Obituary Notices. 
XVII 
James Leslie, Civil Engineer. 
(Read January 19, 1891.) 
Mr Leslie was born at Largo, Fifeshire, in 1801, and was the 
son of Alexander Leslie, Architect and Builder there. 
After receiving part of his education at the Parish Schools of 
Largo and Newburn, and afterwards at Mackay’s Academy, Edin- 
burgh, he attended the Edinburgh University for three years, his 
uncle, afterwards Sir John Leslie, being then Professor of Mathe- 
matics there. In 1818 he was apprenticed to Mr W. H. Playfair, 
the well-known architect, who was at that time engaged in the 
erection of the Edinburgh University buildings, and remained with 
him till 1824. Although Mr Leslie did not follow up the pro- 
fession of an architect, his early training in this line enabled him 
from time to time to furnish with acceptance designs for public 
buildings, the most important of which are the Custom House at 
Dundee and Wood’s Hospital at Largo. 
Mr Leslie early turned his attention to engineering, and in 1824 
he was taken into the office of Messrs G. & J. Bennie, Civil 
Engineers, London, with whom he remained about four years. 
During that time he was engaged at the building of London Bridge 
and also the bridge over the Serpentine in Hyde Park, and also with 
works in connection with Sheerness Docks, Plymouth Breakwater, 
the West India Docks, and other extensive and important works. 
In 1828 Mr Leslie was appointed by the Leith Dock and 
Harbour Commissioners Clerk of Works to carry out, under the 
direction of Mr Chapman, C.E., Newcastle, the extension of the 
East Pier of Leith, and he was subsequently employed by the Navy 
Board to superintend the construction of the West Breakwater there, 
also designed by Mr Chapman. 
In 1832 he was appointed Kesident Engineer for the Dundee 
Harbour Works, and almost simultaneously he was elected to a 
similar post at Sunderland, which of course he could not accept. He 
remained at Dundee till 1846, and while there, along with many 
other important works, he carried out the construction of the Earl 
Grey’s Dock from the designs of Mr John Gibb of Aberdeen. 
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