Gustavus Ferdinand Bonnor
Gustavus Ferdinand Bonnor (formerly Metzger) (1868-1925), M.Inst.C.E., M.I.E.E., M.I.M.E.
1925 Obituary.[1]
Gustavus Ferdinand Bonnor was born at Highbury on the 17th May, 1868, and was educated first locally and then at Frankfort. He died very suddenly during business hours at Westminster, from heart trouble, on Friday, 6th March, 1925.
He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Gwynne's of Hammersmith, later joining a firm of electrical contractors, whose branch at Bray he managed for some years. He was then appointed electrical engineer to the Bath Corporation, and in 1901 succeeded Mr. C. H. Wordingham as City Electrical Engineer at Manchester. On relinquishing this post he became interested in several mining projects in North Wales, and subsequently became chief engineer of the East Kent Colliery Co.
During the war he was engaged on Government work in connection with the manufacture of munitions.
Returning later to consulting work he devoted his energies to research in connection with the production of cement from basic slag, and also designed and superintended the electrical equipment of several large sewage-disposal undertakings.
A man of wide experience and great ability in his profession, he was an able mechanic and devoted much of his spare time to model making. Some examples of his skill in this direction have been presented to, and are now on view at, the South Kensington Museum.
He joined the Institution as an Associate in 1890, and became a Member in 1897.
During the war he changed his name by deed poll from Metzger, adopting that of his mother.