William Henry Duffett
William Henry Duffett (1883-1948)
1949 Obituary [1]
"WILLIAM HENRY DUFFETT was associated with the electrical side of mechanical engineering during the whole of his career, and at the time of his death, which occurred in June 1948, was occupying the position of engineer and general manager of the Prince of Wales power station, Rotherham.
He was born in 1883 and received his technical education at the Manchester Municipal College of Technology (Victoria University). His apprenticeship was served between 1900 and 1905 with the British Westinghouse Company, Ltd., Manchester, in whose service he continued as assistant electrical engineer, being engaged in superintending the manufacture and testing of electrical gear.
Subsequently he was chiefly concerned with the preparation of estimates and designs for new power stations. In 1912 he accepted an appointment as chief assistant in the power station department of Messrs. Willans and Robinson, Ltd., of Rugby, and three years later was made chief of the department. He began his connection with the Rotherham Borough Council in 1918 with the post of constructional engineer and was placed in charge of the erection and equipment of the new generating station. He was appointed deputy borough electrical engineer in 1921 and was promoted to his final position in 1933. Mr. Duffett was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1921, and was transferred to Membership in 1925. He was also a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, a Fellow of the Institute of Fuel, and a Member of the Institution of Structural Engineers."