Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Engineer, of Cork. Osborne Cadwallader Edwards was born in 1822, the son of Anthony Edwards of Hop Island, Cork, one of the original proprietors of the Cork Constitution newspaper. He received his engineering training under RICHARD BEAMISH RICHARD BEAMISH , for whom he worked as assistant engineer from 1845 until 1850, being chiefly employed on the Gloucester & Dean Forest & South Wales railway. After the resignation of Beamish, Edwards was subsequently engaged by ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL  ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL as resident engineer on that line. In 1852 Edwards was chosen by Brunel to take charge of the Oxford & Birmingham Railway and in 1854 he was sent by Brunel to Ireland to work on the Cork & Youghal railway, of which he became engineer-in-chief in 1859 on Brunel's death. He was retained as consulting engineer after the line had been completed. He was also employed by the Duke of Devonshire on the Fermoy & Lismore railway. In addition to his railway work, he was for several years engineer to Beamish & Crawford's brewery in Cork. In 1875 he was involved in an unpleasant dispute between the governors of the Cork District Lunatic Asylum and WILLIAM ATKINS WILLIAM ATKINS , who had been commissioned to enlarge the asylum.(1) He died on 5 June 1876.

According to his obituarist in the Minutes and Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Edwards 'was a warm supporter of the Irish Church, and, after its disestablishment, never charged any fees for professional work in connection with it'.  He designed St Luke's Church of Ireland church in Cork city, where a large stained glass window was erected in his memory. He was also an 'ardent and zealous' Freemason, and was Provincial Grand Master of the masonic province of Munster at the time of his death.

Inst.CE: elected member, 4 April 1865.

See WORKS.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the obituary of Edwards in Min.Proc.ICE 48 (1876-77), 266.

(1) For details of this dispute, see IB 17, 15 May,15 Jun,15 Jul,15 Dec 1875, 140,159,198-9,351.


3 work entries listed in chronological order for EDWARDS, OSBORNE CADWALLADER


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Building: CO. CORK, CORK, WISE'S HILL, COAL DEPOT (CORK DISTILLERIES CO.)
Date: 1873
Nature: New.
Refs: IB 15, 15 Apr 1873, 109

Building: CO. CORK, CORK, NORTH MALL, DISTILLERY (CORK DISTILLERIES CO.)
Date: 1873
Nature: Extensive building work including re-roofing greater part. Builder: Barry McMullen.
Refs: IB 15, 15 Apr 1873, 109

Building: CO. CORK, DOUGLAS, CHURCH OF ST LUKE (CI)
Date: 1875a
Nature: New Gothic Revival cruciform church on site of old one. Begun early 1874. Consecrated 27 Aug 1875. Architect gave services free. Chancel erected at sole expense of Mrrs. J. & Hugh Pollock, of Douglas, in memory of their parents.  South transept erected mainly out of Bishop Gregg's munificent donation.  Contractor: Edward Fitzgerald, Youghal. Clerk of works: Mr Ryder. Cost about £1800.  (Later additions, including tower & spire, by W.H. Hill, 1885.)
Refs: IB 17, 1 Sep 1875, 248; Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette 17, no. 196, 21 Sep 1875, 214; 19, no. 218, 1 Jun 1877, 62;  exterior illus. in Claude Costegalde & Brian Walker, The Church of Ireland: an illustrated history (2013), 366.