Charles Ernest Watson
Charles Ernest Watson (1882-1937)
1937 Obituary [1]
CHARLES ERNEST WATSON was for many years director of public works and secretary to the British Municipal Council, Shameen, China, during which time he also had supervision of the Police Department.
He was born in Hankow in 1882, and completed a five years' apprenticeship in 1903 at the Shanghai works of Messrs. S. C. Farnham and Company, Ltd., engineers and shipbuilders. After gaining further experience during two years spent at sea, he joined the Shanghai-Nanking Railway as workshop foreman. He was transferred to the Canton-Kowloon Railway in 1908, and became works manager in 1911.
In 1915 he was appointed locomotive superintendent, and in 1913 chief mechanical engineer. He was responsible for the erection of the main workshops of the company and he drove the first train from Canton to Shumchun at the official opening of the railway. Mr. Watson served on the committee appointed in connection with the Commission on Railway Technics of the Ministry of Communications, Peking, which was concerned with the standardization of materials and rolling stock for Chinese railways. His work was officially recognized in 1918, when the Ministry awarded him the Board of Communications Medal of Merit.
Mr. Watson joined Messrs. B. Christiansen and Company, of Shameen, in 1920, as manager of the engineering department, and held this position until he received his appointment with the British Municipal Council, Shameen, in 1922. He retired in 1934 and lived in Hong Kong, where his death occurred on 28th June 1937.
He had been a Member of the Institution since 1919.
1938 Obituary.[2]
Charles Ernest Watson, elected a member in 1918, was born in September, 1882. He received his early education at the Mission School, Hankow, and, later, at Shanghai Public School.
Mr. Watson served his engineering apprenticeship with Messrs. S. C. Farnham & Co., Ltd., of Shanghai, from 1898 to 1903, after which he entered the Company’s Drawing Office. For a time he was third engineer with the China Merchants Steam Navigation Co., and, in 1906, joined the Shanghai-Nanking Railway as a Workshop Foreman. He was later transferred to the Canton-Kowloon Railway and in 1911 became Works Manager. Four years later he was appointed Locomotive Superintendent and Works Manager and, on 1st January, 1918, was made Chief Mechanical Engineer, from which position he resigned in 1920, after 15 years’ service with the Chinese Government Railways.
In August, 1918, he was decorated with the Board of Communications Medal of Merit, 1st Class, in recognition of his services. Mr. Watson then joined the firm of Messrs. B. Christiansen & Co., Shameen (Canton), as Manager of the Engineering Department.
He took a great interest in public service and was appointed Director of Public Works and Secretary of the Police Department of the British Municipal Council, Shameen.
A keen sportsman, he was one of the founders of the Tungshan Recreation Club.
He died on 28th June, 1937, in his 55th year.