# Benjamin Blyth II > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_Blyth_II > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_Blyth_II.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Blyth_II > Source revision: 1345396496 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Benjamin Blyth II | image = B H Blyth.jpg | caption = | birth_name = Benjamin Hall Blyth | birth_date = 25 May 1849 | birth_place = [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh), Scotland | death_date = {{Death date and age|1917|5|13|1849|5|25|df=y}} | death_place = [North Berwick](/source/North_Berwick), [East Lothian](/source/East_Lothian), Scotland | height = | weight = | position = [Forward](/source/Rugby_union_positions) | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = {{nowrap|[Merchistonians](/source/Merchistonian_FC)}} | ru_amclubcaps = | ru_amclubpoints = | amupdate = | provinceyears1 = 1872-73 | province1 = {{nowrap|[Edinburgh District](/source/Edinburgh_District_(rugby_union))}} | provinceapps1 = 2 | provincepoints1 = 0 | repteam1 = | repyears1 = | repcaps1 = | reppoints1 = | repupdate = | coachteams1 = | coachyears1 = | ru_coachupdate = | refereeyears1 = | refereecomps1 = | refereeapps1 = | ru_refereeupdate = | relatives = [Benjamin Hall Blyth I](/source/Benjamin_Blyth)
Mary Dudgeon Wright (parents) | school = [Merchiston Castle School](/source/Merchiston_Castle_School) | university = [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh) | module = {{Infobox officeholder | office = President of the Scottish Rugby Union |embed=yes | term_start = 1875 | term_end = 1876 | predecessor = [Albert Harvey](/source/Albert_Harvey) | successor = [William Hamilton Kidston](/source/William_Hamilton_Kidston) | order = 3rd }} | module2 = {{Infobox engineer |embed = yes |image = |image_width = |caption = |name = |birth_date = |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |education = |parents = |discipline = [Civil](/source/Civil_engineering) |institutions = [Institution of Civil Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Civil_Engineers) (president),
[Royal Society of Edinburgh](/source/Royal_Society_of_Edinburgh) (fellow) |practice_name = Blyth and Blyth |significant_projects = |significant_design = |significant_advance = |significant_awards = }} }} '''Benjamin Hall Blyth''' [FRSE](/source/FRSE) (25 May 1849 – 13 May 1917), often called Benjamin Blyth II, was a [Scottish](/source/Scotland) [civil engineer](/source/civil_engineer).{{Cite web |url=http://www.codexgeo.co.uk/dsa/architect_full.php?id=M000436 |title=Dictionary of Scottish Architects entry |access-date=5 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719012137/http://www.codexgeo.co.uk/dsa/architect_full.php?id=M000436 |archive-date=19 July 2011 |url-status=dead}} ==Family== Blyth, who was born at 36 Minto Street,Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1849 [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh),Old Parish Record of birth was the eldest of the nine children of Mary Dudgeon Wright and the railway engineer [Benjamin Blyth](/source/Benjamin_Blyth). He was educated at [Merchiston Castle School](/source/Merchiston_Castle_School) between 1860 and 1864 before studying for a [Master of Arts](/source/Master_of_Arts_(Scotland)) degree from the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh), graduating in 1867. After the death of both parents – [Benjamin Blyth](/source/Benjamin_Blyth) in 1866 and Mary Dudgeon Wright in 1868 – Blyth and his siblings were brought up by their mother's sister, Elizabeth Scotland Wright.Will of Mary Dudgeon Wright, held by Scottish recordsCensus of Scotland 1871 ==Rugby Union career== ===Amateur career=== Blyth played for [Merchistonians](/source/Merchistonian_FC).{{Cite news |date=1872-11-25 |title=Football - Inter-City Football Match |pages=5 |work=[The Glasgow Herald](/source/The_Glasgow_Herald) |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hY9EAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b7UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5954%2C5078015}} ===Provincial career=== Blyth played in the world's very first representative provincial match in [November 1872](/source/1872%E2%80%9373_Scottish_Districts_season). This was the 'Inter-City': the match between [Glasgow District](/source/Glasgow_District_(rugby_union)) and [Edinburgh District](/source/Edinburgh_District_(rugby_union)). Blyth represented the Edinburgh side. ===Administrative career=== He became the 3rd President of the [Scottish Rugby Union](/source/Scottish_Rugby_Union), holding the post between [1875 and 1876](/source/List_of_Scottish_Rugby_Union_Presidents).{{Cite journal |title=Past Presidents of Scottish Rugby Union |url=https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf |journal=Scottish Rugby Record 2018/19 |pages=107 |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-date=16 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116210013/https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sru-files/files/SR_RR1819_digital.pdf |url-status=dead }} ==Engineering career== Following his father's death, Blyth entered the family engineering consultancy and became a partner five years later. Blyth served as a consultant to the [North British Railway](/source/North_British_Railway) and the [Great North of Scotland Railway](/source/Great_North_of_Scotland_Railway) and served in an advisory capacity to the [British Army](/source/British_Army) with the rank of [Lieutenant-Colonel](/source/Lieutenant-Colonel) in the [Engineer and Railway Staff Corps](/source/Engineer_and_Railway_Staff_Corps). In 1872, he married Millicent Taylor{{Cite web |title=Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002 |url=http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919152306/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2015 |access-date=23 April 2015 |page=94}} with whom he had a son, Benjamin Edward, who died in infancy,Blyth, E.L.I. 1893, The family of Blythe or Blyth of Norton and Birchet and a daughter, Elsie Winifred. He became a member of the [Institution of Civil Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Civil_Engineers) in 1877, being elected to its council in 1900. He served as vice-president in 1911 and in 1914 became the first practising Scottish engineer to serve as president. {{Cite book |last=Watson |first=Garth |title=The civils : the story of the Institution of Civil Engineers |date=1988 |publisher=Thomas Telford |isbn=0-7277-0392-7 |location=London |pages=252 |oclc=16866651}} On 7 February 1898 he became a [Fellow](/source/Fellow) of the [Royal Society of Edinburgh](/source/Royal_Society_of_Edinburgh).[http://www.rse.org.uk/fellowship/all_fellows.pdf Royal Society of Edinburgh fellows list] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004113437/http://www.rse.org.uk/fellowship/all_fellows.pdf |date=4 October 2006 }} ==Political career== thumb|upright|left|Blyth's house at 17 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh In later life, Blyth lived in a large Victorian townhouse at 17 Palmerston Place in Edinburgh's West End.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1905-6 Blyth stood as the [Unionist](/source/Unionist_Party_(Scotland)) candidate for the [1911 Haddingtonshire by-election](/source/1911_Haddingtonshire_by-election), but lost to the [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_(UK)) candidate, [John Deans Hope](/source/John_Deans_Hope) by 468 votes. One of Blyth's policies was opposing Irish Home Rule.[http://www.scotsman.com/ The Scotsman, various editions from 1911] ==Death== Blyth was widowed on 12 September 1914. He died in [North Berwick](/source/North_Berwick) on 13 May 1917, of "spittielioma of tongue"Death certificate, held by Scottish records office and was survived by his daughter. His nephew, Benjamin Hall Blyth (sometimes referred to as Benjamin Blyth III) was the son of his brother Francis Creswick Blyth – who was taken on by Blyth and Blyth in 1909,Blyth and Blyth: The First 100 Years, historical records held by company continued the consultancy after his death. thumb|The grave of Benjamin Hall Blyth, Dean Cemetery He is buried on the obscured southern terrace of [Dean Cemetery](/source/Dean_Cemetery) in [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh), towards the east. His wife, Millicent Taylor (1852-1914) is buried with him. Their infant son, Benjamin Edward Blyth, who died in 1875 aged six weeks lies at their feet. ==Legacy== He trained James Simpson Pirie [FRSE](/source/FRSE) (1861-1943), founder of J S Pirie & Sons. Pirie ran Blyth & Blyth from his death until the end of the war.{{Cite web|url=http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200444|title=Dictionary of Scottish Architects - DSA Architect Biography Report (May 26, 2019, 3:37 pm)|website=www.scottisharchitects.org.uk|access-date=2019-05-26}} ==References== {{reflist}} {{s-start}} {{s-npo|pro}} {{s-bef|before=[Anthony George Lyster](/source/Anthony_George_Lyster)}} {{s-ttl|title=[President](/source/List_of_Presidents_of_the_Institution_of_Civil_Engineers) of the [Institution of Civil Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Civil_Engineers) |years=November 1914 – November 1915}} {{s-aft|after=[Alexander Ross](/source/Alexander_Ross_(engineer))}} {{end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Blyth, Benjamin}} Category:Scottish civil engineers Category:1849 births Category:1917 deaths Category:Presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Category:People educated at Merchiston Castle School Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Category:Engineers from Edinburgh Category:Engineer and Railway Staff Corps officers Category:Scottish soldiers Category:Unionist Party (Scotland) parliamentary candidates Category:Presidents of the Scottish Rugby Union Category:Merchistonian FC players Category:Edinburgh District (rugby union) players Category:Scottish rugby union players --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Benjamin Blyth II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Blyth_II) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Blyth_II?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.