John Dadswell
John Dadswell (c1878-1934), managing director of Fosters
1934 Obituary [1]
JOHN DADSWELL was for twenty-three years managing director of Messrs. Fosters, East Grinstead.
He was born at West Hoathly, Sussex, where his father was the master miller at Selsfield Mill, one of the last windmills to work in the district. Mr. Dadswell received his technical education at Brighton Technical School and in 1892 he commenced a five years' apprenticeship with Messrs. James Holloway and Sons, engineers, of Shoreham.
He then joined Messrs. C. G. Read and Sons, at the Regent Iron Works, Brighton, and during 1898 he spent a short period with Messrs. G. Strickland, general engineers.
He then went to sea and served successively on the S.S. Alhena, the Koordistan, and finally the Laura, on which he became second engineer.
In 1902 he secured the chief engineer's certificate awarded by the Board of Trade.
He joined Messrs. Fosters in the same year as managing engineer, and became managing director in 1911. He was responsible for the transfer of the business to new centralized premises in East Grinstead.
During the War he installed extra machinery in the works for the production of munitions.
Mr. Dadswell was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1913.
His death occurred at East Grinstead on 8th March 1934, in his fifty-seventh year.