Frederick Mackenzie Lea
Frederick Mackenzie Lea (1876-1939)
1939 Obituary [1]
FREDERICK MACKENZIE LEA, who died suddenly on 10th July 1939, was the senior partner of Messrs. Henry Lea and Son, consulting mechanical, electrical, and heating engineers, Birmingham.
He was born in Birmingham in 1876 and he was educated there at Bromsgrove School and Mason College. In 1893 he went to St. Petersburg, where he assisted in the fitting of an electric lighting installation, after which he returned to England and had practical experience in both foundry and drawing-office work. At the end of 1894 he entered the drawing office of Messrs. Thomas Parker, Ltd., and passed through the pattern shop and fitting shop.
In 1896 he left this firm and took a year's course in electrical engineering at Owens College, Manchester. In 1897 he entered his father's office, and in the following year he was made a junior partner to his father. His work in this business continued until his death, and was mainly connected with heating and ventilating, electric lighting, and power installation. He was responsible for many large contracts in the Midlands, which included contracts for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, and the Victoria Law Courts, Birmingham.
He was elected an Associate Member in 1901 and transferred to Membership in 1905. He was also a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.