in 1875, rising to Senior Inspector of Railways in 1895. His work in this regard involved travelling the country to test and inspect new works on passenger railways to ensure their safety before they could be used, and also compiling reports on railway accidents - the accident at Thirsk in 1892 being a notable example. In describing this period of his life, his obituary in The Times of 24 April 1900, described him as "plain speaking, coupled with a complete mastery of his subject", making the point that the railway companies of the time knew that his office "was not likely to allow irregularities to remain long unnoticed". In 1899 he submitted a report on accidents on railway workers on which a new Act of Parliament concerning rail safety was based, and throughout the 1890s was responsible for a host of improvements in the working practices of Britain's railways. He helped develop London's new electrical lighting system and was knighted in 1897. He died aged 61 on 21 April 1900 at home at Hans Crescent, London S.W., and was buried on the family Scottish property at Craigflower, Torryburn, Dunfermline. References 1838 births 1900 deaths Association footballers not categorized by position British Army personnel of the Crimean War British railway inspectors English football referees English footballers FA Cup Final players FA Cup Final referees Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George People educated at Eton College People from Weymouth, Dorset Presidents of the Football Association Royal Engineers A.F.C. players Royal Engineers officers 19th-century British businesspeople Engineer and Railway Staff Corps officers