Robert Ebenezer Morton
Robert Ebenezer Morton (c1876-1935)
1935 Obituary [1]
ROBERT EBENEZER MORTON was employed in the London office of Sena Sugar Estates, Ltd., and was concerned with engineering and design problems in connexion with large sugar factories and refineries.
He was a native of Edinburgh and served his apprenticeship from 1892 to 1897 with Messrs. A. Mather and Son, Orwell Works, Edinburgh, after which he entered the drawing office, where he remained for eighteen months.
He then studied for two years at the Heriot-Watt College, and in 1900 became a draughtsman at Messrs. Bruce, Peebles's works.
A year later he joined the Midland Railway at Derby in a similar capacity and was later employed in the drawing office of Messrs. Dick, Kerr and Company, Ltd., at Preston.
In 1904 he was appointed chief draughtsman to Messrs. Cowans, Ltd., of Manchester and subsequently held similar positions with a number of engineering firms, including the Mirrlees Watson Company, which he joined in 1910.
During 1914-15 his services were lent to Messrs. Henckell Du Buisson and Company, for whom he made a complete survey of their factory in Trinidad, with a view to future extensions.
During the War he took up Government work on tank production in Birmingham. He became assistant engineer at the Government munitions factory at Cardonald and remained there until the premises were closed down.
He then worked in association with Mr. W. Hunt in the development of patent variable torque transformer gear which was manufactured by the Mirrlees Watson Company; he was occupied for several years with experiments on this form of transmission.
Subsequently he became a designer at the Bridgeton works of Electric Controls, Ltd., with whom he was employed until his appointment with Sena Sugar Estates, Ltd., in 1928.
His death occurred on 16th May 1935, at the age of 59.
He had been an Associate Member of the Institution since 1919.