Donald Grafton Simpson
Donald Grafton Simpson (1873-1941)
1942 Obituary [1]
DONALD GRAFTON SIMPSON, V.D., was the senior partner of Messrs. D. M. Simpson and Company, consulting engineers, of Barbados, at the time of his death, which occurred on 25th May 1941. He had been associated with that firm for the whole of his professional career.
He was born in Barbados in 1873 and was educated at Harrison College in that island and later at Sutton Valence School, in Kent, where he obtained a three years' scholarship to the City and Guilds of London College. After serving his apprenticeship from. 1894 to 1897 with Messrs. George Fletcher and Company, Ltd., sugar machinery manufacturers, of Derby, he returned to Barbados to assist in the management of the Trafalgar engineering works of Messrs. D. M. Simpson, the firm which was founded by his father in 1868.
He was personally responsible for the design and erection of many of the local sugar factories, and was most successful in the design of furnaces for raising steam with megass. In addition to his connection with rum refineries and ice plant, he was often consulted on questions dealing with sugar factories and other plant in neighbouring islands.
Mr. Simpson, who had been an Associate Member of the Institution since 1900, received the Volunteer Decoration for his long service in the Local Defence Force, in which he was second-in-command when he retired with the rank of major. He served as a Member of the Committee of the Caribbean Branch of the Institution from its inception in 1938 until the time of his death.