John Bilbie
John Bilbie (1853-1925)
1926 Obituary [1]
JOHN BILBIE was born in 1853, and was educated at the Nottingham Grammar School.
He served his apprenticeship from 1869 to 1874 with Messrs. Simon and Son, Engineers, Nottingham, and after the completion of his indentures remained with that firm for four years, first as assistant-manager and draughtsman, and afterwards as works manager, gaining in these positions special acquaintance with gas-engine matters and with printing machinery.
In 1878 he went to France in charge of gas-engine and other displays at the Paris Exhibition, and subsequently, after spending some time with Messrs. Newsum Wood and Dyson, of Leeds, on new developments of printing machinery, he joined, as works manager, in 1879, the firm of Mr. J. E. H. Andrew, Engineer, Stockport, to assist in the development of the "Bisschop" gas-engine, a non-compression engine of small size of which Mr. Andrew had acquired the English rights.
Later, this make was followed by the Stockport two-stroke cycle engine, and then the Stockport Otto cycle engine, with other subsequent types made by [Richard Hornsby and Sons|Messrs. Hornsby]], of Grantham, and later by Messrs. Ruston and Hornsby, Ltd.
In 1883 Mr. Bilbie became London Manager for this well-known Stockport firm, and four years later was appointed London Agent.
In 1890 he founded the firm — Messrs. Bilbie, Hobson and Co., of Queen Victoria Street, London — to further his gas-engine interests, and with this business he was connected as principal up to the time of his death, which occurred on 13th May 1925.
He joined this Institution as Member in 1898.