Leonard Murphy
Leonard Murphy (1882-1942)
1922 Captain M.I.E.E., Electrical and Automobile Engineer, 15, Upper George Street, London, W.2. T. A.: " c/o Edibatt, London." T. N. Paddington 2182. b. 1882. Ed. City and Guilds Technical Colleges, Finsbury and South Kensington. Chief Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, East London College, University of London; Chief Engineer, Everett, Edgcumbe and Co., specialists on electrical protective gear; Chief Engineer and Designer to Arthur Lyon and Wrench, Ltd., specialists on aero-dynamos and portable generating sets. Now Chief Electrical Engineer to Edison Accumulators, Ltd., electric vehicle manufacturers. Contributor to various technical periodicals, also "Hobart's Dictionary of Electrical Engineering." War Services.—As Captain, R.A.F., and Lieutenant, R.N.V. R., 1915-19; charge of design, inspection and test of wireless telegraph and telephone gear for aeroplanes and submarine chasers.
1941/42 Obituary [1]
Leonard Murphy was born in 1882 and received his technical education at Finsbury Technical College and the City and Guilds of London Institute.
After a period as Draughtsman and Experimental Engineer he became Assistant Professor in Electrical Engineering at the University of London.
In 1911 he joined the firm of Everett, Edgcumbe and Co., Hendon, as Chief Engineer, and in 1914 joined the Royal Navy as Lieutenant.
In 1918 he became Chief Electrical Engineer to Electricars, Ltd., dealing with design, production and maintenance of electric vehicles and batteries.
He died in May, 1942, at the age of 60.
He was elected a Member in 1923.
1942 Obituary [2]
LEONARD MURPHY was born on the 4th November, 1882, and received his technical education from 1897 to 1900 at the Finsbury Technical College, subsequently going to the Central Technical College, South Kensington, for one year as a research student.
In 1901 he was employed as a draughtsman by Messrs. Johnson and Phillips and was subsequently for two years in the Experimental Department of Messrs. Ferranti, Ltd., designing new forms of relays for protective gear, etc.
In January, 1905, he was appointed Lecturer in electrical engineering at the Municipal Technical School, Birmingham, serving also as Works Manager for Messrs. Brooks of that city, manufacturing electric motors.
From September, 1907, to June, 1911, he was chief Lecturer in Electrical Engineering at East London College. He then returned to manufacturing and took charge of the A.C. Testing Department and development work of Messrs. Everett, Edgcumbe and Co.
At the beginning of the war in 1914 he resigned his position in order to join the Royal Naval Air Service, in which he attained the rank of captain. After the war he spent several years with Electricars, Ltd., and Edison Accumulators, Ltd., paying special attention to the reduction of the weight of traction motors.
Subsequently he decided to go into business on his own account, forming with Mr. E. T. Cook the Nelson Engineering Co. and manufacturing fractional horse-power electric motors. The business developed and formed the nucleus of the present firm of Nelco, Ltd., makers of high-precision electrical apparatus and motors of special types. He then returned to the subject which in later years interested him most, namely accumulator electric vehicles, and designed an electrically-propelled carriage for invalids and electric trucks and vans.
He died on the 23rd April, 1942.
He joined The Institution as an Associate Member in 1908 and was elected a Member in 1912.