Alfred Cooksley
Alfred Cooksley (1875-1938)
1938 Obituary [1]
ALFRED COOKSLEY was proprietor of the firm of Messrs. A. Cooksley, woodworking machinery engineers, London. He was born in 1875 and was educated at the Merchant Venturers' Technical College, Bristol.
In 1892 he commenced a four years' apprenticeship with Messrs. H. O. Strong and Company, general engineers, of Bristol. and subsequently entered the drawing office. He was appointed in 1901 chief draughtsman at the London branch of Messrs. Kirchner and Company, sawmill and woodworking machinery engineers, and was later promoted to be chief engineer and assistant manager, and finally manager, to the firm.
Among several important sawmill installations for which he was responsible were those of Messrs. William Beardmore and Company, Ltd., at Dalmuir; Messrs. D. and W. Henderson, at Partick; the Caledonian Railway works, at St. Rollox; and Messrs. Harland and Wolff, at Belfast. He was the inventor of improved dovetailing machines, and he also brought out improvements in chain mortising machines; all of these inventions were patented and were extensively used on Government contracts during the War.
In 1916 Mr. Cooksley purchased the business of Messrs. Kirchner from the Controller for the Board of Trade, and thereupon became sole proprietor, a position which he continued to hold until his death, which occurred on 7th April 1938.
He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1905 and was transferred to Membership in 1917.