Institution news
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers have worked with ancestry.co.uk to make civil and mechanical engineer records, from 1820 to 1930, accessible on the family history website.
Many engineers are thrilled to find that their ancestors also had careers in engineering, and to read the historical records of those involved at the forefront of mechanical invention and structural development. With the increasing availability of historical records, and public awareness and enthusiasm for genealogy – as evidenced through programmes such as the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? – our ability to trace not only high-profile industry-leaders but also numerous lesser-known innovators, including women engineers and people who travelled abroad, is rapidly growing.
The Institution’s Information and Library Service offers access to valuable resources for those interested in the development of mechanical engineering, the Industrial Revolution and the history of the Institution, including pictorial archives.
The Institution’s membership records from 1847 to 1930 are now live on ancestry.co.uk alongside those of the Institution of Automobile Engineers (1906–1930) and Institution of Locomotive Engineers (1915-1930) The records offer great insight into the careers and accomplishments of many famous engineering pioneers, including one of the foremost designers of the internal combustion engine (Harry Ricardo) and an early sniper rifle (Sir Joseph Whitworth). They also contain records of lesser-known inventors, whose history is of great personal interest to members.
Further information can be found about:
- Sir Henry Royce, co-founder of Rolls-Royce
- Nigel Gresley, designer of the Mallard, which still holds the land steam record
- Thomas Andrews, chief naval architect of the SS Titanic
- Frederick Lanchester, who designed and produced the first English car
- William Siemens, founder of Siemens Brothers
- Verena Holmes, first female member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Miriam Silverman, UK Content Manager from ancestry.co.uk commented: “Today, as it was then, engineering is a vital part of the country’s economy and it is fascinating to be able to learn more about the men and women who established this legacy.
“Not only do these records provide a unique insight into engineering during the 19th and 20th centuries but they will provide a valuable resource for anybody trying to trace an ancestor within the collection.”
People who have attempted to trace their family tree, and who may have hit an impasse, may find that ancestry.co.uk’s online resource, as well as the Institution’s archives, helps them discover another route, as the historical records also list the names of engineers who proposed a person for membership. Some precious details on the little-told stories of women in engineering can also be pieced together. The first paper presented to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers by a women was in 1918, when Olive Monkhouse sparked debate on the suitability of female workers in factories, but it was not until 1924 that the first woman was admitted as a member. The records on ancestry.co.uk show that there were a number of women rejected prior to this: we can but muse whether their gender was the barrier!
To discover your engineering ancestors, or to find out more about famous engineers, members can access these records for free in the Virtual Library.
Non-members can access the collection at www.ancestry.co.uk or for free by visiting the Institution’s Library at One Birdcage Walk.
Tell us about your engineering family history
Have you used the archives to research your family history? Share your experiences with us. Email a short description of your findings to: archive@imeche.org.
