Ranald Stewart
Ranald Stewart (1877-1945)
1947 Obituary [1]
"RANALD STEWART spent almost the whole of his career in Chile, and had been associated with the arm of Messrs. Balfour, Lyon and Company, Ltd., of Valparaiso and Santiago (engineers and importers of engineering products), for nearly thirty years.
He was born in 1877 and received his education at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, and at Glasgow Technical College. After serving his apprenticeship with the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Ltd., from 1897 to 1899, he joined the Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Co, as engineer, but a year later transferred his services in the same capacity to the British India Steam Navigation Company, Ltd., with whom he remained for seven years. During this period he obtained his Board of Trade First-Class Engineer's Certificate.
He began his long connection with South America in 1907, with the post of engineer to an industrial firm in Valparaiso, and a year later joined Messrs. Balfour, Lyon, and Company. After acting as engineer for eight years he returned to England and served in Department of the War Office, with the rank of major, and with a varied responsibility, including superintendence of rolling stock and locomotive construction, and the manufacture of mining and agricultural machinery. Soon after his demobilization in 1918, he rejoined Messrs. Balfour, Lyon and Company, and subsequently was admitted to partnership. He remained with that firm until his death, which occurred in 1945. Mr. Stewart had been an Associate Member of the Institution since 1918."