William Henry Watkinson
Professor William Henry Watkinson (1860-1932)
1889 Married Emma Crabtree
1911 Living at 15 Croxteth Road, Liverpool: William Henry Watkinson (age 50 born Keighley), University Professor - Engineering. With his wife Emma Watkinson (age 47 born Kidderminster) and their children; Gwendolen Watkinson (age 21 born Sheffield), Student; Arthur Stanley Watkinson (age 19 born Sheffield), Engineering Student; Hilda Muriel Watkinson (age 15 born Glasgow); and Geoffrey Leonel Watkinson (age 11 born Crookstown, Renf.). One visitor and two servants. [1]
1932 February 14th. Died
1932 Obituary [2]
Professor WILLIAM HENRY WATKINSON, M.Eng., Emeritus Professor in the University of Liverpool, was for twenty years Harrison Professor of Engineering and Director of the Walker Engineering Laboratories, and retired in 1925.
He commenced his engineering career at an early age in a Keighley mill, and later served an apprenticeship in the machine and tool-making departments of Messrs. P. Smith and Sons.
After further experience as a draughtsman with Messrs. Samuel Clayton and Company of Bradford and in the works of Messrs. Anderson and Munro of Glasgow, he entered the University of Glasgow to take a course in civil engineering. He attracted the notice of Sir William Thomson (afterwards Lord Kelvin) and later assisted him and Professor Fleeming Jenkin in the manufacture, testing, and laying of two of the Atlantic cables. On the conclusion of this work he became a lecturer at Glasgow Technical College and he also held a Thomson Research Scholarship. In 1886 he also obtained a Whitworth Scholarship.
In 1888 he was appointed lecturer in engineering and director of workshops at the Central Science School, Sheffield, and in 1893 returned to Glasgow as Professor of Engineering at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. He was appointed Professor at Liverpool twelve years later.
Amongst Professor Watkinson's researches were notable investigations into combustion and heat transmission problems in connexion with the design of water-tube boilers, superheaters, and air-heaters.
He was elected a Member of the Institution in 1890, and was Chairman of the North Western Branch and Member of Council in 1928.
He died on 14th February 1932, at the age of 71.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1911 census
- ↑ 1932 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Obituaries