Geoffrey Morse Binnie, 13 November 1908 - 5 April 1989

Abstract

Geoffrey Morse Binnie was born on 13 November 1908, the youngest of three brothers. His father, William James Eames Binnie, and grandfather (Sir) Alexander Richardson Binnie, were both distinguished engineers who came together to found the firm of consulting engineers, Binnie and Partners, in 1902. Geoffrey’s great-grandfather, Alexander (1801-1870), a Bond Street tailor, was also grandfather of Alfred Maurice Binnie, F. R. S. (1901-1987). Geoffrey Binnie’s father and grandfather served as President of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1939 and 1905 respectively. Partly, no doubt, because of pride in these distinguished immediate forebears, Geoffrey spoke often of his perception of family as a continuum stretching across the generations. He wore a ring with the family crest that was a royal award to a remote ancestor, a Scottish yeoman farmer who captured a key fortress from the English in the Wars of Independence. He made time, in a busy life, to research the fates of some of his kin in the intervening centuries. And he rejoiced at having himself lived to see his own grandchildren embarked upon their chosen careers.