Percy Griffith
Percy Griffith (1865-1940)
54 Parliament Street, Westminster, SW.
1940 Obituary [1]
THE Institution of Water Engineers has lost one of its original members and most active officers by the death, on October 23, of Mr. Percy Griffith, M.Inst.C.E., consulting water engineer, of 39, Victoria-street, Westminster.
Mr. Griffith, who was born on June 9, 1865, was educated at private schools in London and at Bexley, Kent, matriculating in 1880, and entering as a student in the engineering department at King's College, London.
In 1881, however, he transferred to the Crystal Palace School of Engineering, where he remained until the end of the following year.
From 1883 to 1886, he was an apprentice with Messrs. H. Young and Company, then at the Eccleston Ironworks, Pimlico, and on completing his apprenticeship served for two years in their drawing office and as resident engineer during the erection of pumping machinery at Godalming Water Works.
Mr. Griffith's career as a consultant began in 1888 with a post as assistant to Mr. W. Jabez Church, M.Inst.C.E., whose practice embraced gas works as well as water-supply undertakings; and, during the next four years, he was concerned with new plant or extensions at Braintree, Halstead, Saffron Walden, Gainsborough, and other water works, and at the gas works at Brentwood, Woking, Cromer, and Ilford, among others.
Towards the end of 1892, he was taken into partnership, and, when Mr. Church died in 1896, continued the practice alone. Works subsequently designed and constructed by him or under his supervision include water-works plant at Lincoln, Chelmsford, Skegness, Selby, Cowes, and Llandrindod Wells, and various gas works or plant extensions. He contributed various papers to technical institutions, and wrote a book on Waterworks Law for Small Towns.
As mentioned, Mr. Griffith was a prominent member of the Institution of Water Engineers. He acted as secretary from 1899 to 1921, and served on the Council from 1921 to 1928. In 1937, the Council marked their appreciation of his long and intimate connection with the Institution by electing him honorary member. He became an associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1892, being transferred to member in 1901; and was elected member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1895. He was also a member of the Association of Consulting Engineers, and a Fellow of the Geological Society and of the Royal Sanitary Institute. Since 1929, he had been associated in practice with Mr. Herbert G. Hoskings, M.Inst.C.E.
1945 Obituary [2]
PERCY GRIFFITH was well known as a consulting engineer specializing in water supply schemes. He was born in 1865, and took an engineering course at King's College, London, and at the Crystal Palace School of Engineering. He served his apprenticeship from 1883 to 1886 with Messrs. H. Young and Company and subsequently at the Eccleston Iron Works, Pimlico, on the conclusion of which, he remained with the firm for a further two years as draughtsman and later as resident engineer in charge of the erection of pumping machinery.
He began his career as a consultant as far back as 1888, when he entered the office of Mr. W. Jabez Church as an assistant. Four years later he was taken into partnership and on the death of Mr. Church in 1896 continued in the practice on his own account until 1929 when he became associated with Mr. Herbert G. Hoskings. He was responsible, either singly or jointly, for the carrying out of many water supply schemes in all parts of the country and continued in that work up to the time of his death, which occurred on 23rd October 1940. Mr. Griffith contributed various papers to technical societies and was the author of a book entitled "Waterworks Law for Small Towns".
He had been elected a Member of the Institution since 1895 and was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. In addition he was a founder member of the Institution of Water Engineers (for which society he acted as secretary from 1899 to 1924), a Fellow of the Geological Society, and of the Royal Sanitary Institute.