Douglas Galton facts for kids

Sir Douglas Strutt Galton (born July 2, 1822 – died March 18, 1899) was an important British engineer. He became a captain in the Royal Engineers and worked for the government in the Railway Department. He also helped improve hospitals and public buildings.

Early Life and Learning

Douglas Galton was born in Spring Hill, near Birmingham, England. His father was John Howard Galton, and his mother was Isabelle Strutt. Isabelle's father, Joseph Strutt, was once the mayor of Derby. Douglas was also a cousin of the famous scientist Francis Galton.

He went to school in Birmingham and Geneva. Later, he studied at Rugby School under a well-known headmaster, Thomas Arnold. Douglas then graduated with high marks from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. In 1840, he officially joined the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant.

A Career of Public Service

Douglas Galton became a captain in the Royal Engineers. He also worked as the Secretary for the Railway Department at the Board of Trade. This meant he helped manage railways in Britain.

Working with Florence Nightingale

Galton worked very closely with Florence Nightingale, the famous nurse. They spent many years making hospitals and army barracks safer and healthier. Florence Nightingale helped him get a job at the War Office in 1862. He admired her work greatly.

They both believed in a new way of building hospitals called the "pavilion" style. This design made Britain a world leader in hospital safety. Florence Nightingale focused on using materials that would stop diseases from spreading. Galton then found the best examples of these materials to recommend.

Designing the Herbert Hospital

Galton designed the Royal Herbert Hospital in Woolwich. This hospital became a model for military hospitals around the world. Architects, engineers, and hospital reformers came to see its safe design. Today, it is a historic building, changed into luxury apartments.

Many letters between Galton and Nightingale still exist. They show how closely they worked together until his death in 1899.

Other Important Roles

In 1866, Galton was part of the Royal Commission on Railways. This group made recommendations about how railways should be run. He also joined the Cubic Space Committee in 1866. This committee suggested ways to improve workhouse infirmaries, which were like hospitals for the poor.

Later, he was a member of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. This board managed new hospitals that replaced the old workhouse infirmaries. During the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War, he helped the National Aid Society. This group sent doctors and supplies to help those affected by the war.

In 1891, he led the organizing committee for a big meeting in London. It was the 7th International Congress of Hygiene and Demography. In 1895, he was chosen to be the president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

Family Life

On August 26, 1851, Douglas Galton married Marianne Nicholson. She was a cousin of Florence Nightingale. They had two daughters.

Their younger daughter, Evelyne Isabella, married Count Camillo Fenzi. Sadly, he died young. In 1898, she married again to Leonard D. Cunliffe. He was a London financier and a major investor in the Harrods department stores.

Their older daughter was Laura Gwendolyne. She was born around 1860 and lived until 1949. She married Colonel Frederick Richard Trench Gascoigne in 1892.

Douglas and Marianne also had a son, Herbert Nightingale Douglas, born in 1861. He was named after Sidney Herbert and Florence Nightingale, who was his godmother. Sadly, the baby died the following year.

Awards and Recognition

Douglas Galton received many honors for his work. In 1859, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very prestigious group of scientists. He was also made an officer of the Légion d'honneur from France. In 1889, he became a knight of the order of Knights of St John of Jerusalem. He also received the Turkish order of the Mejidiye.

Several universities gave him honorary degrees. Oxford University gave him an honorary DCL in 1875. Both Durham and Montreal universities gave him honorary LLD degrees.

He was a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. In 1894, the Institution of Civil Engineers made him an honorary member. In 1887, Queen Victoria made him a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. This was a very high honor.

A church in Warwickshire, near his country home, remembers him. A window there was restored in his memory in 1901.

His Published Works

Douglas Galton wrote several important books and reports about his work. These books shared his ideas on building healthy places.

• Report to the Right Hon the Earl de Grey and Ripon, Secretary of State for War, Descriptive of the Herbert Hospital at Woolwich. (1865)
• An Address on the General Principles which should be observed in the Construction of Hospitals. (1869)
• Observations on the Construction of Healthy Dwellings, namely, Houses, Hospitals, Barracks, Asylums, etc. (1880)
• Healthy Hospitals: Observations on Some Points connected with Hospital Construction. (1893)