Percival Herbert Symonds

Percival Herbert Symonds (1878-1938)

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1938 Obituary

'The news of the death in his Sixtieth Year of Mr. Percival Herbert Symonds at his home at Hatch End, Middlesex, on Monday May 23rd, will be received with profound regret by a wide circle of friends in the engineering profession. Cremation took, piece at Golder's Green on Thursday, 26th May.

'Mr, Symonds had been prominently connected with mechanical and with electrical engineering for many years. At the time of his death he was special sales representative of English Electric Company, his office being located at the company's Stafford Works.

'He was educated at the Grammar School and the Brassey Institute, Hastings; Rutherford and Durham Colleges, Newcastle-on-Tyne; and the Technical College, Manchester. For three years he was an apprentice in the works of Upfield and Sons, General Engineers, Hastings. After a further year's experience as an improver, he joined the staff of Swan, Hunter and Company. Ltd., where he remained for 5 1/2 years. Here he was connected with the first turbine-driven vessel built by them, and also with the experimental ship-model tests Northumberland Dock, for the "Mauretania."

'In 1905 he joined the then British Westinghouse Company Ltd., and was engaged in their Turbine Department until when he left to join the Steam Turbine Department of Willans and Robinson Ltd., Rugby. where he remained until 1910. At this date he joined the Brush Electrical Engineering Company as Turbine Sales Manager, and was pioneer of sales of the Ljungstrom Turbine in this country.

'In 1913 he re-joined Willans and Robinson as their representative in the northern part of the country. He was situated in Sheffield and carried on there through the War, taking care of the company's munition work in the area, and amongst other war work acted as local assistant to the coal controller.

'From 1920 to date he was with the English Electric Company (formed to take over Wilans and Robinson Ltd., and other Companies) and operated as branch manager at Manchester. Early in 1922 he went to London as Chief Turbine Sales Engineer to the Company. In 1918 when a re-arrangement of the branch territories of the company was made, he returned to Manchester as manager of the northern territory. In 1927 he returned to the head office of the company (then in London) as a special representative assisting in sales management and in control of the company's home branch offices. On transference of the company's head-quarters to Stafford, he continued to operate from that works: whilst at Stafford he acted also as the host in the company's guest house "The Old Hough"; here colleagues at home and from overseas, as well as customer friends from all over the world met the ' charm and kindliness of his personality which will be held by all with much affection.'

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1938 Obituary

PERCIVAL HERBERT SYMONDS was for many years special sales representative of the English Electric Company. He was born in 1878 and received his technical education at Rutherford College, and at the Durham College of Science, Newcastle upon Tyne.

From 1895 to 1898 he served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Upfield and Sons, general engineers, of Hastings, and after remaining with the firm for another year he joined Messrs. Wigham Richardson and Company, Ltd., as a draughtsman in their engine works at Newcastle. He subsequently became assistant to the shipyard engineer, and in 1903 was promoted to be chief draughtsman and chief of the testing department under Mr. John Tweedy, M.I.Mech.E.

Two years later he was appointed leading draughtsman in the turbine department of the British Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company, Ltd., at Trafford Park, and in 1907 he took up a similar position with Messrs. Willans and Robinson, Ltd., Rugby. He went to Loughborough in 1910 as engineer in the sales department of the Brush Electrical Engineering Company, Ltd., but returned to Messrs. Willans and Robinson three years later as branch manager. In 1918 he joined Messrs. Dick, Kerr and Company, Ltd., as branch manager in London. His connection with the English Electric Company, which was formed to take over Messrs. Willans and Robinson and other companies, dated from 1920.

Mr. Symonds was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1906 and was transferred to Membership in 1918. He was also an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. His death occurred on 23rd May 1938.

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