John Henry Rew
John Henry Rew (1848-1906)
1906 Obituary [1]
JAMES HENRY REW was born at Stanley, Perthshire, on 27th June 1848, and received his early education at Whiteinch public school, Glasgow.
Having early evinced a mechanical turn of mind, he was apprenticed to the late firm of Messrs. Thomas Wingate and Co., with whom he served his whole time, and was then advanced rapidly to the positions of foreman and draughtsman, and shortly after he occupied similar positions in the service of is firm of engineers in Maryhill, Glasgow.
The late Mr. John Wilson, at one time M.P. for Govan, appointed him in 1876 principal foreman in his Gorbals Works, and then Manager of his new tube works at Govan, which were designed and supervised during construction by Mr. Rew, who was thus their original architect and engineer, the duties of which offices he continued to exercise and discharge in connection with all subsequent additions and reconstructions.
These works, as originally designed, were completed in 1880, and he conducted their management until 1898, in July of which year he was placed in charge of the large works then being projected by Messrs. A. and J. Stewart and Menzies (now Messrs. Stewarts and Lloyds) and for which an extensive piece of ground had been acquired close to Airdrie. In the planning, laying-down and equipping of these, the Imperial Tube Works, he rendered able assistance to the present Chairman of Messrs. Stewarts and Lloyds, and his management of them was satisfactory and successful.
He was a mechanic and engineer of great and varied attainments and exceptional ability, who was much respected both by his employers and workmen.
His death took place after a short illness at his residence at Airdrie, on 19th June 1906, in his fifty-eighth year.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1895.