Kenneth Phipson Hawksley
Kenneth Phipson Hawksley (1869-1924) of T. and C. Hawksley
son of Charles Hawksley
1924 Obituary [1]
KENNETH PHIPSON HAWKSLEY was born in London on 15th September 1869, and was educated at Wellington College and Trinity College, Cambridge.
He served his pupilage with his father, the late Mr. Charles Hawksley, Member of Council of this Institution, and in the year 1900 was taken into partnership in the firm of T. and C. Hawksley.
He was associated with a large number of water undertakings, amongst others Bristol, Bognor, Herts and Essex, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Newcastle, Southend, West Gloucestershire, and Worthing. In many of these cases the works were designed and superintended by him.
On the death of Mr. Charles Hawksley, Mr. Kenneth Hawksley came rapidly to the front as an Engineering expert, and his services were in frequent demand before Parliamentary Committees. He was a clear and effective witness, and his opinion carried great weight before Committees.
During the War he acted as Consulting Engineer to the Ministry of Munitions with respect to the water supplies for the High Explosive Works in various parts of the country. He was associated with the late Lord Moulton in selecting suitable sites, and subsequently designed and carried out the extensive waterworks at Gretna, Queen's Ferry, Avonmouth, and Henbury. This work had to be done at great speed, and entailed in some cases a supply of water of 12 million gallons per day. He was entirely successful in these undertakings, and received the warm thanks of Lord Moulton and those in association with him.
At the time of his death he held the position of Consulting Engineer to the Durham County Water Board, and almost his last work was to lay down the design of a large impounding reservoir for that Board.
Mr. Hawksley not only had great engineering skill, but a complete knowledge of the organization and management of water undertakings, not only on the engineering side, but also on the financial, and he was constantly consulted with respect to the details of administration.
His death took place after a long illness on 2nd May 1924, in his fifty-fifth year.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1900, and he was also a Member of Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
1924 Obituary [2]