Robert John Walker: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
''' 1936 Obituary <ref>[[The Engineer 1936/10/23]]</ref> | ''' 1936 Obituary <ref>[[The Engineer 1936/10/23]]</ref> | ||
OUR marine engineering readers, both at home and | OUR marine engineering readers, both at home and abroad, will learn with sorrow of the death, following an illness which lasted many weeks, of Mr. Robert John Walker, the chairman and managing director of the [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Co|Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company, Ltd.]], of Wallsend-on-Tyne. Mr. Walker, who was only sixty-five years of age, died on Sunday last, October 18th, at his home, Kingsmead, Riding Mill. | ||
abroad, will learn with sorrow of the death, following | |||
an illness which lasted many weeks, of Mr. Robert | |||
John Walker, the chairman and managing director of | |||
the [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Co|Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company, Ltd.]], | |||
of Wallsend-on-Tyne. Mr. Walker, who was only | |||
sixty-five years of age, died on Sunday last, October | |||
18th, at his home, Kingsmead, Riding Mill. | |||
He was born in Sunderland on December 23rd, 1870, and after | He was born in Sunderland on December 23rd, 1870, and after completing his schooling was apprenticed at the age of eighteen in the shipyard of [[William Doxford and Sons|William Doxford and Co., Ltd.]], shipbuilders and engineers, of Pallion Yard, Sunderland. After serving in the various branches of the shipyard he was appointed a member of the designing staff. | ||
completing his schooling was apprenticed at the age | |||
of eighteen in the shipyard of [[William Doxford and Sons|William Doxford and Co., Ltd.]], shipbuilders and engineers, of Pallion Yard, | |||
Sunderland. After serving in the various branches of | |||
the shipyard he was appointed a member of the designing staff. | |||
In 1896 he obtained first-class | In 1896 he obtained first-class honours in the naval architecture examination of the Science and Art Department at South Kensington. About this time Mr. Walker was appointed lecturer in naval architecture in the Sunderland evening science schools and became chief of the designing and theoretical department of Doxford's shipyard. | ||
honours in the naval architecture examination of the | |||
Science and Art Department at South Kensington. | |||
About this time Mr. Walker was appointed lecturer | |||
in naval architecture in the Sunderland evening | |||
science schools and became chief of the designing and | |||
theoretical department of Doxford's shipyard. | |||
Between 1896 and 1899 he was engaged in the development | Between 1896 and 1899 he was engaged in the development of the distinctive type of cargo ship designed by William Doxford and Co., Ltd., and the design of two of the early torpedo-boat destroyers for the Admiralty, which had at that time been entrusted to the Sunderland firm. This experience eminently fitted him for the important position he was called upon to occupy in 1899, when the Hon. Charles Parsons selected him as the naval architect of the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company, Ltd., which was then newly formed. | ||
of the distinctive type of cargo ship designed | |||
by William Doxford and Co., Ltd., and the design of | |||
two of the early torpedo-boat destroyers for the | |||
Admiralty, which had at that time been entrusted | |||
to the Sunderland firm. This experience eminently | |||
fitted him for the important position he was called | |||
upon to occupy in 1899, when the Hon. Charles | |||
Parsons selected him as the naval architect of the | |||
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company, Ltd., which | |||
was then newly formed. | |||
In his paper on "The Development of the Marine Steam Turbine During | In his paper on "The Development of the Marine Steam Turbine During the Past Fifty Years " - see THE ENGINEER of August 2nd, 1935 - he outlined the progress made since the epoch-making "[[Turbinia]]" installation of 1897. The machinery of the British destroyer "Acheron" was, he said, a culminating point in high-pressure marine turbine design applied to warship service, the fuel consumption working out at 0·608 lb. of oil per S.H.P. hour for all purposes. We may recall Mr. Walker's contribution to mercantile high-pressure practice in the Clyde steamer "King George V" and his later collaboration with Mr. John Johnson in the machinery of the Canadian Pacific steamships of the "Duchess" and "Empress" classes and the more recent development of the Simplex turbine unit for cargo carrying ships in 1920. His services to marine engineering during the war were recognised when he was made a C.B.E. | ||
the Past Fifty Years " - see THE ENGINEER of August | |||
2nd, 1935 - he outlined the progress made since the | As early as 1906 Mr. Walker was appointed joint managing director of the company with Sir Charles Parsons, and after the death of Sir Charles he became, in March, 1931, the managing director of the company. In the September of the same year, following the death of [[Stanley Faber Prest|Mr. Stanley F. Prest]], he was made the chairman and managing director of the company. | ||
epoch-making "[[Turbinia]]" installation of 1897. The | |||
machinery of the British destroyer "Acheron" was, | Mr. Walker was a valuable member of several scientific institutions and was a Vice-President of the Institution of Naval Architects, a Past-President and Fellow of the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders. His contributions to discussions and his papers were always looked forward to with the greatest of interest, as coming from an authority on steam engineering. He was a Past-President of the North-East Coast Engineering Employers' Association and an Assistant at the Court of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, also for some time chairman of Turbine Steamers, Ltd., of Glasgow. His place among marine engineers will be a difficult one to fill, and we feel sure that his death, at a comparatively early age, will be keenly felt by all who knew him. | ||
he said, a culminating point in high-pressure marine | ---- | ||
turbine design applied to warship service, the fuel | '''1936 Obituary <ref>[[1936 Institute of Metals: Obituaries]] </ref> | ||
consumption working out at 0·608 lb. of oil per S.H.P. | |||
hour for all purposes. We may recall Mr. Walker's | |||
contribution to mercantile high-pressure practice | |||
in the Clyde steamer "King George V" and his later | |||
collaboration with Mr. John Johnson in the machinery | |||
of the Canadian Pacific steamships of the "Duchess" and "Empress" classes and the more recent development of the Simplex turbine unit for cargo carrying | |||
ships in 1920. His services to marine engineering | |||
during the war were recognised when he was made a C.B.E. | |||
---- | ---- | ||
| Line 95: | Line 38: | ||
[[Category: Births 1870-1879]] | [[Category: Births 1870-1879]] | ||
[[Category: Deaths 1930-1939]] | [[Category: Deaths 1930-1939]] | ||
[[Category: Institute of Metals]] | |||
Revision as of 14:36, 13 October 2016
Robert John Walker (1870-1936), Chairman and Managing Director of the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Co.
1936 Died aged 65.[1]
1936 Obituary [2]
OUR marine engineering readers, both at home and abroad, will learn with sorrow of the death, following an illness which lasted many weeks, of Mr. Robert John Walker, the chairman and managing director of the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company, Ltd., of Wallsend-on-Tyne. Mr. Walker, who was only sixty-five years of age, died on Sunday last, October 18th, at his home, Kingsmead, Riding Mill.
He was born in Sunderland on December 23rd, 1870, and after completing his schooling was apprenticed at the age of eighteen in the shipyard of William Doxford and Co., Ltd., shipbuilders and engineers, of Pallion Yard, Sunderland. After serving in the various branches of the shipyard he was appointed a member of the designing staff.
In 1896 he obtained first-class honours in the naval architecture examination of the Science and Art Department at South Kensington. About this time Mr. Walker was appointed lecturer in naval architecture in the Sunderland evening science schools and became chief of the designing and theoretical department of Doxford's shipyard.
Between 1896 and 1899 he was engaged in the development of the distinctive type of cargo ship designed by William Doxford and Co., Ltd., and the design of two of the early torpedo-boat destroyers for the Admiralty, which had at that time been entrusted to the Sunderland firm. This experience eminently fitted him for the important position he was called upon to occupy in 1899, when the Hon. Charles Parsons selected him as the naval architect of the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company, Ltd., which was then newly formed.
In his paper on "The Development of the Marine Steam Turbine During the Past Fifty Years " - see THE ENGINEER of August 2nd, 1935 - he outlined the progress made since the epoch-making "Turbinia" installation of 1897. The machinery of the British destroyer "Acheron" was, he said, a culminating point in high-pressure marine turbine design applied to warship service, the fuel consumption working out at 0·608 lb. of oil per S.H.P. hour for all purposes. We may recall Mr. Walker's contribution to mercantile high-pressure practice in the Clyde steamer "King George V" and his later collaboration with Mr. John Johnson in the machinery of the Canadian Pacific steamships of the "Duchess" and "Empress" classes and the more recent development of the Simplex turbine unit for cargo carrying ships in 1920. His services to marine engineering during the war were recognised when he was made a C.B.E.
As early as 1906 Mr. Walker was appointed joint managing director of the company with Sir Charles Parsons, and after the death of Sir Charles he became, in March, 1931, the managing director of the company. In the September of the same year, following the death of Mr. Stanley F. Prest, he was made the chairman and managing director of the company.
Mr. Walker was a valuable member of several scientific institutions and was a Vice-President of the Institution of Naval Architects, a Past-President and Fellow of the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders. His contributions to discussions and his papers were always looked forward to with the greatest of interest, as coming from an authority on steam engineering. He was a Past-President of the North-East Coast Engineering Employers' Association and an Assistant at the Court of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, also for some time chairman of Turbine Steamers, Ltd., of Glasgow. His place among marine engineers will be a difficult one to fill, and we feel sure that his death, at a comparatively early age, will be keenly felt by all who knew him.
1936 Obituary [3]