Charles Fletcher
Charles Fletcher (1868-1930) of Edward G. Herbert
Empress Motor Works of Manchester (Stockport) built aeroplanes and rotary engines designed by the Works Manager, Charles Fletcher.
1930 Obituary [1]
CHARLES FLETCHER, who, shortly before his death on 10th November 1930, had been appointed chairman of directors of Messrs. Edward G. Herbert, had been managing director of the firm jointly with Mr. E. G. Herbert from 1902 to 1928, and sole managing' director since.
He was born in 1868 and apprenticed for five years with Messrs. William Collier and Company, machine-tool makers, of which his uncle Edward Fletcher was proprietor.
He was subsequently for a year chief draughtsman for the Patent Exhaust Injector Company (now Messrs. Davies and Metcalfe) and then on the engineering staff of Messrs. Henry Simon.
In 1893 he entered into partnership with Mr. John Heaton to carry on the business of mining and chemical plant engineers, but on the death of the latter in 1897 he took up the position of chief draughtsman with Messrs. Holden and Brooke.
Five years later, in 1902, he joined Messrs. E. G. Herbert, previous to which he patented an oil separator, a steam exhaust head, a steam trap, and many other devices, and since that time he had obtained many patents for sawing and testing machinery jointly with Mr. Herbert, taking out further patents in his own name in 1930.
He became a Member of the Institution in 1930.
1930 Obituary[2]
"THE LATE MR. CHARLES FLETCHER.
Engineers in the Manchester district will learn with regret of the sudden death of Mr. Charles Fletcher, which occurred at his home in Hilltop Avenue, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, on November 10 last, from pneumonia, following influenza. Mr. Fletcher, who had been managing director of Messrs. Edward G. Herbert, Limited, Atlas Works, Levenshulme, Manchester, for the past 28 years, was born on October 28, 1868. After receiving his general education at grammar schools in Stevenage and Freshfield, he commenced, in 1883, when 15 years of age, an apprenticeship of five years with his uncle, Mr. Edward Fletcher, who traded as Messrs. William Collier and Company, machine-tool makers, Salford. Meanwhile, he continued his technical education in Manchester Municipal Technical School. In 1888, Mr. Fletcher was appointed chief draughtsman of Messrs. The Patent Exhaust Injector Company, Limited (now Messrs. Davies and Metcalfe, Limited, Romiley, Manchester). In the following year, however, he joined the engineering staff of Messrs. Henry Simon, Limited, Manchester, and remained with this firm until 1892. During the period from 1892 to 1897, he was junior partner, with the late Mr. John Heaton, in the firm of Messrs. Heaton and Fletcher, mining and chemical-plant engineers. The partnership was terminated by the death of Mr. Heaton, and Mr. Fletcher became chief draughtsman in the works of Messrs. Holden and Brooke, Limited, Manchester, a position he continued to occupy until 1901. From 1902 until his death he was managing director of Messrs. Edward G. Herbert, Limited; he acted as joint managing director, with Mr. E. G. Herbert, from 1902 to 1928, but became sole managing director in June, 1928. In this capacity he had full responsibility for all technical, manufacturing, and commercial matters. Mr. Fletcher became a member of the Manchester Association of Engineers in 1920, and was elected to full membership of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers a few months ago."