Discover

Robert Bald (1776 – 1861) was a surveyor and mining engineer. Born in Culross, Scotland. Bald was one of the earliest and most eminent mining engineers and land surveyors in Scotland.
The son of Alexander Bald (1753 - 1823), colliery agent of Alloa. His brother was Alexander Bald, poet and friend of James Hogg.
'His life'
----
As a young man Bald helped Thomas Telford (1757 - 1834) survey the Gotha Canal from Lake Malaren (Stockholm) to the lakes of Vaner and Vettir in central Sweden.
Between 1808 and 1825, Bald published reports (NAS ref. CB27) on the mineral deposits, workings, buildings and drainage at collieries across Scotland. One of Bald’s earliest publications was ''A General View of the Coal Trade in Scotland'' (1808). Bald worked with his cousin, William Bald (1789 - 1857) the civil engineer and cartographer, between 1829 and 1833 to produce a geological map for Scotland on behalf of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.
For much of his life, Bald was employed by the Earl of Mar to manage collieries in Alloa. Together they condemned the practice of employing women and girls underground in the coal mines. 'In 1822 I tried to stop the employment of women and children as coal bearers, but the women had no other work so there was a great deal of hardship.' Together they started Friendly Societies to offer miners the opportunity to save money, they gave a small pension to retired miners, and set up a court system where miners could deal with their problems and settle differences between themselves.
Bald acted as a mentor for the teenaged James Nasmyth, engineer and inventor of the steam hammer, introducing him to noted engineers and taking him on trips to engineering sites. Nasmyth mentions Bald in his autobiography:
“His sound judgment and long practical experience in regard to coal-mining and the various machinery connected with it, rendered him a man of great importance in the northern counties, where his advice was eagerly sought for. Besides his special knowledge, he had a large acquaintance with literature and science. He was bright, lively, and energetic. He was a living record of good stories, and in every circle in which he moved he was the focus of cheerfulness. In fact, there was no greater social favourite in Edinburgh than Robert Bald.”
Later in his life, Bald went into partnership with John Geddes as consulting engineers in Edinburgh.
'Bibliography'
----
'An Enterprising Family: The Balds of Alloa', by Isabel Grant Stewart

James Nasmyth: Engineer, An Autobiography

The Emergence of the Professional Manager in the Scottish Coal Industry, 1760-1815, Baron F. Duckham. The Business History Review, Vol. 43, No. 1 (Spring, 1969), pp. 21-38

Contents

External links

External links

★ The Institution of Engineering and Technology - Famous Scottish Technologists and Scientists