William Douglass (engineer, born 1831)

William Douglass (1831 – 10 March 1923) was for twenty-six years an engineer for Trinity House and engineer-in-chief to the Commissioners of Irish Lights from 1878 to 1900. He built a number of offshore lighthouses and was responsible for the design of the Fastnet Rock lighthouse.

His father was Nicholas Douglass who in 1839 was engaged by Trinity House as a constructive engineer, rising in the course of time to be its superintending engineer. His two sons, James and Nicholas would accompany their father to his place of work from an early age.

William, born in London, was apprenticed to the engineering firm of Robert Stephenson & Co, Newcastle upon Tyne, and studied under George's son Robert.

In 1847 Mr Nicholas Douglass was selected by his employers, Trinity House, to erect the first lighthouse on the Bishop Rock. The first attempt, designed by the engineer-in-chief, James Walker, decided on a 120-foot-tall (37 m) comprised accommodation and a light on top of iron legs, but it was swept away in a storm in 1850. In the second attempt, James Walker changed to building a stone structure, starting in 1851. James Douglass had been his fathers assistant but desired to join a firm on the Tyne to gain additional experience, so in 1852, William was appointed in his stead and the lighthouse was completed in 1858 without loss of life.

In October 1859 William was appointed as resident engineer on a new project, Les Hanois Lighthouse on rocks off the south-west coast of Guernsey. The 118 ft (36 m) tower design by James Walker encompassed the basic design shape created by Robert Stevenson with amendments to incorporate suggestions by his father, Nicholas Douglass to make the stones lock together using, dovetail joints on the horizontal and vertical; the first time this method had been tried. It was noted that William commanded the "unbounded confidence" of his working parties, his "courage and resources being equal to every emergency". William proved to be an inspiring and inspired choice as the resident engineer. A grand stone laying ceremony took place on 14 August 1860 before a large crowd on local boats. The light was turned on in November 1862 with the tower commissioned in August 1863. The cost amounting to £25,296.

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