Alfred Walker Empson
Alfred Walker Empson (1881-1943)
1881 Born in York
1896 Apprenticed with J. Bagshaw and Sons, of Batley
1897-1900 With A. J. Beaumont and Sons, of York.
1900 Joined Dewsbury Corporation.
1901-2 At Yorkshire College in Leeds; studied electrical engineering in the evenings.
1909 Became an associate member of the Inst of Elec Engineers.
1909 Worked at the Bow Works of Charing Cross, West End and City Electricity Supply Co; became an associate member of the I Mech E.[1]
1915 Arrived in New Orleans from Mexico[2]
WWI Served as a Sergeant in the Machine Gun Corps and then as a Captain in the RAF[3]
1923 Business address: 39 Victoria St., London SW1; residence: Burton Rd, London NW6.[4] - Empson Electrical Engineering Co Ltd
1926 Gave up the management of Empson Centrifugals Ltd.
1927 Resigned his directorship of Empson Centrifugals. His address was 46, Christchurch-avenue, N.W.6.[5]
1927 Business address: 47 Victoria St., London SW1; residence: Christchurch Avenue, London NW6.[6]
1943 of York, died in Lewisham[7]
1944 Obituary [8]
Captain ALFRED WALKER EMPSON, during the earlier portion of his professional career was associated with electrical engineering but of recent years he had been engaged on research in connection with the clarification of oils, on which subject he was an authority with numerous patents and inventions to his credit.
He was born in 1881 and after serving his apprenticeship with Messrs. J. Bagshaw and Sons, of Batley and, later, with Messrs. A. J. Beaumont and Sons, of Batley, became mains assistant and subsequently shift engineer at the electricity works of the Dewsbury Corporation. From 1902 he occupied the latter position in the electricity department of Maidstone Borough Council, being, later, made station superintendent. After holding short appointments as engineer-in-charge of the Mexican Gas and Electric Light Company and the Cleveland and Durham County Electric Power Company, he was appointed engineer-in-charge at the Bow works of the Charing Cross, West End and City Electric Supply Company.
He then went to India on his appointment as general manager and engineer of the Cast Iron Brazing Syndicate, Calcutta. After holding this position for a brief period he was appointed resident engineer to the Campania de Electricidad de Merida, Mexico, but resigned in 1914 in order to join H.M. Forces. He served in the Machine Gun Corps and subsequently in the Royal Air Force, being granted a commission and placed in charge of engine repair shops. On demoblization with the rank of captain he went into business on his own account and was engaged on research and the development of inventions.
During the present war he joined the staff of the Armaments Inspection Department at the Royal Arsenal as assistant inspector and held, this position until his death, which occurred on 21st April 1943. Captain Empson was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1910. He was also an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.