John Henry Clarke
John Henry Clarke (1878-1944)
1945 Obituary [1]
JOHN HENRY CLARKE, whose death occurred on 15th February 1944, was for several years general manager and secretary of the Chapel, Whaley and District Gas Company, and had been closely identified with the gas industry in that district since 1909.
He was born in 1878 and after completing his general education in 1900, he served a five years' apprenticeship at the Poynton Collieries and at the same time attended the New Mills Technical School. He continued in the employment of the Poynton Collieries as assistant engineer until 1909, when he was appointed engineer to the Whaley Bridge Gas Company and two years later he became the engineer of the amalgamated Chapel-en-le-Frith and Whaley gas undertaking.
He continued in that capacity until he began his long connection with the Chapel, Whaley and District Gas Company in 1919. His first appointment was that of chief engineer; but he later became more concerned with the managerial side, and in 1932 he was made a director of the company. Two years later he became general manager and secretary. Mr. Clarke was responsible for the design and construction of entirely new gas works at Whaley Bridge, with the vertical gas retorts, central producer, and steam generating plants. In addition he acted as consulting gas engineer to the Poynton Collieries. He had been a Member of the Institution since 1929.