William Unwin
| William Unwin | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 12 December 1838 Coggeshall, Essex |
| Died | 17 March 1933 (aged 94) |
| Nationality | English |
| Education | City of London School and New College London |
| Parent(s) | Eliza and William Jordon Unwin |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Civil |
| Institutions | Institution of Civil Engineers (president), Institution of Mechanical Engineers (president) |
| Awards | Kelvin Gold Medal |
William Cawthorne Unwin FRS (12 December 1838 – 17 March 1933) was a British civil and mechanical engineer. He is noted for his extensive work on hydraulics and engines as well as his close association with William Fairbairn. He is one of only a few men who have served as president of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Unwin served as an engineering advisor to the government during the First World War and was the first recipient of the Kelvin Gold Medal awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
William was born to the Reverend William Jordon Unwin and his wife, Eliza, at Coggeshall, Essex. He received an education from the City of London School and studied for a year at New College, St John's Wood, many of the universities being closed to him due to his congregational roots. Having finished his studies he began work for William Fairbairn as a clerk in February 1856. Initially he worked in the Fairbairn Engineering Company testing department carrying out and documenting various structural and material tests.
In 1862 he was appointed to be works manager of the Williamson Brothers engineering works in Kendal where he manufactured water turbines for use in industrial mills. He returned to Fairbairn's as manager of the engine department in 1856, studying in his spare time to gain a bachelor of science degree by 1861. In 1868 he lectured at the school of Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture in London and began a series of five courses on civil engineering for Royal Engineers officers at Brompton Barracks in Kent. Having finished his lectures at Brompton he was appointed to the chair of hydraulic and mechanical engineering at the Royal Indian Engineering College (Coopers Hill) in Surrey in 1872. He remained there for twelve years, also serving as dean of the college.
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