Born at Ottawa June 21, 1870. He received his training on the staff of the Engineer of the Central Division of the North Eastern Railway with which he remained until 1898, when, with a view to gaining further experience, he accepted an appointment on the staff of Sir John Wolfe Barry & Partners, where he was engaged on large Dock extensions. In 1901 he joined the staff of Messrs. A.J.Barry & Leslie as Chief Assistant, where among other works he was engaged on the design of an extension to Charing Cross Station with a new bridge over the Thames. In 1909 he went to China as Divisional Engineer on the Hangchow Mingpo Railway. In 1914 he received an appointment in the P.N. Department of the Gold Coast, which however was terminated in 1915 owing to the War. In 1916, after working for a time in the Works Department of the Admiralty he received an appointment as Senior Stores Officer under the Ministry of Munitions his name appearing in the New Year's Honours List 1918, as M.B.E. with which he was invested by H.M. King George V on the 27th February, 1918. After the war he received in 1919 an appointment of Executive Engineer Grade I in the Public Works Department, Nigeria, retiring in 1926.

He married on 1st June, 1899, at St. Cuthbert's Church, Darlington, Georgie Isabel, eldest daughter of George Young Wall, local deputy Steward of the Manors to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and their children were George John Lidderdale Forrest and Robert Lidderdale Forrest.

Reprinted from: Lidderdale, Robert Halliday, An Account of the Lowland Scots Family of Lidderdale, 1950 unpublished manuscript.

Extracts from P.H. McKerlie, History of the Lands and Their Owners in Galloway, 1878 (http://www.old-kirkcudbright.net/owners/mckerlie.htm).

William Robertson Lidderdale succeeded to the representation of the family at the death of his father at Castlemilk, in August 1777. He succeeded to Castlemilk, and became a captain in the Scots Greys in 1775, which regiment he joined as a coronet. He sold the property. He married Julia Rae in 1789, and had issue, of whom survived,

    David, died unmarried in 1860.
    Robertson, died unmarried in 1840.
    Julia, married, in 1822, John Forrest of Long Meadow, Annan. She died in 1834, leaving issue,
        John James [Forrest], died young.
        William John [Forrest], born in 1828, of Long Meadow. He married, and had issue. He died in 1873.
            William Robertson Lidderdale [Forrest], born in 1870.
            Julia Isabel [Forrest].
         Andrew Turnbull [Forrest], born 1830. He married, and has issue,
            John Andrew [Forrest], born in 1870.
            Julia Margaret [Forrest].
    Margaret, died 1868, buried at Gata.
    Elizabeth, died 1827.
    Eleanora, died 1824.
    Jane, died 1831.