John Belliss (1867-1938)
1867 Born in Birmingham, son of John F. Belliss (1835-1879), draper, and his wife Euphrosinah (and nephew of George Edward Belliss?)
Educated at Bewdley and then in Birmingham
1883 Apprenticed to G. E. Belliss and Co
1888 Assistant to works manager
1889 Sent to Elswick to supervise installation of engine in HMS Boomerang and HMS Karrakatta and attended trials
1893 London office
Became head of Estimating department at Birmingham
1897 Proposed for membership of the IMechE by George E. Belliss and Alfred Morcom
1937 Bio Note [1]
BELLISS, John, M.I.Mech.E.; b. 1867, at Birmingham; s. of John F. Belliss, also of Birmingham. Educ.: Private schools and College at Bewdley and Birmingham. Served engineering apprenticeship, 1883-88, with firm of G. E. Belliss and Co (now Belliss and Morcom, Ltd.). Subsequent experience in fitting up machinery on warships for British and Australian Navies built on the Tyne; London office, 1891-92; Director of Belliss and Morcom, Ltd. Vice-President, Edgbaston Conservative Club; Vice-Chairman, Edgbaston Division, Unionist Association; Vice-President, Birmingham Citizens' Society; President, Edgbaston Division Boy Scouts, etc.; Trustee, Sands Cox Trust, City of Birmingham Friendly Society, etc.; a Special Commissioner of Income Tax; member of Bishop of Birmingham's Commission on Church Extension, 1923-29; President of Birming ham Chamber of Commerce, 1903-31; member of the Council and various Committees, and of the British Industries Fair Management Committee; member of Council of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers; President of Birmingham Association of Mechanical Engineers, 1936-37; Churchwarden at Edgbaston Parish Church, 1922-28; member of Birmingham Assessment Committee since 1932; Bishop of Birmingham's Fund Council Committees; Bir mingham University Advisory Board; life member of British Association; a Governor of Queen's College; Birmingham Rifle Reserve (" D " Company, 1st. Batt., Warwick Volunteer Regt.), 1914; Governor of British Foundry School; m. Mary, d. of William Eames Pain, 1901; one s., three d. Recreations Golf and tennis. Clubs: Chamber of Commerce, Edgbaston Golf Club, Birmingham. Address Darlinghurst, 13, Carpenter Road, Edgbaston.
1938 Obituary [2]
JOHN BELLISS had for many years taken an active interest in Institution affairs. He was elected a Member in 1897 and as Chairman of the Midland Branch he served on the Council during 1934-5. In 1936 he was elected to the Council, on which he was still serving at the time of his death, which occurred in Birmingham on 9th November 1938, at the age of seventy-one years.
Mr. Belliss was largely instrumental in starting the Steam Group of the Institution, and became its first chairman. He also served continuously on the Committee of Management of the Benevolent Fund from 1933 until his death. A nephew of Mr. G. E. Belliss, M.I.Mech.E., the founder of Messrs. G. E. Belliss and Company, of Birmingham, he served his apprenticeship from 1883 to 1888 in his uncle's works, and was then made assistant to the works manager.
He was engaged in the erection of high-speed reciprocating steam engines, compressors, and electric lighting plant, particularly for vessels for the British and Australian navies until 1893, when he returned to Birmingham, and subsequently took charge of the estimating department. The firm later became Messrs. Belliss and Morcom, Ltd., and Mr. Belliss was appointed a director in 1915, after which he devoted himself principally to the sales side of the business. Two years later he began his long association with the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, of which he was elected president in 1930. He was also keenly interested in the Birmingham section of the British Industries Fair and served on the Fair Management Committee.
Among his numerous other activities in Birmingham, were his work for the Birmingham Association of Mechanical Engineers, of which he was president for two years, and his interest in technical education, which received recognition by his election as a governor of Queen's College. He was also a member of the Birmingham University Advisory Board. In addition to his work for his firm, with which he was connected for fifty-five years, and to his interests in local industrial and educational matters, he found time to devote himself to a number of social activities.
1938 Obituary [3]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1937-8 Birmingham Year Book
- ↑ 1938 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Obituaries
- ↑ The Engineer 1938 Jul-Dec: Index
- Proposal for membership of IMechE