Alfred William Kent Barker
Alfred William Kent Barker (c1871-1944)
1871 January 16th. Born in Cambridge the son of Joshua Barker and his wife Sarah Kent Hart
1891 Married Susan Jane Lewis
1944 July 13th. Died. of 12 Alpha Road, Chesterton, Cambridge. probate to Harry Alfred Barker, schoolmaster, and Leslie Lewis Barker, foreman tool tester.
1946 Obituary [1]
ALFRED WILLIAM KENT BARKER was in the service of the University of Cambridge for fifty years, and from 1915 until his retirement in 1936 held the responsible position of manager of the engineering laboratories. After serving his apprenticeship as a fitter and turner in the late Professor James Stuart's workshops, he was employed from 1891 as a scientific instrument maker under Professor J. A. Ewing, and was responsible for the manufacture of the Ewing extensometer, hysteresis tester, and permeability bridge, in addition to a great variety of experimental apparatus for purposes of research and the equipment of the laboratory.
Later he took charge of the staff of instrument makers, continuing in this work until 1915 when he was appointed manager of the engineering workshops with responsibility for the upkeep and repair of the machines and apparatus; the construction of new machinery and apparatus for research under the direction of the Professor of Mechanical Sciences; and the manufacture of the above-mentioned Ewing instruments. In addition he personally assisted the late Professor Hopkinson in confidential and important experimental work relating to effects of explosives, etc.
Mr. Barker, whose death occurred on 13th July 1944 at the age of 73, was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1921. In recognition of his distinguished service the degree of Master of Arts was conferred on him by the University of Cambridge.