James Bower Bennett

James B. Bennett, civil engineer and surveyor, was resident at No. 7 Malta Terrace between 1897 and 1904.¹ He then moved to 2 Thorburn Road, Colinton.²

James Bower Bennett was born in Falkirk on 27 July 1859, the son of George Bennett, a grocer and spirit merchant, and his wife Jane Bower.³ Educated at Alloa Parish School and Dollar Academy, he served an apprenticeship (1874-1878) with Thomas Frame & Son, architects and surveyors in Alloa. He remained with the company until 1883 when he came to Edinburgh as assistant to John Buchanan, CE, a previous occupant of No. 7. In January 1888, he entered into partnership with John Buchanan. Buchanan & Bennett had offices at 24 George Street and later at 12 Hill Street. The partnership was dissolved in 1907.⁴

James Bower Bennett became an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in July 1889⁵ and was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1900.⁶ He was a man of wide interests, including politics, antiquarian pursuits, particularly 17th and 18th century literature, and angling. He died in Edinburgh on 31 May 1923.⁷

James B. Bennett married Florence Clara Smyth of Temeside, Ludlow, Shropshire in 1893.⁸ She was listed at 7 Malta Terrace in the 1901 census.⁹

Florence Clara Smyth was born at Duddingston on 11 November 1855, daughter of James Sergeant Smyth, a Post Office official, and Sarah Broadhead.¹⁰ She was baptised at Whitwell, Derbyshire on 22 March 1857, on the same day as her elder sister Gertrude.¹¹ She died on 27 May 1906 at Colinton.¹²

1. PO Directories 1897-98 to 1903-04.
2. PO Directory 1904-05.
3. Births (SR) Scotland. Falkirk, Stirlingshire. 27 July 1959. BENNETT, James Bower. 479/2 186. Ancestry collection ‘Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 24 August 2023.
4. The Scotsman. 14 December 1907.
5. Institution of Civil Engineers. Civil Engineer Membership Forms, 1818–1930. 02 April 1889. BENNETT, James Bower. Ancestry collection ‘UK, Civil Engineer Records, 1820-1930.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 05 September 2023.
6. Royal Society of Edinburgh. Past Fellows. 1783-2002. BENNETT, James Bower. https://rse.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/all_fellows.pdf: accessed 24 August 2023.
7. Death announcements. The Scotsman. 02 June 1923. BENNETT, James Bower. p. 16, col. 7. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 24 August 2023.
8. Marriages index (SR) Scotland. Newington, Edinburgh. 1893. BENNETT, James and SMYTH, Florence C. 685/5 346. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 18 September 2023.
9. Census records. Scotland. St George, Edinburgh. 31 March 1901. BENNETT, James. 685/1 46/ 9. Ancestry collection ‘1901 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 18 September 2023.
10. Births (SR) Scotland. Duddingston, Midlothian. 11 November 1855. SMYTH, Florence Clara. 685/1 88. Ancestry collection ‘Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 05 September 2023.
11. Baptisms (PR) England. Whitwell, Derbyshire. 22 March 1857. SMYTH, Florence Clara. D 705 A/PI 18. Ancestry collection ‘Derbyshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1916.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 24 August 2023.
12. Death announcements. The Scotsman. 31 May 1906. BENNETT, Florence Carla. p. 12, col. 08. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 05 September 2023.