Ernest Nelson Wells
Ernest Nelson Wells (c1872-1945)
1946 Obituary [1]
"EDWARD NELSON WELLS, whose death occurred on 25th August 1945, in his seventy-third year, was for thirty-six years in the service of the Union Cold Storage Company, Ltd., for thirty-three of which he was chief engineer.
Born at Sporle, Norfolk, he attended Grantham Grammar School, Lincolnshire, from 1885 to 1889, and then commenced a five years' apprenticeship, first to Messrs. James Shears and Sons, Bankside, London, and later, to Messrs. Robey and Company, Lincoln. After a brief period in the service of the Brush Engineering Company, Ltd., Loughborough, electrical engineers, as a draughtsman, Mr. Wells in 1896 became draughtsman to the Kilbourne Patent Refrigerator Company, Ltd., of Liverpool, and thus began his association with refrigerating engineering which he maintained throughout his career.
In 1899 he was appointed superintendent of outside erection of refrigerating machinery for the Pulsometer Engineering Company, Ltd. After a year spent on this work he joined the drawing office staff of Messrs. J. and E. Hall, Ltd., of Dartford, and in 1901 entered the service of the Union Cold Storage Company, Ltd. Mr. Wells, whose experience as a refrigerating engineer in Great Britain was outstanding, had many plants under his control and had, consequently, to shoulder considerable responsibility for very many years. Many of the largest cold storage, ice-making, and refrigerating plants in use in this country were erected and put into operation under his direction; and he was, in addition, responsible for the engineering arrangements of the cold stores of the International Export Company in China, and of the "Anglo" South Dock, Buenos Aires. Wells was engaged during the war of 1914-18 in the erection of large cold stores in France for the supply of meat to troops, also on large freezing works abroad for supplies of meat and canned goods. On retirement from the Union Cold Storage Company, Ltd., owing to ill-health, he was retained by the Company in an advisory capacity. He had been an Associate Member of the Institution since 1904."