Who was William George Laws?
William George Laws was the eldest son of Cuthbert Umfreville Laws of Prudhoe Castle, Northumberland, he was born at the Manor House, Tynemouth on the 18th April, 1836.
Life and Work
William Laws completed his education at Durham University and work under Mr. James Burnett of Newcastle-upon-Tyne for four years, and was then subsequently engaged under Mr. John F. Tone on the surveys for the Border Union, Border Counties, and Wansbeck Railways, first as a pupil and afterwards assistant. The Wansbeck Railways were constructed under the supervision of Laws as the Resident Engineer, for five years.
During 1865 and 1867 Laws was occupied on completing surveys for the Bristol and North Somerset Railways, the Teign Valley Line, and other projects. During 1867, he entered into partnership with his brother, Mr Hubert Laws, and practiced in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The partnership was dissolved in 1874 and Laws accepted the post of Chief Assistant to the later Mr. T. E. Harrison on the North Eastern Railway. In 1870 he reported to the Shields Chamber of Commerce on the navigation of the Suez Canal. Laws assisted in the design of many important works, including the extension and alteration of Hartlepool Docks, the railway joining Monkwearmouth and Sunderland with the bridge over the river Wear and the extension of the South Shields branch of the North Eastern Railway.
He was engineer jointly with Mr. Thomas Bouch for the Newcastle and Tynemouth Tramway Bills in 1870 and 1871; and he designed and superintended the erection of the railway bridge over the River Tyne at Wylam, connecting the railways on the north side and south side of the Tyne. Owing to the existence of coal workings near the surface, it was not considered safe to put piers in the river and the bridge consists of three arched girders of 240 feet span, springing from abutments near the water-level, from which the platform is hung by wrought-iron suspension bars carrying cross girders below.
In 1874 he entered the North Eastern Railway Co.'s office as Chief Assistant to the late Mr. T. E. Harrison, and assisted in the carrying out of many important works, including the alteration and extension of Hartlepool Docks, the riverside railway on the north bank of the Tyne, the railway joining Monkwearmouth and Sunderland, including the bridge over the River Wear, and the extension of the South Shields Branch of the North Eastern Railway with the new station.
Laws received the appointment of City Engineer of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1881 and remained in that post for 20 years. Whilst in post and working jointly with Mr. Messent, Laws he undertook the building of the refuse destructor at Byker and designed and built floating hospitals for the Tyne and Tees Ports Sanitary Authorities, as well as being Engineer for the Tramways and Street Improvement Bills of 1892, 1895, 1899, and 1902. In 1901 Laws resigned and was appointed Consulting Engineer to the Corporation. He remained in this appointment until his death on 22nd December, 1904.
He also carried out many street improvements and introduced Australian hardwood paving into Newcastle. The Ouseburn Outlet Sewers for the drainage of Gosforth, &c., and the Refuse Destructor at Byker were important works undertaken and completed under his control.
In 1885 he designed and built a floating hospital for the Tyne Port Sanitary Authority, and in 1893 one for the Tees Port Sanitary Authority. Under his direction the first portion of the overhead electric tramway system in Newcastle was laid down in 1900-1901.
In December 1901 he resigned the office of City Engineer and was appointed Consulting Engineer to the Corporation.
His death took place on 22nd December 1904, in his sixty-ninth year, at his residence in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, from heart disease after a short illness. He had previously suffered from heart complaint from time to time.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1874; and was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and of the North of England Institution of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. He had been President of the Association of Municipal and County Engineers.