James Leslie

James Leslie FRSE (25 September 1801–29 December 1889) was a Scottish civil engineer specialising in docks, harbours bridges and reservoirs, largely on the east coast of Scotland. He was also an amateur meteorologist. Life He was born in Largo, Fife on 25 September 1801 the son of Archibald Leslie, an architect-builder, and attended school both in Largo and nearby in Newburn. He was then sent to Benjamin Mackay’s Latin Academy in Edinburgh and from there to the University of Edinburgh to study maths and physics under his uncle, Professor John Leslie. In 1818 he was articled to William Henry Playfair as an architect, but in 1824 he left this position to pursue engineering. He obtained a place with James Rennie working in the London Docks and on the London Bridge project. In 1828 he returned to Edinburgh to take a job as Resident Engineer in Leith Docks. In 1830 he lived at 19 Constitution Street in Leith, located close to the main east entrance to the docks (fragments of the house remain). In 1832 he moved to be Resident Engineer of Dundee Harbour. He was assisted in Dundee by Charles Ower.