Background
He was born the son of Robert Dundas Cay, an Edinburgh lawyer, and Isabella Dyce. In 1844 the family moved to Hong Kong following his father’s appointment as Registrar to the Supreme Court of that city.
He was born the son of Robert Dundas Cay, an Edinburgh lawyer, and Isabella Dyce. In 1844 the family moved to Hong Kong following his father’s appointment as Registrar to the Supreme Court of that city.
He was responsible for the majority of late 19th century works to Aberdeen harbour. His mother died as the result of injuries from a carriage accident in 1852 and is buried in the Happy Valley Cemetery in Victoria, Hong Kong. He then moved to Belfast to serve as an apprentice engineer under Lord Kelvin’s brother, James Thomson.
On completion of his training in 1858 he began to specialise in harbour design, and spent the bulk of his working life improving Aberdeen’s docks and harbours.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1882. In 1890 he obtained a house on Blackford Road in Edinburgh.
He died at Folkstone, Kent on 13 December 1925.