Peter Urmston
Peter Urmston (1865-1935)
1935 Obituary [1]
PETER URMSTON was engaged for many years in Russia as engineer to various large textile mills, of which he had made a special study.
He was born in 1865 and received his technical education at Bolton Mechanics' Institute and in Antwerp.
From 1880 to 1886 he served his apprenticeship in the general engineering works of Messrs. Jackson and Brother, of Bolton, remaining with the firm for an additional two years in charge of the erection of machinery at home and abroad.
He then joined Messrs. Mather and Platt and took charge of the installation of machinery, chiefly on foreign contracts, including that for the calico printing plant for a firm at Lodz, Poland. He was then invited to occupy the position of engineer to a large group of cotton mills in Lodz, owned by Messrs. I. K. Poznanski. This he accepted in 1889, and held the appointment for ten years. He afterwards became chief engineer to the Danelowa Manufactur, a textile and dyeing business in Moscow controlling numerous factories, taking full responsibility to the Russian Government for the machinery and plant of one of the largest manufacturing concerns in Russia. He introduced oil-fired boilers for steam generation and carried out some pioneer applications of superheated steam for process work.
In 1917 he was obliged to leave Moscow, after the revolution, and to return to England by a circuitous route. He rejoined Messrs. Mather and Platt, specializing in work in connexion with textile machinery, and travelling extensively in the firm's interests. In addition, he frequently lectured before technical societies on machinery for weaving, bleaching, and dying.
Mr. Urmston was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1901 and was transferred to Membership in 1906.
His death occurred in Stockport on 21st September 1935.