Sir William Arrol

Engineer, born in Houston, Renfrewshire, W Scotland, UK. He studied at night school, and started his own engineering business at the age of 29. His firm constructed the second Tay Railway Bridge (1882–7), the Forth Railway Bridge (1883–90), and Tower Bridge in London (1886–94). He was also an MP (1892–1906).

William Arrol (1839 - 1913) was a Scottish civil engineer and bridge builder. In 1863 he joined a company of bridge manufacturers in Glasgow, but by 1872 had established his own business, the Dalmarnock Iron Works, in the east end of the city.

In 1878, he secured the contract for the Caledonian Railway Bridge over the Clyde, and In 1882 he was awarded the reconstruction contract for the Tay Rail Bridge, which had collapsed in 1879. His company went on to construct the Forth Rail Bridge which was completed in 1890. At the time, the Tay and Forth bridges were the largest of their type in the world. Other notable bridges followed, including: Tower Bridge in London, completed in 1894, the Nile Bridge in Egypt and the Hawkesbury Bridge in Australia.

Arrol was knighted in 1890, and elected as the Liberal MP for South Ayrshire in 1892, serving the constituency until 1906.

His company was contracted by Harland and Wolff Shipyard, Belfast, to construct a large Gantry (known as the Arrol Gantry) for the construction of three new super-liners, one of which was called 'Titanic'.