John Edward Rycroft
John Edward Rycroft (c1867-1941)
1941 Obituary [1]
JOHN EDWARD RYCROFT had been an Associate Member of the Institution for forty-four years, having been elected in 1897. He served his apprenticeship from 1883 to 1888, in the engineering works of Messrs. Holden, Burnley and Company in Bradford, and, after being employed in the fitting shop of Messrs. Darling and Sellers, machine tool makers, at Keighley, he returned to Messrs. Holden as a draughtsman in 1889, and remained with the firm until 1892. He was then appointed chief assistant to the late Professor G. F. Charnock, M.I.Mech.E., in the Engineering Department of Bradford Technical College, where he had received his technical education, and held the posts of instructor in mechanical drawing and lecturer to the junior classes in engineering science. He also acted as assistant in the testing laboratory.
Mr. Rycroft retired from this position in 1927, when he joined the Port of London Authority, by whom he was employed on inspection work in the North of England. His knowledge of the strength and testing of materials well fitted him for this appointment. He continued in this capacity up to the time of his death, which occurred on 8th April 1941, in his seventy-fourth year.