
Sir John Isaac Thornycroft

Sir John Isaac Thornycroft

Civil engineer.  Son of Thomas and Mary Thornycroft.  Born Rome.  Studied and began work in Glasgow.  Then studied at the Royal School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at South Kensingt...

Person, Benefactor, Engineering

1 memorial

Previously viewed

National Portrait Gallery - Stanhope

National Portrait Gallery - Stanhope

WC2, Charing Cross Road

This building, 1896, designed by Ewan Christian, has 18 busts contained in medallions around the top of the facades. Starting at the east...

1 subject commemorated
Clementia Taylor

Clementia Taylor

Women's activist. Born Clementia Doughty at Brockdish, Norfolk. She married Peter Alfred Taylor in 1842, and they became involved with many social and political movements, particularly anti-slavery...

Person, Gender Issues, Race Issues, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Francis Turner Palgrave

Francis Turner Palgrave

NW1, York Gate, 1 - 5

Greater London Council Francis Turner Palgrave, 1824 - 1897, compiler of the "Golden Treasury", lived here, 1862 - 1875.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Roger Jefcoate

Roger Jefcoate

From The Woodland Trust: "Roger Jefcoate has spent 30 years secretly planting his beloved black poplars.... As a scientist and engineer, Roger developed Possum, the first remote control to help dis...

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial
R. M. Barr

R. M. Barr

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial