Francis Spring

Francis Joseph Edward Spring

Portrait of Francis Spring
Born January 20, 1849(1849-01-20)
Magourney,
County Cork,
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Died August 25, 1933(1933-08-25) (aged 84)
Saint Aubin, Jersey,
United Kingdom
Occupation civil engineer

Sir Francis Joseph Edward Spring KCIE (b. January 20, 1849 – d. August 25, 1933) was a British civil engineer who played a pioneering role in development of the Indian Railways. He also served as Chairman of the Madras Port Trust from 1904 to 1920. However, Spring is largely remembered today for championing the cause of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Contents

Early life and education

Spring was born in Magourney, County Cork, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on January 20, 1849[1] to Rev. Edward Spring and his wife Matilda.[2]He was a descendant of the Spring Baronets and a relation of Baron Monteagle of Brandon.

Spring was educated at Midleton College and Trinity College, Dublin.[3] and entered the Indian engineering service in 1870.[2]

Career

Spring served as Consulting Engineer to the Government of India and played a pivotal role in the development of railways in East India.[2] He is credited with the construction of an acclaimed railway bridge across the Godavari River.[4]

Upon retirement from the civil service in 1904, Spring was appointed Chairman of the Madras Port Trust and served till 1920.[2]

Death

Spring died at Saint Aubin, Jersey on August 25, 1933 at the age of 84.[5][1]

Honours

For his accomplishments, Spring was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1894[6] and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1911.[2] He was a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, Institute of Mechanical Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers.[6] Spring was also the first person in Madras city to own a registered automobile.[7]

A tug boat operating in Madras harbour is named Sir Francis Spring, as is the main road leading to the port.

Mentorship of Ramanujan

Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan worked as a Grade III Class IV clerk from 1912 to 1914 at the Madras Port Trust under Spring's chairmanship. Ramaujan's mathematical talents were espoused to Francis Spring by his chief accountant S. Narayana Iyer. Soon, Spring developed an interest in him and lobbied for government support and sponsorship of his research studies in England.

References

  1. ^ a b "Civil Engineer Obituaries - S". New Zealand Society of Genealogists-Hamilton Branch. http://www.nzsghamilton.co.nz/obits-v.htm. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Bruce C. Berndt, Robert Alexander Rankin (1995). Ramanujan: letters and commentary. American Mathematical Society. p. 13. ISBN 0821804707, ISBN 9780821804704. 
  3. ^ http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/edward-walford/the-county-families-of-the-united-kingdom-or-royal-manual-of-the-titled-and-un-fla/page-336-the-county-families-of-the-united-kingdom-or-royal-manual-of-the-titled-and-un-fla.shtml
  4. ^ Robert Kanigel (1991). The Man Who Knew Infinity: a Life of the Genius Ramanujan. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 95. ISBN 0-684-19259-4. 
  5. ^ Journal - Society of Engineers. Society of Engineers. 1933. p. 99. 
  6. ^ a b Douglas Brooke, Wheelton Sladen (1908). Who's who, Volume 60. A. C. Black. p. 1725. 
  7. ^ "City from the sea". The Times of India (Chennai: The Times Group). 5 September 2011. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/City-from-the-sea/articleshow/9865209.cms. Retrieved 24-Nov-2011.