Philip Simcock
Philip Simcock (1870-1939)
1940 Obituary [1]
PHILIP SIMCOCK, who was associated with the cement industry for over thirty years, died at Portrush, County Antrim, on 6th November 1939. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1870, and served a five years' apprenticeship from 1885 to 1890 in the works of Messrs. Douglass Brothers, of Helensville, Auckland. He spent a year as a fitter in the works of the Kauri Timber Company, Auckland, and then went to Newcastle, New South Wales, where for six months he was engaged in the engine works of Messrs. E. E. Robbins.
In 1891 he went to sea and during the next ten years he served as engineer on various ships; for the last five years of this period he was first engineer in the steamers of the Asiatic Steam Navigation Company, Ltd., of Calcutta. In 1902 he joined the Green Island Cement Company, Hong Kong, and in 1903 was appointed assistant engineer to this company. In this capacity he was responsible for the erection of power plant, grinding machinery, and rotary kilns, capable of producing 200 tons of cement per day. In 1908 he became manager of the firm's works at Macao, a position he held until 1912, when he was appointed general manager of the Katni Cement and Industrial Company, Ltd., in the Central Provinces, India. He was responsible for the preliminary survey and the erection of the company's works which produced 30,000 tons of cement a year.
During 1914-18, Mr. Simcock was engaged on important war work in England, and immediately after the cessation of hostilities he went to India, where he carried out extensive investigations on raw material for cement manufacture, for the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers, Ltd. From 1919 to 1920 he supervised the construction of this company's Indian works. Subsequently he was concerned with the selection of sites for cement works in India and Burma, and with further research on raw material for the industry. In 1935 he became associated with Mr. H. Pooley in carrying out investigations into the properties of cement in South Africa. He retired in 1937.
Mr. Simcock was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1903 and was transferred to Membership in 1913.