Henry Gordon King (1887-1948)
1949 Obituary [1]
"HENRY GEORGE KING was born in 1887, and received his early education at the Grammar School, Manchester, where he later studied at the College of Technology and the University, obtaining the Diploma and Associateship of the College. After serving his time at the works of the Great Northern Railway, at Leeds, from 1908 to 1911, he continued in the service of the company for a further three years as shed foreman at Nottingham and assistant to the district superintendent of the West Riding Division. On the conclusion of an engagement as assistant to the works manager of Messrs. Greenwood and Batley, of Leeds, he was appointed, in 1916, assistant manager at the aircraft works of Messrs. Clayton and Shuttleworth, Ltd., in Lincoln. Subsequently he was made assistant works engineer and was engaged on carrying out alterations to the shops.
In 1923 he received the appointment of chief works engineer to Messrs. Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd., at Erith. In this capacity he was responsible for the organization of a factory with a personnel of 5,000, as well as for the reconstruction of works and the layout of armament shops. After holding this position for ten years he joined the staff of Messrs. Platt Brothers, at Oldham, as works manager. His final appointment, which he held from 1937, was that of works director to the British Northrop Loom Company, Ltd., of Blackburn. He was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1908 and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1916 and to Membership in 1923. At the time of his death, which occurred on 18th August 1948, Mr. King had in preparation a history of the Great Northern Railway and it is hoped that this work may eventually be completed and published through the aid of some friends."