Robert Onions (c1868-1949)
1950 Obituary [1]
"ROBERT ONIONS was closely concerned with the design and production of internal combustion engines during the whole of his long professional career. He was educated at Wesley College, Dublin, and obtained his technical training at the Manchester Municipal College of Technology and Owens College, Manchester.
On the completion of a five years' apprenticeship with Messrs. Pollock and McNab, Ltd., of Hyde, general engineers, in 1889, he was at an early age made chief draughtsman, but a year later he joined Messrs. J. E. H. Andrews and Company, Ltd., at their gas engine works at Reddish, and was given the charge of the testing department. This was followed by the post of assistant works manager, and in 1899 he was promoted to be works manager.
During his association with the firm, which lasted twenty-three years, he was closely identified with the development of the "Stockport" gas engine (later known as the "Hornsby Stockport"). In 1913 he went as works manager to Messrs. Mirrlees, Bickerton and Day, Ltd., of Stockport. Four years later he was appointed general manager of the Stockport Gas Engine Works, now Messrs. Ruston and Hornsby, Ltd., and held that position until 1931 when he transferred to Messrs. Ruston and Hornsby's main works at Lincoln, where as chief technical engineer he continued until his retirement in 1943. Mr. Onions had been a Member of the Institution since 1922.
He was also a past-president of the Manchester Association of Engineers, and of the Lincoln Society of Engineers. His death occurred at Buxton on 26th September 1949, at the age of eighty-one."