Percy Grant
Percy Grant (c1867-1936), managing director of the Vickers Train Lighting Co
1886 Assistant Locomotive, Carriage, and Wagon Superintendent, Sola Works, Ferro Carril del Sad, Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic
1936 Obituary [1]
PERCY GRANT held the position of managing director of the Vickers Train Lighting Company, Ltd.
He was a pupil of Mr. James Stirling, M.I.Mech.E., at the Ashford works of the South Eastern Railway, where he served from 1885 to 1889.
He went to Buenos Aires in the latter year as assistant mechanical engineer on the Great Southern Railway, and was later promoted to be chief draughtsman in the locomotive, carriage, and wagon department. From 1895 to 1907 he was chief assistant locomotive superintendent.
He then went, into business on his own account, and founded the firm of Percy Grant and Company, in Buenos Aires.
In 1917 he returned to England and joined Messrs. Vickers, Ltd., as London representative of the Sheffield works. He was appointed special director in control of commercial sales in 1921, and in the following year he became one of the joint general managers of the London office.
In 1928 he also assumed control of the train-lighting department, and after that branch of the firm's activities was formed into a separate company, he became its managing director, and at that time relinquished his other duties in order to develop the company's business.
Mr. Grant's long connexion with the Institution dated back to 1886, when he was elected a Graduate. In 1892 he was transferred to Membership.
He died on 22nd December 1936, in his seventieth year.
1936 Obituary.[2]
Percy Grant, elected a Member in 1919, received his early education at the Royal Academy at Gosport, and his technical training at the Technical High School, Hanover, Germany, where he obtained a 1st class certificate in Science and Machine design.
On returning to England in 1884 he commenced his engineering apprenticeship with the South Eastern Rly. Co., at Ashford works, and on completion, went to South America and joined the Buenos Ayres Great Southern Rly. as a draughtsman in the loco, and carriage dept. In 1895 he was appointed asst. Loco. Carriage and Wagon Supt., which post he held until 1906 when he went into the engineering business, forming the well known firm of Percy Grant & Co. Ltd., of which he was managing director from 1906 to 1917.
Returning- to England in 1917 he joined Messrs. Vickers Ltd., as the London representative of their Sheffield works, and in 1921, was appointed special director in control of commercial sales.
From 1922 to 1926 he was one of the joint and general managers of the London office of the company and in 1928 assumed control of the Train Lighting Dept., which was later formed into Vickers Train Lighting Co. Ltd., of which he was made managing director.
He died on Dec. 22nd, in his 70th year.