George Hepple Cowen
George Hepple Cowen (1866-1938)
1938 Obituary [1]
GEORGE HEPPLE COWEN was managing director of Messrs. George Turton, Platts and Company, Ltd., of Sheffield, manufacturers of railway buffers, springs, and drop stampings and forgings. He was born at Wark, Northumberland, in 1866, and served his apprenticeship from 1882 to 1887 at the Newburn steel works of Messrs. John Spencer and Sons, Ltd., of Newcastle upon Tyne, and was afterwards employed in the drawing office and testing department. He then came to London as a draughtsman to Messrs. A. N. Perkins and Son, Ltd., and was concerned with refrigerating and heating installations and with high-pressure boiler design.
A year later he joined Messrs. Babcock and Wilcox, Ltd., in a similar capacity, and in 1895 he left for Sheffield to become assistant manager to Messrs. George Turton, Platts and Company. He rose to be general manager in 1908 and was subsequently made managing director. The turnover of the firm, largely as a result of his efforts, increased twenty-five times during the first twenty-five years of his association with it, and the number of men employed rose from 40 to 500.
Mr. Cowen, who was connected with the firm for forty-three years, died in Sheffield on 21st October 1938. He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1902 and was transferred to Membership in 1909.