Henry Young Darracott Scott
Encyclopedia
Henry Young Darracott Scott RE (1822–1883) was an English Major-General in the Corps of Royal Engineers, best known for the construction of London's Royal Albert Hall
.
, Devon
, and was born there on 2 January 1822. Educated privately and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, he obtained a commission as second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 18 December 1840. After going through the usual course of professional instruction at Chatham he was stationed at Woolwich and Plymouth in succession. Promoted to be first lieutenant on 19 December 1843, he went to Gibraltar
in January 1844, where he was acting adjutant of his corps. While at Gibraltar he accompanied Arthur Penrhyn Stanley
and his two sisters on a tour in Spain. In 1848 he returned to England, and was appointed assistant instructor in field works at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He was promoted to be second captain on 11 November 1851, in which year he married. He was in the same year appointed senior instructor in field works at the Royal Military Academy.
On 1 April 1855 Scott was promoted to be first captain, and was appointed instructor in surveying at the Royal Engineer establishment at Brompton, Chatham, where he was the close adviser of the commandant, Colonel Henry Drury Harness, in the reorganisation of this army school. At Chatham he had charge of the chemical laboratory, and his experiments enabled him to perfect the selenitic lime which goes by his name. His system of representing ground by horizontal hachures and a scale of shade was perfected at Chatham, and adopted for the army as the basis of military sketching. During his residence at Brompton, Kent
, a drought occurred, and he assisted in establishing a waterworks in the Luton valley.
On 19 May 1863 Scott was promoted to be brevet major, and on 5 December of the same year to be regimental lieutenant-colonel. On 14 December 1865 he was seconded in his corps, and employed under the commission of the Great Exhibition of 1851 at South Kensington, in the place of Captain Francis Fowke
. He gained the confidence of the commissioners, and on the retirement of Sir Henry Cole was appointed secretary to the commission.
The major work by which Scott is remembered was the construction of the Royal Albert Hall at Kensington
, with the design and execution of which he was entrusted in 1866. The design of the roof was unique, and there were many predictions that it would fail. Scott, however, never hesitated. When the time arrived, in 1870, for removing the scaffolding which supported the roof, Scott sent every one out of the building, and himself knocked away the final support. The acoustics were a problem. At first there was a decided echo with wind instruments, but the introduction of a ‘velarium
’ below the true roof cured the defect. On 20 May 1871 Scott was made a Companion of the Bath (civil division).
On 7 June 1871 Scott was promoted to be brevet colonel, and on 19 August of the same year he retired from the army as an honorary major-general, but continued in his civil appointment at South Kensington. On 3 February 1874 he became an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers
; on 3 June 1875 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and the same year a member of a select Russian scientific society, on which occasion the tsar presented him with a snuff-box set with diamonds.
Scott was for some years examiner in military topography under the military education department. He was awarded medals for service rendered to the Great Exhibition of London in 1862, the Prussian Exhibition of 1865, the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, the annual London International Exhibition of fine arts, industries, and inventions, the Dutch Exhibition of 1877, and the Paris International Exhibition of 1878. He received in 1880 a silver medal from the Society of Arts for a paper entitled ‘Suggestions for dealing with the Sewerage of London,’ and the Telford premium for a paper he contributed in the same year, in conjunction with G. R. Redgrave, to the Institution of Civil Engineers, on the ‘Manufacture and Testing of Portland Cement.’ He had prepared the plans for the completion of the South Kensington Museum, when, in 1882, the treasury, as an economy, abolished his appointment as secretary of the Great Exhibition commissioners. This abrupt termination helped to break down his health. He designed the buildings for the Fisheries Exhibition, but was too ill to attend the opening. He died at his residence, Silverdale, Sydenham
, on 16 April 1883, and was buried at Highgate
.
's service. She survived him with fifteen children.
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
.
Life
The fourth son of Edward Scott of PlymouthPlymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, and was born there on 2 January 1822. Educated privately and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, he obtained a commission as second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 18 December 1840. After going through the usual course of professional instruction at Chatham he was stationed at Woolwich and Plymouth in succession. Promoted to be first lieutenant on 19 December 1843, he went to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in January 1844, where he was acting adjutant of his corps. While at Gibraltar he accompanied Arthur Penrhyn Stanley
Arthur Penrhyn Stanley
Arthur Penrhyn Stanley was an English churchman, Dean of Westminster, known as Dean Stanley. His position was that of a Broad Churchman and he was the author of works on Church History.-Life and times:...
and his two sisters on a tour in Spain. In 1848 he returned to England, and was appointed assistant instructor in field works at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He was promoted to be second captain on 11 November 1851, in which year he married. He was in the same year appointed senior instructor in field works at the Royal Military Academy.
On 1 April 1855 Scott was promoted to be first captain, and was appointed instructor in surveying at the Royal Engineer establishment at Brompton, Chatham, where he was the close adviser of the commandant, Colonel Henry Drury Harness, in the reorganisation of this army school. At Chatham he had charge of the chemical laboratory, and his experiments enabled him to perfect the selenitic lime which goes by his name. His system of representing ground by horizontal hachures and a scale of shade was perfected at Chatham, and adopted for the army as the basis of military sketching. During his residence at Brompton, Kent
Brompton, Kent
Brompton is an ancient village near Chatham, in Medway, England. Its name means 'a farmstead where broom grows´. Today Brompton is a small residential area between Chatham Dockyard and Gillingham....
, a drought occurred, and he assisted in establishing a waterworks in the Luton valley.
On 19 May 1863 Scott was promoted to be brevet major, and on 5 December of the same year to be regimental lieutenant-colonel. On 14 December 1865 he was seconded in his corps, and employed under the commission of the Great Exhibition of 1851 at South Kensington, in the place of Captain Francis Fowke
Francis Fowke
Francis Fowke RE was a British engineer and architect, and a Captain in the Corps of Royal Engineers. Most of his architectural work was executed in the Renaissance style, although he made use of relatively new technologies to create iron framed buildings, with large open galleries and...
. He gained the confidence of the commissioners, and on the retirement of Sir Henry Cole was appointed secretary to the commission.
The major work by which Scott is remembered was the construction of the Royal Albert Hall at Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, with the design and execution of which he was entrusted in 1866. The design of the roof was unique, and there were many predictions that it would fail. Scott, however, never hesitated. When the time arrived, in 1870, for removing the scaffolding which supported the roof, Scott sent every one out of the building, and himself knocked away the final support. The acoustics were a problem. At first there was a decided echo with wind instruments, but the introduction of a ‘velarium
Velarium
A Velarium was a type of awning used in Roman times. It stretched over the whole of the cavea in the Colosseum to protect spectators from the elements...
’ below the true roof cured the defect. On 20 May 1871 Scott was made a Companion of the Bath (civil division).
On 7 June 1871 Scott was promoted to be brevet colonel, and on 19 August of the same year he retired from the army as an honorary major-general, but continued in his civil appointment at South Kensington. On 3 February 1874 he became an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
; on 3 June 1875 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and the same year a member of a select Russian scientific society, on which occasion the tsar presented him with a snuff-box set with diamonds.
Scott was for some years examiner in military topography under the military education department. He was awarded medals for service rendered to the Great Exhibition of London in 1862, the Prussian Exhibition of 1865, the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, the annual London International Exhibition of fine arts, industries, and inventions, the Dutch Exhibition of 1877, and the Paris International Exhibition of 1878. He received in 1880 a silver medal from the Society of Arts for a paper entitled ‘Suggestions for dealing with the Sewerage of London,’ and the Telford premium for a paper he contributed in the same year, in conjunction with G. R. Redgrave, to the Institution of Civil Engineers, on the ‘Manufacture and Testing of Portland Cement.’ He had prepared the plans for the completion of the South Kensington Museum, when, in 1882, the treasury, as an economy, abolished his appointment as secretary of the Great Exhibition commissioners. This abrupt termination helped to break down his health. He designed the buildings for the Fisheries Exhibition, but was too ill to attend the opening. He died at his residence, Silverdale, Sydenham
Sydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
, on 16 April 1883, and was buried at Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
.
Works
Scott's life was devoted to public service, and he failed to secure for himself any benefit from his inventions. He contributed to the ‘Transactions of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (1857 and 1872) and to the ‘Professional Papers of the Corps of Royal Engineers’ (new ser. vols. vi, vii, x, xi, xii, xvii, xx) papers chiefly dealing with his discovery of his new cement and the construction of the Albert Hall.Family
Scott married, on 19 June 1851, at Woolwich, Ellen Selina, youngest daughter of Major-General Bowes of the East India CompanyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's service. She survived him with fifteen children.