Benjamin Blyth II
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Benjamin Blyth II
| image = B H Blyth.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name = Benjamin Hall Blyth
| nickname =
| birth_date = 25 May 1849
| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1917|5|13|1849|5|25|df=y}}
| death_place = North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
| height =
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| ru_position = Forward
| amatyears1 = -
| amatteam1 = {{nowrap|Merchistonians}}
| ru_amclubcaps =
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| ru_amupdate =
| ru_provinceyears1 = 1872-73
| ru_province1 = {{nowrap|Edinburgh District}}
| ru_provinceapps1 = 2
| ru_provincepoints1 = 0
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| occupation =
| spouse = Millicent Taylor
| children = Benjamin Edward Blyth
Elsie Winifred Blyth
| relatives = Benjamin Hall Blyth I
Mary Dudgeon Wright (parents)
| school = Merchiston Castle School
| university = University of Edinburgh
| website =
|module = {{Infobox officeholder
| office = President of the Scottish Rugby Union |embed=yes
| term_start = 1875
| term_end = 1876
| predecessor = Albert Harvey
| successor = William Hamilton Kidston
| order = 3rd
}}
|module2 = {{Infobox engineer
|image =
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|name =
|nationality = Scottish
|birth_date =
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|discipline = Civil
|institutions = Institution of Civil Engineers (president),
Royal Society of Edinburgh (fellow)
|practice_name = Blyth and Blyth
|significant_projects =
|significant_design =
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}}
Benjamin Hall Blyth FRSE (25 May 1849 – 13 May 1917), often called Benjamin Blyth II, was a Scottish civil engineer.{{Cite web |url=http://www.codexgeo.co.uk/dsa/architect_full.php?id=M000436 |title=Dictionary of Scottish Architects entry |access-date=5 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719012137/http://www.codexgeo.co.uk/dsa/architect_full.php?id=M000436 |archive-date=19 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}
Family
Blyth, who was born at 36 Minto Street,Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1849 Edinburgh,Old Parish Record of birth was the eldest of the nine children of Mary Dudgeon Wright and the railway engineer Benjamin Blyth. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School between 1860 and 1864 before studying for a Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1867.
After the death of both parents – Benjamin Blyth in 1866 and Mary Dudgeon Wright in 1868 – Blyth and his siblings were brought up by their mother's sister, Elizabeth Scotland Wright.Will of Mary Dudgeon Wright, held by Scottish recordsCensus of Scotland 1871
Rugby Union career
=Amateur career=
=Provincial career=
Blyth played in the world's very first representative provincial match in November 1872. This was the 'Inter-City': the match between Glasgow District and Edinburgh District. Blyth represented the Edinburgh side.
=Administrative career=
He became the 3rd President of the Scottish Rugby Union, holding the post between 1875 and 1876.{{Cite journal |title=Past Presidents of Scottish Rugby Union |url=https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf |journal=Scottish Rugby Record 2018/19 |pages=107 |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-date=16 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116210013/https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf |url-status=dead }}
Engineering career
Following his father's death, Blyth entered the family engineering consultancy and became a partner five years later. Blyth served as a consultant to the North British Railway and the Great North of Scotland Railway and served in an advisory capacity to the British Army with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps. In 1872, he married Millicent Taylor{{Cite web |title=Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002 |url=http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919152306/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2015 |access-date=23 April 2015 |page=94}} with whom he had a son, Benjamin Edward, who died in infancy,Blyth, E.L.I. 1893, The family of Blythe or Blyth of Norton and Birchet and a daughter, Elsie Winifred. He became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1877, being elected to its council in 1900. He served as vice-president in 1911 and in 1914 became the first practising Scottish engineer to serve as president.
{{Cite book |last=Watson |first=Garth |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/16866651 |title=The civils : the story of the Institution of Civil Engineers |date=1988 |publisher=Thomas Telford |isbn=0-7277-0392-7 |location=London |pages=252 |oclc=16866651}} On 7 February 1898 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[http://www.rse.org.uk/fellowship/all_fellows.pdf Royal Society of Edinburgh fellows list] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004113437/http://www.rse.org.uk/fellowship/all_fellows.pdf |date=4 October 2006 }}
Political career
File:17 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh.jpg
In later life, Blyth lived in a large Victorian townhouse at 17 Palmerston Place in Edinburgh's West End.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1905-6
Blyth stood as the Unionist candidate for the East Lothian by-election of 1911, but lost to the Liberal candidate, John Deans Hope by 468 votes. One of his policies was opposing giving home rule to Ireland.[http://www.scotsman.com/ The Scotsman, various editions from 1911]
Death
Blyth was widowed on 12 September 1914. He died in North Berwick on 13 May 1917, of "spittielioma of tongue"Death certificate, held by Scottish records office and was survived by his daughter. His nephew, Benjamin Hall Blyth (sometimes referred to as Benjamin Blyth III) was the son of his brother Francis Creswick Blyth – who was taken on by Blyth and Blyth in 1909,Blyth and Blyth: The First 100 Years, historical records held by company continued the consultancy after his death.
File:The grave of Benjamin Hall Blyth, Dean Cemetery.jpg
He is buried on the obscured southern terrace of Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh, towards the east. His wife, Millicent Taylor (1852-1914) is buried with him. Their infant son, Benjamin Edward Blyth, who died in 1875 aged six weeks lies at their feet.
Legacy
He trained James Simpson Pirie FRSE (1861-1943), founder of J S Pirie & Sons. Pirie ran Blyth & Blyth from his death until the end of the war.{{Cite web|url=http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200444|title=Dictionary of Scottish Architects - DSA Architect Biography Report (May 26, 2019, 3:37 pm)|website=www.scottisharchitects.org.uk|access-date=2019-05-26}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-npo|pro}}
{{s-bef|before=Anthony George Lyster}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
|years=November 1914 – November 1915}}
{{s-aft|after=Alexander Ross}}
{{end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blyth, Benjamin}}
Category:Scottish civil engineers
Category:Presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Category:People educated at Merchiston Castle School
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Engineers from Edinburgh
Category:Engineer and Railway Staff Corps officers
Category:Unionist Party (Scotland) parliamentary candidates
Category:Presidents of the Scottish Rugby Union
Category:Merchistonian FC players