Walter Adolph Vignoles
Walter Adolph Vignoles (c1874-1953) of Evershed and Vignoles
1953 Obituary [1]
WE regret to have to record the death of Lieut.-Colonel Walter Adolph Vignoles, D.S.O., M.I.E.E., which occurred on Saturday last, October 24th, at Fair Acre, East Horsley, Surrey.
Colonel Vignoles, who was in his eightieth year, had had a long association with the firm of Evershed and Vignoles, Ltd., Acton London, W.3, of which he had been joint managing director. He retired from the board a few years ago.
W. A. Vignoles received his technical education at the Finsbury Technical College, and his early practical training with W. T. Goolden and Co.
Subsequently, from 1895 to 1899, he was engaged in the drawing-office of Crompton and Co., Ltd. - now Crompton Parkinson, Ltd. at Chelmsford, and before leaving there had succeeded to the position of chief draughtsman.
Colonel Vignoles then joined the staff of the late Sir Alexander Kennedy, acting as resident engineer for the erection of the Grimsby power station from 1899 to 1901. In the latter year, he was appointed electrical engineer to the Grimsby Corporation, in which position he continued for twenty-six years, apart from the period of the first world war, during which he was on active service in France.
Colonel Vignoles left Grimsby in 1927 to become Director of the British Electrical Development Association.
He joined the board of Evershed and Vignoles, Ltd., in 1928, and relinquished his directorship of B.E.D.A. in 1930 on being appointed joint managing director of Evershed and Vignoles, Ltd. Ill-health compelled him to retire from that office in 1941, but he continued to serve as a director of the company for several years afterwards.
Colonel Vignoles had served on the council of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and on the council of Beama. In addition, he took an active part in the work of the Incorporated Municipal Electrical Association, of which he was president in 1922-23.