MCCREA, JOHN BENJAMIN

Engineer. John Benjamin McCrea's career is described in his obituary in Min.Proc.Inst.CE 122 (1894-95), 398, which see for details of work carried out by him outside Ireland. He was born on 28 September 1833 and served a five-year pupilage with the contractors, McCormick, Greene & King, of ?, who subsequently placed him in charge of various construction projects, including the following works in Ireland: the Londonderry & Enniskillen Railway, the Newbliss to Enniskillen section of the North Western Railway, the Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast line, the Dublin & Antrim Junction Railway and the Dublin Waterworks. In 1868 he joined the staff of Thomas Monk & Co., of Liverpool. By this company he was placed in charge of the construction of the Belfast District Sewerage Works of 1872-77, which included special contracts for the Antrim Road and Windsor district sewers.

McCrea retired in 1888. Two years later he settled in Belfast, where he remained until his death on 27 March 1895. His obituarist describes him as an 'able and reliable' engineer, 'distinguished by the honesty, faithfulness and uprightness of his character'.

Inst.CE: elected associate member, 15 May 1888.