David Halton Thomson
David Halton Thomson (1886-1959) of Portsmouth Waterworks
1926 'D. Holton Thomson, M.A., who was yesterday appointed Engineer of the Portsmouth Waterworks Company, succession to Mr. Herbert Ashley, the Engineer and Manager, has had extensive and varied experience. Previously Mr. Thomson held the position Assistant Engineer, and has been in Company's service for 14 years. Mr. Thomson received his preliminary engineering training at Cambridge university, obtaining honours in the Mechanical Sciences Tripos and passing first class in the special examination in geology, a subject of prime importance water supply. The whole of his professional career has been connected with waterworks. He was a pupil first under the late Dr. G. F. Deacon, who was the engineer responsible for the Liverpool water supply from Lake Vyrnwy, in North Wales, and after the death of Dr. Deacon he was pupil under the late Sir Alexander Binnie, Past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and at one time Chief Engineer to the London County Council. Mr. Thomson subsequently became assistant in Sir Alexander’s firm, and so gained extensive knowledge of large water undertakings. He has also had experience in the shops of Messrs. Worthington-Simpson, Ltd. (then known as J. Simpson and Co.), the well-known pumping-engine manufacturers, of Newark-upon-Trent. In 1913 Mr. Thomson was appointed Chief Engineering Assistant to the Portsmouth Waterworks Company, and subsequently he became the Assistant Engineer. During the whole of his fourteen years in Portsmouth has been closely associated with Mr. Ashley in the maintenance and recent developments of the local water supply. In addition to being a Master of Arts Cambridge University, Mr. Thomson is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Associate Member the Institution Mechanical Engineers. He was for two years Chairman of the Geology and Geography Section the Portsmouth Literary and Philosophical Society, and is Vice-President of the Municipal College Engineering Society.'[1]
1959 Obituary [2]
David Halton Thomson, O.B.E., M.A., who served as Chairman of the Southern Branch in 1940 and 1941, died on 17th January 1959.
Born in 1886, he was educated at Highgate School, London, and at schools in France and Germany. He took an engineering course at Cambridge University in 1903-06 and gained the Mechanical Sciences Tripos with honours. In. 1911 he became an M.A.(Cantab.). During his apprenticeship he gained considerable experience in the design and construction of large waterworks schemes and it was as a water engineer that he made his career.
After a period of some years with Sir Alex. Binnie, Son and Deacon, he joined the Portsmouth Waterworks Co. in 1912 as Chief Engineering Assistant; he was promoted Assistant Engineer to the same company in 1924 and became Engineer to the Borough of Portsmouth Waterworks Co. in 1926 until his retirement on 2nd May 1950.
He was awarded the O.B.E. in 1944.
Mr Thomson was elected an Associate Member in 1919 and transferred to Member in 1929. He was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and of the Institution of Water Engineers.
1959 Obituary [3]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Portsmouth Evening News - Friday 23 April 1926
- ↑ 1959 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Obituaries
- ↑ 1959 Institution of Civil Engineers: Obituaries