Edward William Anderson
Edward William Anderson (1857-1940) of Easton and Anderson and Easton, Anderson and Goolden, Erith Iron Works, Erith, S.O., Kent.
Probably the son of William Anderson
1941 Obituary [1]
EDWARD WILLIAM ANDERSON was a member of the Institution for sixty years, having been elected a Graduate in 1880 and transferred to Membership in 1892. His father, the late Sir William Anderson, K.C.B., D.C.L., F.R.S., was President in 1892-3. Mr. Anderson took an active part in the life of the Institution, and, besides being the author of papers on the Grafton high-speed steam-engine, and on hydraulic rams, he served on the Midland Branch Committee from 1921 to 1929. He was also an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
He was born in 1857 and educated at Brighton College and in the applied science section of King's College, London, where he obtained the Easton scholarship which entitled him to undergo 3 years' practical course at the Erith works of his father's firm of Messrs. Easton and Anderson. On the completion of his apprenticeship he was retained as assistant engineer and later represented the firm in Antwerp where he took charge of the construction of waterworks. He also superintended other engineering work in Egypt. He was manager of the Erith Iron Works for five years and became a director in 1889. The firm carried out pioneer work in the development of cordite, and he made the first plans of machinery for its manufacture. He continued in this branch of his work at Woolwich Arsenal, and later became associated with Messrs. Kynoch, Ltd., for whom he supervised the manufacture of machine gun ammunition and quick-firing shells and fuses.
His last appointment was that of inspector at the Birmingham Metal and Munition Works, where he remained through the war of 1914-18. On his retirement from active work, he assisted his friend Mr. J. W. Hall for a number of years in his private engineering business. Mr. Anderson, whose death occurred on 22nd November 1940, was an accomplished organist, and, as a hobby, made a pipe organ which is still in use.