William Edward Edgcombe
William Edward Edgcombe (1874-1915)
1916 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM EDWARD EDGCOMBE was born on 6th January 1874.
He was educated at Kelly College, Tavistock, from 1887 to 1890, and then for a year at Farnah Hall, Derby.
He served his apprenticeship from 1891 to 1895 at the Locomotive Works of the London and North Western Railway, Crewe; during this period he attended classes and lectures at Crewe Mechanics' Institute and at Owens College, Manchester.
From 1895-6 he was a private pupil of the late Mr. F. W. Webb, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Western Railway, and then entered the service of the Company. He acted for three years as draughtsman in the Works at Crewe, and then for three years as assistant-superintendent in the Locomotive Running Department, Southern Division.
From 1902 to 1903 he acted as Rolling Stock Inspector for Sir A. M. Rendel and Co., Consulting Engineers.
From 1903-14 he was successively Assistant Locomotive Superintendent and District Locomotive Superintendent on the East Indian Railway, and in June 1914 he was appointed Locomotive, Carriage, and Wagon Superintendent on the Barsi Light Railway, Deccan.
He arrived in England early in July 1915 on leave, and sailed again on 18th December to resume his duties, accompanied by his wife.
Both were lost in the S.S. "Persia," which was destroyed in the Mediterranean by an enemy submarine, on 28th December 1915.
He was elected an Associate Member of this Institution in 1907.