Charles Frederick Parkinson
Charles Frederick Parkinson (1864-1921)
1921 Obituary [1]
CHARLES FREDERICK PARKINSON was born in 1864 and received his technical education at the Storey Institute, Lancaster.
For 5 years he was an apprentice with the London and North-Western and Lancashire and Yorkshire Joint Railway Companies.
On the completion of his apprenticeship he was appointed assistant engineer to Messrs. Storey Brothers and Co., Ltd., of Lancaster, which post he held for a year.
He then joined the Metropolitan Railway Carriage Co., Ltd., of Lancaster, as chief engineer, in which capacity he had charge of the electrical department, and devised and carried out tramway and power schemes both at home and abroad.
In 1896 he was appointed consultant and resident engineer to the Morecambe Town Council and supervised the construction of the town's electricity supply system.
On the completion of this work he became general manager and later drew up a complete scheme for the electrification of the borough tramways.
In 1901 he was appointed Borough Electrical Engineer to the Paisley Corporation, which post he held until 1919. He took out many patents, among them being one for locking railway carriage doors when the train is in motion. Another, which was received only a few days after his death, which occurred on 8th December, 1920, was an improved inclinomoter for use on aircraft.
He was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1897, and a Member in 1898.