William Owen-Griffiths
William Owen-Griffiths (c1887-1947)
1948 Obituary [1]
"WILLIAM OWEN-GRIFFITHS, whose death in his sixtieth year occurred on 4th July 1947, was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1909 and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1914.
He was educated at the Manchester School of Technology, where he won the Herbert Birley Prize, and served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Frank Pearn and Company, Ltd., hydraulic engineers, of Manchester, from 1902 to 1909. After some experience as a turbine fitter to the British Thomson Houston Company, Ltd., at Rugby, and with Messrs. Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd., of Birkenhead, in a similar capacity, he joined the staff of Messrs. Guthrie and Company, Ltd., and was appointed assistant constructional engineer at Singapore, subsequently becoming inspecting engineer.
During the war of 1914-18 he served in the Public Works Department of the Government of Nigeria as power station engineer and later, on his return to England, received a commission in the Royal Engineers. In 1919 he rejoined Messrs. Guthrie and Company, and for five years was chief engineer at the London office and in the Straits Settlements. He then began to practise on his own account as a consultant in Westminster, continuing in that capacity until his death. Mr. Owen-Griffiths in later years specialized in plastics, on which he became an authority. During the development of this new industry he was largely instrumental in advancing processes from the laboratory stage to commercial production. Later he was responsible for the design and installation of plant."