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James Rennie Barnett

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James Rennie Barnett
Born6 September 1864
Johnstone
Died13 January 1965 (1965-01-14) (aged 100)
Glasgow
NationalityBritish
OccupationArchitect
PracticeG.L. Watson & Co.

James Rennie Barnett OBE (6 September 1864 – 13 January 1965) was a Scottish naval architect.[1]

Early life

Barnett was born in Johnstone, son of Janet Barnett and James Barnett, a bookkeeper.[1]

Career

At age 16, Barnett became an apprentice in the drawing office of G.L. Watson & Co. and remained for seven years.[2] During this time, Barnett completed a degree in Naval Architecture at the University of Glasgow.[3] Barnett received 1st prize in the Buoyancy and Stability of Ships Class. In 1896, he received the South Kensington 1st Class Honours Certificate and Medal for Naval Architecture. In 1888, Barnett joined William Doxford & Sons as a Draughtsman, leaving in 1889 to return to G.L. Watson & Co. as Chief Draughtsman.[2] Barnett succeeded George Lennox Watson as Managing Partner of G.L. Watson & Co. in 1904 and retired in 1954 after more than 50 years of service.[4] During his time at the firm, Barnett designed over 400 yachts, lifeboats and commercial vessels including:

Lifeboat design

Barnett succeeded Watson as Consulting Naval Architect to the RNLI in 1904 and held the position until 1947. Barnett brought about many changes in lifeboat design including increased efficiency and better operational stability. Notably, he developed the world’s first self-righting lifeboat and the Barnett-class lifeboat. His book, Modern Motor Lifeboats is considered to be the standard work on the subject.[5]

Honours

Legacy

Barnett died in 1965 at age 100.[8]

Selected works

Books

  • Modern Motor Lifeboats, Blackie & Son Ltd, 1933.

Articles

  • ‘Typical Forms of Racing Yachts’, Transactions of the Institute of Engineers & Shipbuilders, 1900.
  • ‘Steam Yachts: some comparisons’, Transactions of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, 1906.
  • ‘Motor Lifeboats of the RNLI’, Transactions of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, 1910.
  • ‘Recent Developments in Motor Lifeboats’, Transactions of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, 1922.
  • ‘Motor Yachts’, Transactions of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders, 1931.

References

  1. ^ a b James Rennie Barnett, Birth and Death Certificates, General Register Office for Scotland.
  2. ^ a b RINA Membership Application, RINA Archives.
  3. ^ University of Glasgow Matriculation Slip, University of Glasgow Archives.
  4. ^ Yachting World, 23 March 1905.
  5. ^ L. Daylan and I. McNeil, Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology Routledge, 2002
  6. ^ OBE Citation, Supplement to The London Gazette, 4 January 1918.
  7. ^ "R.N.L.I. Naval Architect: Gold Badge for Glasgow Man" The Scotsman, 2 July 1947.
  8. ^ ‘James Rennie Barnett Obituary’, Transactions of Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders, 1965.

Bibliography

  • Daylan, L and McNeil, I. (2002). Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology. Routledge.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Fry, E.C. (1975). Life-boat Design & Development. David & Charles Press.
  • Barnett, J.R. (1933). Modern Motor Lifeboats. Blackie & Son Ltd.


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