Charles Henry Yeaman (1869-1941)
1941 Obituary [1]
CHARLES HENRY YEAMAN, who died on the 1st December, 1940, will be remembered as one of the pioneers of electricity supply.
He was born at Glasgow in 1869, the son of a doctor, and was educated at Morrison's Academy, Crieff. He matriculated at Glasgow University, intending to take up medicine, but went over to the science side and took the Electrical Engineering Diploma of the Glasgow Technical College with double honours.
Afterwards he was in the works of James White and also of Anderson and Munro, Glasgow.
In the summer of 1888 he took charge of the works of the Ward Electrical Car Co., in Soho, and amongst other experiences had to appear at Bow Street for assisting in driving "a mechanically propelled vehicle along Regent Street, W., at a speed of greater than 4 miles per hour and without a man with a red flag preceding the same."
In 1889 he was appointed as Electrical Inspector under the Electric Lighting Acts in the City Engineer's Department of the Corporation of Liverpool.
Two years later he joined the British Insulated Wire Co. at the initiation of the Prescot works.
He then returned to the South and occupied the editorial chair of Industries and Iron; and following that, during the time when he had an office in Westminster, he had charge of the Electrical Department of the Croydon County Polytechnic.
In 1895 St. Mary's Vestry was commencing the supply to what became shortly afterwards the Metropolitan Borough of Islington, and he was appointed the first assistant to the late Mr. Albert Gay. He passed through various positions as the Islington works grew in size, and was co-author of Gay and Yeaman's "Central Station Electricity Supply."
While Deputy Engineer at Islington he was, in 1905, appointed Electrical Engineer to the County Borough of Hanley. Upon the creation of the County Borough (which in 1925 became a city) of Stoke-on-Trent, he was selected to combine and manage the electricity supply undertaking, and was immediately engaged upon unifying and coordinating the systems by putting down a 3-phase station and system.
For nearly 30 years he was Lecturer in Electrical Engineering for Hanley to the Stoke Education Committee, and kept an active and untiring interest in the progress of those who had been his pupils. His knowledge and understanding of human nature will be remembered by all who pierced the "smoke screen" and knew the real C. H. Yeaman. He was a man of many intellectual interests.
He was elected a Student of The Institution in 1887, an Associate in 1890 and a Member in 1937.
He leaves a widow and one daughter.