Harry Arthur Ruck-Keene
Harry Arthur Ruck-Keene (1865-1932), Chief Engineer Surveyor of Lloyd's Register of Shipping
1932 Obituary [1]
HARRY ARTHUR RUCK-KEENE, Chief Engineer Surveyor of Lloyd's Register of Shipping, died at his home at Finchley on October 14, 1932, at the age of sixty-six.
Mr. Ruck-Keene, who was the son of the late Rector of Copford, near Colchester, was educated at Cheltenham and on the Continent.
He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Sir W. G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co., and Messrs. R. & W. Hawthorne Leslie & Co., Ltd., at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and remained in the service of the latter firm until 1890, when he was appointed an engineer surveyor to Lloyd's Register.
In 1907, he became principal surveyor on the staff of Dr. James T. Milton, Chief Engineer Surveyor of Lloyd's. In December, 1908, he was promoted to be assistant to Dr. Milton, and on the retirement of the latter from active service in October, 1921, Mr. Ruck-Keene succeeded him as Chief Engineer Surveyor.
He was one of the pioneers in the development of oxy-acetylene welding for boiler repairs in this country, and his paper presented at the Engineering Conference of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1907 was the first contribution dealing with the possibilities of this method of repair. A further paper on the subject was read by him in the same year before the Institution of Marine Engineers.
In his long term of high office in the service of Lloyd's Register of Shipping, he was recognised as a leading authority on the far-reaching developments in marine propulsion which took place during the period, and he was prominently associated with the many amendments and additions made to the Society's rules.
Mr. Ruck-Keene was a Vice-President of the Institution of Naval Architects and of the Institution of Marine Engineers, and was a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was elected a member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1908.
1932 Obituary [2]
HARRY ARTHUR RUCK-KEENE, an Original Member of the Institute, a Member of Council from 1922 to 1930, and Chief Engineer Surveyor of Lloyd's Register of Shipping, died at his home in Finchley, London, on October 14, 1932, at the age of 66.
The third son of the Rev. B. Ruck-Keene of Copford, near Colchester, he was educated at Cheltenham and on the Continent. He served his apprentice- ship on the Tyne with Sir W. G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co., and R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co., Ltd. He remained with the latter company on the completion of his apprenticeship until 1890, when he was appointed an engineer surveyor to Lloyd's Register.
After serving the society at Middlesbrough, London, and Antwerp, he was appointed in 1907 as a principal surveyor on the staff of Dr. James T. Milton, then the chief engineer surveyor. In December 1908 he was promoted to be assistant to the chief engineer surveyor; and in October 1921, on the retirement from active service of Dr. Milton, he succeeded him as chief engineer surveyor.
Mr. Ruck-Keene was a vice-president of the Institution of Naval Architects and of the Institute of Marine Engineers, and he was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Iron and Steel Institute, the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders, and the British Association of Refrigeration. He was one of the pioneers in the development of autogenous welding for boiler repairs in Great Britain, for, so far back as 1907, he contributed a paper to the Engineering Conference of the Institution of Civil Engineers on this subject. This paper was the first contribution to a British technical society dealing with the possibilities of this method of repair. In the same year he followed it by a further paper on the subject, entitled, "New Methods of Effecting Boiler Repairs," read before the Institute of Marine Engineers.
In his long term of high office in the service of Lloyd's Register of Shipping he was recognized as a leading authority on the far-reaching effects of the developments which occurred in marine propulsion, and was prominently associated in the many amendments and additions made to various important rules of the society. He coupled his wide technical knowledge and experience with a personal charm of manner which endeared him alike to his colleagues and his many business friends. Mr. Ruck-Keene was an enthusiastic sportsman. He was a keen golfer, and he also took a great and active interest in the affairs of Lloyd's Register cricket and rifle clubs.
1932 Obituary[3]
"THE LATE MR. H. A. RUCK-KEENE.
A wide circle of naval architects and marine engineers will learn with regret of the passing of Mr. Harry Arthur Ruck-Keene, Chief Engineer Surveyor of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, at his home in Holden-road, North Finchley, London, N.12, on October 14. Mr. Ruck-Keene, who was sixty-seven years of age, was the third son of the late Rev. Benjamin Ruck-Keene, Rector of Copford, near Colchester, and received his general education at Cheltenham and on the Continent. He served his apprenticeship on the Tyne, first with Messrs. Sir W. G. Armstrong, Mitchell and Company, and afterwards with Messrs. R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited, remaining with the latter firm upon the completion of his apprenticeship until 1890, in which year he was appointed an Engineer Surveyor to Lloyd’s Register. After serving in this capacity at Middlesbrough, London and Antwerp, he was appointed Principal Surveyor on the staff of Dr. J. T. Milton, Chief Engineer Surveyor, in 1907. In December of the following year he was promoted to be assistant to the Chief Engineer Surveyor, and in October, 1921, on the retirement of Dr. Milton, Mr. Ruck-Keene succeeded him as Chief Engineer Surveyor. He was one of the pioneers, in this country, in the development of autogenous welding for repairs to boilers, and, as long ago as 1907, he contributed a paper on this subject to the Engineering Conference of the Institution of Civil Engineers. In the same year, he followed this up by a further paper, read before the Institute of Marine Engineers, on “ New Methods of Effecting Boiler Repairs.”
Mr. Ruck-Keene was recognised as a leading authority on the far-reaching developments in marine propulsion which took place during his long tenure of high office in the service of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, and he was prominently associated with the many amendments and additions made to the Society’s Rules. Among these may be cited the amended Rules for boilers and the new Rules for water-tube boilers; the new Rules for petrol, paraffin and heavy-oil engines, including double-acting Diesel engines; and the new Rules for refrigerating machinery and appliances on board ship, and for frozen-meat stores and refrigerated railway cars.
Mr. Ruck-Keene became a member of the Institution of Naval Architects in 1890 and was for a considerable time a member of the Council, afterwards becoming vice-president. He was also for a number of years a vice-president of the Institute of Marine Engineers. He became an associate member of the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in April, 1887, and was elected a full member in November, 1916. On April 13, 1907, he was made a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and, in 1908, a member of the Iron and Steel Institute. An original member of the Institute of Metals, he was elected a member of the Council in 1922. He was also a member of the British Association of Refrigeration."