Samuel George Homfray
Samuel George Homfray (1855-1908)
1908 Obituary [1]
SAMUEL GEORGE HOMFRAY was born at Tredegar, Mon., on 4th July 1855, being the son of the late Captain S. G. Homfray and grandson of Samuel Homfray, who was for thirty years managing partner of Tredegar Iron Works.
He was educated at Cheltenham College, and in 1872 entered the Elswick Works of Sir W. G. Armstrong and Co. as a pupil.
After this training he was appointed in 1879 assistant London and outdoor manager, succeeding in 1896 to the position of London and outdoor manager, and in 1902 he became senior joint manager of the engine works department of the Elswick Works.
He was concerned with many important hydraulic installations and undertakings carried out by the firm with which he was connected, including the swing-bridge over the River Tyne in 1876; the installation of hydraulic machinery on the Manchester Ship Canal, completed in 1894; the Tower Bridge, 1894; Port Talbot Dock, 1899; Surrey Commercial Dock Extension, 1903; Leith Imperial Dock, 1901; Burntisland New Dock, 1901; Grangemouth HOW Dock, 1906; Cardiff, Queen Alexandra Dock, 1907; Avonmouth, Royal Edward Dock, 1908; and many other works at home and abroad.
He took an active interest in Freemasonry, and held at one time and another many important offices. He was a Justice of the Peace for the County of Monmouthshire.
His death took place at his residence in London, after an operation, on 14th October 1908, at the age of fifty-three.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1895; and he was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
1908 Obituary [2]
. . . the son of Captain Samuel George Homfray, J.P., of Newport, Mon., grandson of Samuel Homfray, J.P., D.L., for thirty years managing partner of Tredegar Ironworks, and great-grandson of Samuel Homfray, J.P., L.L., of Penydaren, Glamorganshire. The latter, with his two brothers, Jeremiah and Thomas, after migrating from Staffordshire to South Wales, was very largely responsible for the early ironworks in South Wales. . . . He entered the Elswick Works of Sir W. G. Armstrong and Co. in 1872 as a pupil, . . . [more]
1909 Obituary [3]
SAMUEL GEORGE HOMFRAY died at his residence, 22, Pembridge Villas, Bayswater, on the 14th October, 1908, aged 53. Born at Tredegar, Mon., in 1855, he was the son of the late Captail1 Samuel George Homfray, J.P., of Newport, Mon., and great grandson of the Samuel Hornfray, of Penydaren, Glamorgan, for whom Richard Trevithick made the first locomotive engine to run upon rails, and who was hugely responsible for the introduction of ironworks into South Wales.
The subject of this notice was educated at Cheltenham College, and in 1872 he entered as a pupil the Elswick works of Sir W. G. Armstrong and Company, now Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company, Limited, with which firm he was connected until his death.
In 1879 he was appointed assistant London and outdoor manager, succeeding in 1896 to the position of London and outdoor manager, and in 1902, on the retirement of Mr. H. O. Rendel, he became senior joint manager of the Engine Works department of the Elswick works. Amongst the many important undertakings with which he was connected on behalf of the Elswick company during his period of management, may be mentioned the hydraulic installation at the Manchester Ship Canal, the Tower Bridge machinery, and installations at Port Talbot dock, Surrey Commercial dock extensions, Imperial dock, Leith, Burntisland new dock, Grangemouth new dock, Queen Alexandra dock, Cardiff, Royal Edward dock, Avonmouth, and many other works at home and abroad. In 1896 he presented to The Institution a Paper on “ The Machinery of the Tower Bridge,” for which he was awarded a Telford premium.
In private life he took a keen interest in Freemasonry, and served several offices in connection with the craft. He was a Justice of the Peace for the county of Monmouthshire, and was a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He married, in 1887, Emily Agnes, daughter of Mr. Joseph Lane, of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and leaves a son and two daughters.
Mr. Homfray was elected a Member of The Institution on the 8th January, 1895