Sydney Thornton Dobson
Sydney Thornton Dobson (1866-1916)
1916 Obituary [1]
SYDNEY THORNTON DOBSON was born in London on 20th January 1866.
He was educated at St. Paul's College, Stony Stratford, and at King's College School, London, and pursued his technical studies at the School of Electrical Engineering, Hanover Square, London.
Having acquired some preliminary experience during a stay of twelve months with Messrs. Edmunds and Goolden, electrical engineers, he went to the Arc Works of Messrs. Crompton and Co., Chelmsford, where he served a further apprenticeship of three years, 1884-1887, acting towards the end of his time as Second Engineer at their electric lighting station at Tilbury Docks.
In 1887 he joined the electrical department of the Imperial Continental Gas Association, and took charge of their Central Station in Vienna, which was at that time the largest example of the supply of electricity at low pressure and with storage batteries.
On his return to England in 1889 he was appointed Chief Engineer to the St. James's and Pall Mall Electric Light Co., Ltd., a post which he held at the time of his death.
In 1900, when the Central Electric Supply Co., Ltd., was formed for the distribution of electricity in bulk, he was associated with Sir Alexander Kennedy as Joint Engineer of the scheme.
He was accidentally drowned, at the age of fifty, by falling from his motor yacht in Poole Harbour, on 5th July 1916.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1899. He was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Member of Council of the Institution of Electrical Engineers from 1902 to 1905.
1916 Obituary [2]
SYDNEY THORNTON DOBSON, born on the 20th January, 1866, met his death by drowning in Poole Harbour on the 3rd July, 1916.
Trained under Messrs. Crompton and Company, he joined in 1887 the staff of the Imperial Continental Gas Association, and was placed in charge of their central station at Vienna.
Returning to England in 1889, he was appointed Chief Engineer to the St. James’ and Pall Mall Electric Light Company, and designed and carried out the works and plant of the Company.
In 1900 he was associated with Sir Alexander Kennedy, Past-President, as Joint Engineer of the Central Electric Supply Company, Limited.
He was elected an Associate Member on the 3rd February, 1891, and was transferred to the class of Members on the 15th March, 1898.
1917 Obituary [3]
SYDNEY THORNTON DOBSON was the fifth son of the late Henry Holmes Dobson, of Piccadilly, and was born in London on the 20th January, 1866.
He was educated at St. Paul's College, Stoney Stratford, and at King's College School, London, and studied at the School of Electrical Engineering, Princes-street, Hanover-square.
After serving for 12 months with Messrs. Edmunds and Goolden, he was apprenticed in 1884 to Messrs. R. E. Crompton & Co., passing through all departments of their works, and later acting as second engineer at their electric lighting station at Tilbury Docks.
In 1887 he joined the electrical staff of the Imperial Continental Gas Association, and as senior assistant had charge of their central station in Vienna for the electric lighting of the Court Theatres, which was at that time the largest example of the supply of electricity at low pressure and with storage batteries.
In 1889 he returned to England, and was appointed chief engineer to the St. James' and Pall Mall Electric Light Company, then just commencing supply, and he occupied that position at the time of his death.
In 1900, when the Central Electric Supply Company was formed for the supply of electricity in bulk, he was associated with Sir Alexander Kennedy as joint engineer of the scheme.
His professional life was entirely devoted to the interests of these electric supply undertakings, and their success is in no small measure due to his high technical skill and sound judgment.
He was accidentally drowned through a fall from his motor yacht in Poole Harbour on the 5th July, 1916.
Though he never cared to take the prominent position in public to which his abilities and force of character entitled him, he was known and appreciated by a large circle of friends and his loss will be deeply regretted by them, as well as by the even larger circle of those who from time to time had the advantage of his ready assistance and advice.
He was elected a Member of the Institution in 1889, and served on the Council from 1902 to 1905.