Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement/Haywood, William (1821-1894)

1399851Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement, Volume 2 — Haywood, William (1821-1894)1901Thomas Hudson Beare

HAYWOOD, WILLIAM (1821–1894), architect and civil engineer, eldest son of W. Haywood of Camberwell, was born on 8 Dec. 1821. He was educated at the Camberwell grammar school, and then became a pupil of Mr. George Aitchison, R.A., architect and surveyor to the St. Katherine's Dock Company.

He began his professional career as an architect, and was responsible for several important private mansions, among which may be mentioned the seat of the Marquis of Downshire at Easthampstead, Berkshire. Being offered, however, in 1845 the appointment of assistant engineer to the commissioners of sewers for the city of London, he abandoned architecture for civil engineering; a year later he was appointed chief engineer to the commissioners. He became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1853. He was responsible for an enormous number of improvements of various kinds carried out in the central quarter of the metropolis during the forty-nine years he held office. Probably the work by which he will be best remembered is the Holborn Viaduct; this was begun in 1863, and opened by Queen Victoria on 6 Nov. 1869, although at that date the high-level approaches had not been completed. He was also instrumental in the introduction of asphalte for the roadways of the city in 1869. In the early part of his career as engineer to the commissioners, in 1850-1, in conjunction with Mr. Frank Forster, chief engineer to the metropolitan commissioners of sewers, he prepared a scheme for diverting the sewage from the Thames; and again in 1854, in conjunction with Mr. (afterwards Sir) Joseph Bazalgette [q. v. Suppl.], he prepared further schemes for the same purpose, and these were practically the plans eventually carried out.

During the time he held his city post he carried on a considerable practice as a consulting engineer, and obtained numerous foreign honours as a reward for the services he rendered. He was a chevalier of the legion of honour, and a knight of the Ernestine house order; a member of the Portuguese order of Christ, and the Belgian order of Leopold.

He was an ardent volunteer, and served in the London rifle brigade, of which he was lieutenant-colonel from 1876 to 1882.

His literary work consists of numerous reports presented to the commissioners of sewers for the city of London, over one hundred in number, dealing with almost every branch of the work of a municipal engineer.

He died at 56 Hamilton Terrace, Maida Vale, on 13 April 1894.

[Men of the Time, ed. 1891; Proc. Inst. Civil Eng. vol. cxvii.]

T. H. B.