Sturges Meek

Sturges Meek was born at Dunstall on 9 April 1816. Pupil of George Stephenson. Employed on London and Birmingham Railway from age 17 and was soon appointed assistant engineer. In 1841, on the recommendation of Locke, he was appointed engineer on a portion of the Paris Rouen Railway. He then worked under Locke on the GNR from 1844. Following a dispute between Locke and the GNR Co in 1844 Meek went with Locke to Holland to work on the Dutch Rhenish Railway, and on several English railways including the Derby Stoke Crewe line of the NSR. In 1846 he became engineer of the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway, later ELR. In 1853 he succeeded Hawkshaw as chief engineer of the LYR which, in 1859, was amalgamated with the ELR of which he was also engineer. He was responsible for many important works: Accrington viaduct, 1848; North Docks branch, Liverpool, 1855; Chatburn Hellifield line, completed 1879; Meltham branch, 1868; doubling Halifax branch, 1869; Newton Heath carriage works, 1877; Cheetham Hill (Manchester) Radcliffe, 1879; Denby Dale new viaduct, 1880; Brighouse Wyke line, 1881; Rochdale, Bacup, 1870, 1881; Bacup branch widening, 1857, 1881. He was a man of absolute integrity and enjoyed universal confidence as an arbitrator. Retired after the passing of the LYR 1882 Act and was succeeded by W Hunt, his chief assistant since 1876. {Michael R. Bailey and John Marshall in Chrimes. Marshall.}

THE LATE MR STURGESS (sic)  MEEK – We regret to announce the death of Mr Sturgess Meek, which took place at his residence, Dunstall Lodge, South Kensington, yesterday morning in his 72nd year. Mr Meek was well known in this district as Chief Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, a position which he occupied for 35 years. In early life he was a pupil of the celebrated Mr Locke, and subsequently was Resident Engineer, under that gentleman, for the construction of the Paris and Rouen Railway, for part of the London and Birmingham Railway, and afterwards for the East Lancashire Railway. In 1852 he joined the Lancashire and Yorkshire in succession to Mr (now Sir John) Hawkshaw, and while occupying that position he constructed a considerable portion of the Company’s system. He retired from active service about three years ago, becoming Consulting Engineer to the Company. During his long connection with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company Mr Meek enjoyed the confidence and respect of the directors, while his genial character made him most popular with his colleagues and his many friends. It may be mentioned that for thirty years, and until his removal to London, Mr Meek resided at Beech Hill, Cheetham Hill, formerly occupied by the late Mr Harrison Ainsworth. Mr Meek leaves a widow and two sons and two daughters, his eldest surviving son Mr Sydney Hownam Meek being one of the resident engineers of the Manchester Ship Canal, while one of his daughters is the wife of the Rev Randolph E Healey, rector of St Thomas’s, Lower Crumpsall. The funeral will take place at Prestwich Church tomorrow, Saturday. [Manchester Guardian 24 February 1888 page 5]