John Henry Watkins
John Henry Watkins (c1860-1942)
1943 Obituary [1]
JOHN HENRY WATKINS had an extensive experience as an electrical engineer and was connected with the firm of Messrs. Royce, Ltd., Manchester, for nearly forty years. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Owens College. After serving his apprenticeship from 1880 to 1883 with Messrs. Siemens Brothers at their Manchester branch he continued with that firm for a further two years as assistant electrical engineer.
From 1885 to 1890 he was engineer and works manager to the Simplex Electric Light Company, Eccles. For the following two years he held an appointment as engineer to Messrs. Watson Brothers, of Pall Mall, London, during which period he acted as the firm's representative for the Liverpool District, being chiefly concerned with ship lighting. He subsequently held several engagements as electrical engineer to firms in the Liverpool and Manchester districts until 1895, when he began his long association with Messrs. Royce, upon his appointment as electrical engineer and installation superintendent, which involved the supervision of all outside work in connection with the erection and testing of machinery.
Mr. Watkins had been living in retirement for some eight years at Altrincham, where his death occurred on 27th June 1942 in his eighty-second year. He had been an Associate Member of the Institution since 1909.