Alfred Ellis Ash
Alfred Ellis Ash (c1867-1940), director Vauxhall
1911 Living at Vauxhall House, Kimpton Road, Luton: Alfred Ellis Ash (age 44 born Wakefield), Director and Manager of General Engineering Works - Employer. He notes that his family are at Bournemouth for a few weeks.[1]
1940 Obituary [2]
Many of our' readers connected with marine engineering will regret to learn of the death last week of Mr. Alfred Ellis Ash, which took place in a nursing home in Birkenhead, following some weeks of illness.
Mr. Ash was the superintendent engineer of the Lancashire Shipping Co., Ltd., the managers of which are James Chambers and Co.
Mr. Ash was born in Wakefield in 1868, and was educated at Royston School, near Doncaster, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield, and Bradford Engineering College.
He began his engineering apprenticeship at the Cunard Line's engine works, Bootle, Liverpool, in 1885, and four years later he went to sea as an engineer in one of the Cunard Mediterranean ships, the "Malta" From her he was transferred to the "Aleppo," the first ship in the Cunard fleet to be propelled by a triple-expansion engine.
Subsequently, he served in the famous record-breaking liners, the "Campania" and "Lucania" and while in the former be put forward the suggestion that the fitting of retarders to the boilers would improve the steaming and reduce the coal consumption of the ship. The result was a reduction of 50 tons a day in coal consumption .
In 1897 Mr. Ash left the sea to become works manager of the Vauxhall Engineering Company, then builders of marine engines and auxiliary machinery at Vauxhall, London, S.W. Within eighteen months he was appointed a director, and in 1902 he and another director designed and built the first Vauxhall motor-car.
He returned exclusively to marine work in 1912, when he was invited by the late Sir John Esplen, Bart., to join the firm of William Esplen and Sons, the consulting marine engineers and naval architects, of James’ Street, Liverpool.
During the war of 1914 to 1918 Mr. Ash served for a time on the staff of the Ministry of Shipping. After the war he was concerned with the design and construction of the motor cargo vessel, “Raby Castle," which was equipped with North Eastern Werkspoor machinery.
In 1929 he designed the coal-burning installation in the "Berwindlea," the first British ship to be equipped with pulverised coal firing.
In 1930 Mr. Ash resigned his directorship of Messrs. Esplen in order to take up the post of superintendent engineer of the Lancashire Shipping Company, Ltd. His latest ships were those fitted with North Eastern Marine reheater engines.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1911 Census
- ↑ The Engineer 1940 Jul-Dec: Index