Thomas Roland Wollaston
(Thomas) Roland Wollaston (1866-1937)
1866 Born in Stretford, Lancs., son of Edwin and Mary Wollaston[1]
1882 Apprentice to Galloways, Manchester; continued as a draughstman
1890 Manager, W. Sharples and Co, Ramsbottom
1891 Private practice as consulting engineer, steam and power installations
1899 Consulting engineer of Manchester when he was proposed for I Mech E
1911 Living at Dirleton, Priory Road, Sale: Thomas Roland Wollaston (age 44 born Stretford, Lancashire,), Consulting Engineer (Mechanical). With his wife Annie Wollaston (age 41 born Stretford) and their children; Geoffrey Lester Wollaston (age 16 born Bowdon, Cheshire); Keith Roland Wollaston (age 14 born Bowdon, Cheshire); John Dudley Wollaston (age 12 born Bowdon, Cheshire); and Kathleen Mary Wollaston (age 5 born Sale). One servant.[2].
1925 Mr. T. Roland Wollaston, of Lord's Chambers, 26, Corporation-street, Manchester, to state that a private company - Wollaston Gas Producers (Manchester), Limited - has taken over his office, as above, and his present staff, and will hereafter carry on business in so far as it relates to his recovery and non-recovery gas producers, producer-fired steam boilers, and water purification plant, under the joint control of Mr A. V. Wallwork as commercial manager and himself as technical manager.[3]
1937 Obituary [4]
THOMAS ROLAND WOLLASTON founded the firm of Wollaston Gas Producers (Manchester), Ltd., a private limited liability company, in order to exploit a number of patents which he had taken out, in connection with gas producers with pre-coking retorts. His aim was to develop gas producers which could utilize a wide range of fuels of high caking tendencies.
He also practised as a consulting engineer for more than forty years, specializing in steam boilers and engine plant, and in the softening and filtration of feed water, in connection with which he held several patents; these patents were embodied in a large number of water treatment plants constructed to his designs.
Mr. Wollaston was born in 1866 and studied science and modern languages at Owens College, Manchester. In 1882 he commenced his apprenticeship with Messrs. Galloways, Ltd., boilermakers, of Manchester, and served for three years, after which he was engaged by the firm for five years as a draughtsman. He was then appointed manager of Messrs. W. Sharples and Company, of Ramsbottom. In 1891 he commenced his consulting work and was at first engaged on the development of machinery for new processes in the textile and other industries. Later he represented the Power Gas Corporation, Ltd., of Stockton on Tees, the sponsors of the Mond Gas producer with ammonium sulphate recovery, which gave him the experience necessary for taking out his patents and founding the firm named after him.
One of his most important inventions was a patented producer gas—fired boiler. Mr. Wollaston was occupied with his firm's business and with his consulting work until his death, which occurred on 16th June 1937. He was the author of two books, dealing respectively with power plant and filtration.
He had been a Member of the Institution since 1900.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1871 census
- ↑ 1911 Census
- ↑ The Engineer 1925/01/16
- ↑ 1937 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Obituaries
- Mechanical Engineer Records