Person    | Male  Born 1785  Died 13/10/1861

Sir William Cubitt

Categories: Engineering

Civil Engineer. Born Norfolk. President of The Institute of Civil Engineers. One of the Commissioners for the Great Exhibition, 1851, and Chairman of its Building committee. Also designed a louvred windmill sail and the human treadmill which was quickly introduced to many prisons to provide the 'hard labour' required. Died at home on Clapham Common. The civil engineer, Joseph Cubitt (1811-72) was his son.

There seems to be a confusion of Cubitts in the property field. This one is unrelated to the three brothers:
Thomas Cubitt - London property developer.
Lewis Cubitt - designed King's Cross Station.
William Cubitt (1791 – 1863) - property developer, politician.

Also, apparently unrelated to any of them, James Cubitt (1836–1914).

Given that 'cubit' is an ancient unit of length (elbow to the tip of the middle finger) which is referenced in the Bible to describe constructions such as Solomon's Temple, we suggest that all these Cubitts are members of the nominative determinism club.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir William Cubitt

Commemorated ati

Great Exhibition and Prince Albert

Designed by Joseph Durham with modifications by Sydney Smirke. Inaugurated by...

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Hay's Wharf - riverside

Hay's Galleria In the mid 1850's, following the steady rise of the River Tham...

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Hay's Wharf - Tooley Street

The little plaque that you can see at the top of the picture is disappointing...

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Horniman at Hay's

The plaque is incorrect in giving Thomas Cubitt as the designer. It was in f...

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This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Sir William Cubitt

Creations i

St Bartholomew's Hospital - Victorian extension

{On the frieze above the pillars:} Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, Founded by...

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Other Subjects

Sir John Wolfe-Barry

Sir John Wolfe-Barry

Civil Engineer. Born London, son of the architect Sir Charles Barry. His firm specialised in railways, bridges and docks. Built the Circle Line and, following the death of Horace Jones, Tower Bridg...

Person, Engineering

4 memorials
Harold Knox King, CBE, CEng, FICE, FIMun.E, FRICS

Harold Knox King, CBE, CEng, FICE, FIMun.E, FRICS

Harold Knox King was born on 24 March 1907, the second child of William Henry King and Williamina King. His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1907 in the Rochdale registration district, La...

Person, Engineering, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Osborne Reynolds

Osborne Reynolds

Professor of engineering.  FRS.  Born Belfast.  Aged 25 he was appointed professor of engineering (one of the first to be appointed to such a post in the UK) in Owens College, Manchester.  He remai...

Person, Education, Engineering, Ireland

1 memorial
Lewisham pump

Lewisham pump

Former community pump. See the plaque for its history.

Place, Engineering

1 memorial