Brownlie, Thomas Archibald Miller, 1879-1963, civil engineer, agricultural engineer, Principal of Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute

Person

Brownlie, Thomas Archibald Miller, 1879-1963, civil engineer, agricultural engineer, Principal of Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute

1879-1963

T. A. Miller Brownlie was born in June 1879 and educated at Lenzie Academy and the High School of Glasgow. In session 1895-1896, aged 16, he enrolled as a part-time student at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College (GWSTC). He was then living at his family home, Springbank Villa, in Lenzie and his occupation is recorded in the GWSTC student register as 'timber merchant'. Brownlie continued to study part-time at the GWSTC until session 1897-1898, when his occupation appears in the register as 'civil engineer'. He also took classes at the University of Glasgow. After completing a civil engineering apprenticeship with Messrs. Warren and Stuart of Glasgow, he remained with the firm for four years as an Assistant, working on schemes for water supply, sewerage and sewage disposal. In 1905 he left Scotland for Punjab, India, where he joined the Public Works Department and was initially engaged on water supplies projects with the Royal Engineers in the North West Frontier Province, followed by work for the Irrigation Department there. In 1910, he was appointed Municipal Engineer of Amritsar in Northern India, where he installed a sewerage and sewage disposal system and the first municipal electrification scheme in Northern India. In 1915 he became Agricultural Engineer to the Government in Punjab, and Professor of Agricultural Engineering at the Pubjab Agricultural College, Lyallpur, where he invented many improvements and innovations to tube wells and agricultural machines. In 1931, during a period of leave in Scotland at 'Pembroke', Kirn, Argyllshire, he completed a specification for improvements in the construction of winnowing or grain cleaning machines that would ensure against loss of crop due to failure of natural wind at the harvesting season. Brownlie obtained Letters Patent for this invention in Calcutta. In 1923, Brownlie was appointed Principal of the Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, remaining in post until his promotion to Superintending Engineer in 1931. He was a Member of the Institution of Water Engineers (MIWE) and a Member of the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers (MIM&CE). He retired from professional life in 1934.

Glasgow, Scotland; Punjab, India

GB 249

ISAAR(CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families, International Council on Archives (2nd edition, 2003); Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names, National Council on Archives (1997).

Created by Anne Cameron, 10 January 2019.

[J. Guleri], 'Mr. T. A. Miller Brownlie, C.E., M.I.W.E., M.I.M. & C.E. (Retired)', in The Punjab Agricultural College Magazine, vol.1, no.7 (April 1934), pp.259-263.