James Meadows Rendel (engineer) - Legacy

Legacy

Rendel was a man of great energy, and implicit confidence was felt in his efficiency, tact, and honesty. His greatest enterprises were the construction of the harbours at Holyhead and Portland works, which go some way to justify the linking of his name with Smeaton, Rennie, and Telford.

Rendel contributed several valuable papers to the 'Proceedings' of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He married Catherine Jane Harris, who died on 18 July 1884, aged 87. His third son, Stuart Rendel, at one time managing partner in London of Sir William Armstrong's engineering firm, was M.P. for Montgomeryshire from 1880–94, and was raised to the peerage as Lord Rendel in 1895. Other children include:

• Sir Alexander Meadows Rendel (1829–1918) – civil engineer
• George Wightwick Rendel (1833–1902) – civil engineer
• Emily Frances Rendel (1836–1897) married Charles Bowen, 1st Baron Bowen in 1862.
• Emily Catherine Rendel (1840–1921) married Clement Francis Wedgwood in 1866
• Hamilton Rendel (1843–1902)

A nephew, James Murray Dobson, became resident engineer of the Buenos Aires harbour works in the 1880s and 1890s. The firm he started became a partnership called Rendel Palmer & Tritton in the early 20th century and trades today as High-Point Rendel Limited.