James John Alexander Flower
James Alexander Flower (1847-1888) of James Flower and Sons
1889 Obituary [1]
JAMES JOHN ALEXANDER FLOWER was born at the Baptist Parsonage, Chobham, Surrey, on the 21st of April, 1847.
After being educated by private tutors, he served a pupilage to Messrs. A. and J. Inglis, Marine Engineers, Glasgow.
He then proceeded to the Cape, and after being for a short time in private practice he was appointed Acting Engineer of Cape Town. During his tenure of that post he carried out an extension of the water-supply from Table Mountain through Platte Klip, and constructed a small reservoir and filtering-beds.
About a year after the return of the City Engineer, the latter was pensioned, and Mr. Flower was appointed his successor. During Mr. Flower’s absence in England the duties of the office were fulfilled by his father, and in the result he never personally took up the appointment, preferring to remain at home as the London representative of the firm in which. he was a partner, namely, Messrs. James Flower and Sons, Mechanical Engineers, largely occupied in the construction and importation of machinery for gold-mining. He was thus occupied until the spring of 1888, when, owing to some misunderstanding with the Cape banks, the firm were obliged temporarily to suspend payment, being at the time in the full swing of business. This untoward event caused a shock from which Mr. Flower never recovered, and he died broken-hearted on the 12th of April, 1888.
Mr. Flower was elected an Associate of the Institution on the 2nd of December, 1873, and was transferred to the class of Associate Members on the separation of the former grade into two divisions.