Thomas Henry Unite Aldridge
Thomas Henry Unite Aldridge ( -1931)
1919 Municipal Electrical Engineer, Shanghai.[1]
1931 Obituary [2]
THOMAS HENRY UNITE ALDRIDGE returned to England about a year ago, after twenty-nine years spent with the Shanghai Municipal Electricity Department and the Shanghai Power Company. He gave up the position of vice-president and manager of the Shanghai Power Company in December 1929, to take up a position in this country with the American and Foreign Power Company, which purchased the Shanghai electricity undertaking from the municipality for the sum of £10,000,000.
When Mr. Aldridge went out to take charge of the undertaking in 1901, as municipal electrical engineer, the plant capacity was only 550 kw.
When he left China finally for home the Riverside station had a capacity of 161,000 kw. and a further 50,000 kw. were to be provided for. Mr. Aldridge was born in 1874, and served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Ronald A. Scott and Company of Acton Hill Works.
After a further period as improver at the Grand Junction Canal Company's works at Tring, he commenced his electrical experience as assistant at the generating station of the Kensington and Knightsbridge Electric Lighting Company.
From 1894 to 1896 he was an electrician in the P. and O. Steam Navigation Company's service, and subsequently acting resident electrical engineer under the Colonial Office at Lagos, West Africa, and at Gibraltar.
He then spent a year as assistant in Messrs. Preece and Cardew's office at Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, before going out to Shanghai in March 1901.
Mr. Aldridge became an Associate Member of the Institution in 1908 and was transferred to Membership in 1913. He was also a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
His death occurred on 10th May 1931.