Samuel Thomas Gresham
Samuel Thomas Gresham (1867-1938)
1938 Obituary.[1]
Samuel Thomas Gresham was one of the earliest members of the Institution, having been elected in 1913. He was born on the 28th July, 1867, was educated at Bedford School and served his apprenticeship at Gresham and Craven’s works at Manchester, the firm established by his father, the late Mr. James Gresham.
At the age of 22 he went to India as representative of the Vacuum Brake Co., Ltd., and carried through the series of trials that were then being held on the Quetta Section
5<>3 of the N.W. Rlv. in competition with the Westinghouse system. These trials resulted, as is well known, in the adoption of the vacuum brake as standard on the railways of India, which reflected no small credit on Mr. Gresham.
For a time he joined the staff of the North Western Rly. to supervise all matters connected with the braking of locomotives and rolling stock, but, with the rapid extension of the vacuum brake on Indian railways, his services were in general demand and the firm of Heatly and Gresham was founded in Calcutta for this purpose. Under the guidance of Mr. Gresham, this firm extended its activities by representing well-known railway equipment firms and established offices in Bombay, Madras and Lahore.
Mr. Gresham returned to England many years ago, and spent most of his time at the London office of Messrs. Heatly and Gresham, Ltd. He was managing director of Messrs. Gresham and Craven, Ltd., and Messrs. Heatly and Gresham, Ltd.
He was active up to the last and died quite suddenly on 15th July, 1938, when on a visit to Manchester.
1938 Obituary [2]
...chairman and managing director of Heatly and Gresham, Ltd., of London and India...