Thomas Roberts Murray
Thomas Roberts Murray (1862-1925)
1925 Obituary [1]
THOMAS ROBERTS MURRAY, O.B.E., was born on 9th February 1862, and his early education was gained in Aberdeen.
On leaving school he was apprenticed from 1878 to 1884, to Messrs. James Abernethy and Co., Ferryhill Foundry, Aberdeen, supplementing during this period his school education by attending the technical classes at the Aberdeen Mechanics' Institute.
On the conclusion of his term in 1884 he went to Glasgow as a draughtsman in the office of Messrs. L. Sterne and Co., Crown Iron Works, Glasgow.
Subsequently he gained further experience in the drawing offices of Messrs. William Muir and Co., toolmakers, Manchester, and Messrs. W. H. Dorman and Co., of Stafford.
In 1886 he gained a Whitworth Scholarship, and shortly afterwards became engineering manager to Messrs. L. Stern and Co., Ltd., Glasgow, remaining there until 1898, and being responsible for the design and construction of many important refrigerating installations in various parts of the world.
In 1898 he became Managing Director to Messrs. Spencer and Co., Ltd., of Melksham, specialists in elevating and conveying machinery for grain, coal, ore, and other materials, and from 1901 was Joint Managing Director of that business with Mr. W. L. Philip, until they both retired in 1922, Mr. Murray being however retained as an Advisory Engineer by the succeeding company.
During the War, he was connected with the development and production of the explosive "paravane."
Mr. Murray died at Monte Carlo on 29th March 1925, at the age of sixty-three.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1894.