Nationality British Education University of Glasgow Name John McClean Party Liberal Party | Role Civil engineer Died July 13, 1873 | |
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Born 21 March 1813 Belfast, Northern Ireland Practice name South Staffordshire Water Works Company Institution memberships Institution of Civil Engineers Significant projects South Staffordshire Railway, Suez Canal | ||
Engineering discipline Civil engineer | ||
John Robinson McClean CB FRS FRAS (21 March 1813 – 13 July 1873), was a British civil engineer and Liberal Party politician.
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Early life
He was born in Belfast. Educated at Belfast Academical Institution and University of Glasgow.
Engineering career
Whilst still young, he offered himself as candidate for the Office of Engineer to the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, but was refused. Upon leaving the Board Room, he said to Mr Edmund Getty, (an old family friend) “that he would let the Commissioners yet see what a man they had lost”.
With his partner, Francis Croughton Stileman, he founded McClean & Stileman, engineering consultants of Great George St, Westminster. Some of his positions were:
After an Act of Parliament was passed to allow it, he took a 25-year lease on the railway, thus becoming the first person ever to be the sole owner of a railway. With the financial backing of several businessmen, he planned and built "The South Staffordshire Water Works Company" which piped fresh water to all of the Black Country. He was also the owner, with partner Richard Chawner, of "The Cannock Chase Colliery Company".
He was President of the Institution of Civil Engineers from 1864-5.
Political career
He unsuccessfully stood for Parliament as a Liberal Party candidate for Belfast at the 1857 general election, the second time he had been rejected by his native town.
He was elected at the 1868 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Staffordshire, and held the seat until his death in 1873.
He was also Lieutenant-Colonel of the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, a volunteer corps whose members serve as engineering advisors to the British Army.
Later life
He died in 1873 aged 60, and is buried with his wife Anna, on the edge of the main path at Kensal Green Cemetery, London.
Personal life
He was married to Anna (1813–1877). They had five daughters and one son, Frank McClean.