Charles James Jewell
Charles James Jewell (1872-1928)
1929 Obituary [1]
CHARLES JAMES JEWELL, who died at his home in Norwich after a long illness on the 2nd November, 1928, was born in London in 1872 and received his early training at Finsbury Technical College under the late Silvanus Thompson, obtaining an honours certificate in the electrical engineering course.
He served his apprenticeship with the Midland Railway Co., whom he joined in 1891, spending three years in the mechanical and electrical shops at Derby, and three years on the experimental staff.
In 1897 he became junior assistant to Mr. T. W. G. Aldridge (of Westminster), consulting engineer to the London and South Western Railway Co. It was while superintending work in Southampton that he came in contact with Messrs. W. T. Glover and Co., whom he joined in 1899 and on whose contract staff he remained for eight years, becoming in due course senior outside engineer for the company. In this capacity he was in charge of the installation of cables for many important electrification schemes, including those of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co. between Liverpool and Southport, and of the London County Council Tramways.
It was as a result of work carried out for Messrs. Glover that he was appointed in 1907 engineer to the Leeds and Wakefield Tramway Co., of which, under the new designation of the Yorkshire West Riding Tramways Co., he later became deputy manager.
In December 1920 he was appointed general manager and engineer to the Norwich Electric Tramways Co. and retained that appointment until his death.
He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1903 and a Member in 1920, and in the latter year was Chairman of the North Midland Centre. He was a past vice-president of the Norwich Engineering Society and president designate of the same society for the year 1929. He was a member of council of the Tramways and Light Railways Association, a member of the executive committee of the Conference of Tramway and Light Railway Companies, and one of the eight company representatives on the National Joint Industrial Council for the tramway industry. He was also a member of the Standing Joint Committee on the standardization of overhead line equipment.
The writer, who had the privilege of Charles Jewell's friendship for a period of 28 years, was at one time intimately associated with him professionally and always remembered him as shrewd in business, a sound engineer, and a man of striking directness and absolute integrity. One of his most outstanding characteristics was his readiness at all times to help younger engineers with whom he came into contact or for whom he was asked to do a kindness. A genial and capable man, the engineering world is the poorer for his passing.