Walter Henry Gaunt
Walter Henry Gaunt (1874-1951)
1953 Obituary [1]
WALTER HENRY GAUNT, whose death occurred on 31st October 1951, for many years held the important position of distribution and traffic manager for J. Lyons and Company, Ltd., Cadby Hall, London, with responsibility for the provision and maintenance of some 1,800 motor vehicles.
He was born in 1874 and, on leaving Manchester Grammar School in 1890, continued his studies at Manchester Municipal College of Technology and Owens College, Victoria University.
His apprenticeship was served at the carriage and rolling stock works of the Ashbury Company, Ltd., Openshaw, Manchester, from 1890 to 1895, in the employment of which he continued for another year as assistant to the works manager.
After acting as outside assistant to the engineer of the British Gas Traction Company, he joined the staff of Trafford Park Estates, Ltd., in 1899, and for the next six years held the position of traffic manager, his duties in this respect including the development of the estate generally.
He then became managing agent for First Garden City, Ltd., in which capacity he was responsible for providing industrial facilities, such as railway sidings and the supply of gas, water, and electricity.
From 1916 to 1919 he served in the coal mines department of the Board of Trade as distribution superintendent, after which he took up his final appointment at Cadby Hall. In addition to the running of the fleet of motor vehicles he was responsible for the organization and supervision of railway and shipping facilities for the firm.
Mr. Gaunt had been a Member of the Institution of Automobile Engineers since 1931. He had also served as a vice-president of the Institute of Transport and was sometime chairman of the Mansion House Association on Transport.