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FITT, John Edward

Born: 1864
Died: 1945 10 11

Engineer / Architect


Year registered: 1927

Born in Middlesex, UK, son of James RR Fitt and his wife Elizabeth. Trained as a civil engineer by means of an apprenticeship and became an associate member of the (British) Institution of Civil Engineers. Following his arrival in South Africa he was an assistant engineer in the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS of the CAPE COLONY from January 1897 to 1903, after which he became a partner of Robert Cochrane in the firm Cochrane & Fitt of Cape Town. The firm was declared insolvent in 1905.

Fitt joined the South African Association for the Advancement of Science in 1902 as a foundation member. Fitt also joined the Cape Society of Civil Engineers in 1903, the year it was founded, and remained a member when it changed its name to the South African Society of Civil Engineers in 1909.

During 1906-1907 Fitt was town engineer of Standerton, in the Transvaal Colony. Later in his career, during 1926-1928, he planned a power station, electric light scheme and additional water supply for Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape.

Was living in Bloemfontein by 1921 and present at the first of the South African Architectural Congress, which was held in that year. In 1932 he moved from the Orange Free State to Germiston where he died, having been resident at 13 Eton Rd, Primrose, Germiston.

He was survived by his wife Annie Jane, born Hodson (whom he had married in Buenos Aires), and two daughters.

ISAA 1927; AMICE. (Building Sep 1921:486; ISAA mem list: SAAR Apr 1933:93; TAD MHG 5853/45)

All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.

Books citing FITT

ISAA. 1927. Register of Members the Institute of South African Architects. Johannesburg: ISAA (Unpublished Record). pp F6

S2A3 (Plug, C - Project Leader and main compiler). 2002-. S2A3 biographical database of southern African science. Webspace: WWW. pp Accessed 2016 01 13