Archibald Potter Head
Archibald Potter Head (1866-1905)
son of Jeremiah Head (1835-1899)
1905 Obituary [1]
ARCHIBALD POTTER HEAD was born at Coatham, Redcar, on 4th August 1866, and was educated at Clifton College.
At the age of seventeen he entered the North Eastern Steel Works, Middlesbrough, for a few months until, in January 1884, he went to the neighbouring works of Messrs. Fox, Head and Co. There he spent six months in the pattern shop and three months in the smiths' shop.
In September 1884 he became a pupil of Messrs. R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Co., of St. Peter's Works, Newcastle-on-Tyne; and in 1886 was sent by them to St. Petersburg for six months, where he assisted in the completion and trials of the engines of a Russian war-ship. On his return to this country in January 1887, he entered the drawing office of the same firm, where he remained until the completion of his apprenticeship in September 1888.
He next commenced a two years' engineering course at University College, London, under Professor Kennedy and Professor Beare. During this period he was successful in obtaining the Gilchrist Scholarship of the value of £80, and in the next session was appointed demonstrator to the mechanical drawing class.
In August 1890 he became assistant to his father, the late Mr. Jeremiah Head, Past-President, in Middlesbrough, and was taken into partnership in 1893, when they moved to London and commenced business there as Messrs. Jeremiah Head and Son, having also a branch at Middlesbrough.
On the death of his father in 1899 ho carried on the business alone until 1904, when his brother Mr. Benjamin W. Head - was taken into partnership. A considerable portion of his time was spent abroad, chiefly in the United States, where his business engagements took him, for he was managing director, as well as consulting engineer, of the Otis Steel Co., of Cleveland, Ohio.
It was his practice to visit these works at least once every year, and it was while he was returning home from the last of these visits that he met with his death. His firm was also sole European representative of the Wellman, Seaver, Morgan Co., of Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition to reading Papers before the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Society of Arts, and other societies, he contributed one to this Institution in conjunction with Colonel Cubillo, on "The Manufacture of Cartridge-Cases for Quick-firing Guns," the reading of which did not, however, take place until after his death.
As mentioned above, he was returning from Cleveland by the "Twentieth Century" Express on the New York Central Railway when the engine, travelling at 75 miles an hour, left the rails. The momentum was such that the tender was hurled over the engine, and the combination coach in which he was seated was thrown on the engine. The injuries he received were so serious that, after lingering for twelve hours, his death took place in the Cleveland Hospital on 22nd Juno 1905, in his thirty-ninth year.
He was elected a Graduate of this Institution in 1885, and was transferred to full membership in 1892. He was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, of the Iron and Steel Institute, and of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
1906 Obituary [2]
ARCHIBALD POTTER HEAD died on the 21st June, 1905, at Mentor on the New York Central Railroad, from injuries sustained in an accident to the "Twentieth Century" express in which he was travelling whilst on one of his frequent business visits to the United States. The son of the late Mr. Jeremiah Head, the subject of this notice was born at Redcar on the 4th August, 1866, and obtained his practical training at the works of Messrs. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Newcastle-on-Tyne. On the completion of his pupilage, he spent 2 years at University College, London, as a student under Professor (now Sir Alexander) Kennedy, to whose influence and instruction Mr. Head always gratefully acknowledged his indebtedness.
After serving 3 years as an assistant to his father, he became a partner in 1894 in the firm of Jeremiah Head and Sons, and carried on business in Westminster in conjunction with his father until the latter’s death in 1899.
After that date, he practised alone until 1904, when he took his brother Mr. B. W. Head into partnership. In addition to his practice at home, Mr. Head succeeded his father as Managing Director and Engineer of the Otis Steel Company, Limited, an English company having steelworks at Cleveland, Ohio, and his firm were the European representatives of the Wellman-Seaver, Morgan Company, Limited, of Cleveland.
Mr. Head also acted as Consulting Engineer to the Royal Spanish Arsenal at Trubia, for the installation of the whole of their new cartridge-making plant, plate-rolling mill and other equipment. In the same capacity he was responsible for the construction of steelmaking plants for the North Eastern Company, Middlesbrough; Vickers, Sons and Maxim, Limited, Sheffield; the Earl of Dudley’s Round Oak Works, Brierley Hill; Acieries de Longwy, France; and many other companies.
His American interests necessitated his spending a considerable portion of his time abroad, chiefly in the United States, and a short time before his death he undertook a business tour round the world. It was while returning from the last of his visits to Cleveland, Ohio, that he met his death.
Mr. Head was a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Electrical Engineers, and the Iron and Steel Institute. He lectured on the South Russian iron-industry before the Society of Arts, and made valuable contributions to the proceedings of other bodies, as well as to the columns of the technical press, In conjunction with his father, he contributed in 1899 the Proceedings of this Institution a Paper on the "Lake Superior Iron Ore Mines," for which he was awarded a Telford premium.
Mr. Head was elected an Associate Member of this Institution on the 6th March, 1894, and was transferred to the class of Members on the 11th December, 1901.
1905 Obituary [3]
ARCHIBALD POTTER HEAD died on June 21, 1905, from the effects of a railway accident during a journey from Chicago to New York. He was the son of the late Mr. Jeremiah Head, well known in the iron and steel industries, and in the engineering world, both at home and abroad. He was born at Redcar in 1866, and educated at Clifton College, and in 1884 became a pupil at the works of Messrs. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co., Newcastle-on-Tyne, remaining there till 1888. After leaving Newcastle he went through the engineering course at University College. On leaving college in 1890 he joined his father in his consulting practice in Middlesbrough, and when the latter established his business in London in 1893 he was taken into partnership, the firm being known as Jeremiah Head & Son.
On the death of his father he carried on the business alone till 1904, when he took his brother, Mr. B. W. Head, into partnership. His firm represented the European interests of the Wellman, Seaver, Morgan Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, and he spent a considerable portion of his time in the United States, for he was managing director and consulting engineer of the Otis Steel Company at Cleveland, Ohio. He was appointed managing director in 1899, and had been secretary to the company since 1895. It was his practice to visit these works twice annually, and it was while returning home from the last of these visits that he met with his death. He was elected a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1885, an associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1894, and a member in 1901. Papers were read by him before that Institution, for one of which, on "The Lake Superior Iron Ore Mines, and their Influence upon the Production of Iron and Steel," read during the session 1898-1899, he obtained the Telford premium. To the Society of Arts he contributed, in 1902, an important paper on the South Russian iron industry.
He was a frequent attendant at meetings of the Iron and Steel Institute, to which he was elected a member in 1890. In 1899 he read a paper on tilting open-hearth furnaces. He had acted as scrutineer, and at the May meeting this year he moved the vote of thanks to the President.
1905 Obituary [4]
ARCHIBALD P. HEAD was one of the victims of the railway accident which took place at Mentor, on the New York Central Railway, on June 21, 1905.
He was born at Redcar in 1866, and was educated at Clifton College. He was a pupil at the Works of Messrs. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co., of Newcastle, from 1884 to 1888, and on leaving the Newcastle Works he followed the engineering course at University College, London, under Professor A. B. W. Kennedy.
On leaving College in 1890, Mr. Head joined his father, the late Mr. Jeremiah Head, in his consulting practice at Middlesbrough, and he founded with him, in 1893, the London firm known as Jeremiah Head & Son. After his father's death he carried on the business alone for a few years until he took into partnership his brother, Mr. B. W. Head.
He spent a considerable portion of his time in the United States, where he was managing director and consulting engineer of the Otis Steel Company. It was his practice to visit the Company's Works twice a year, and it was while he was returning home from one of these visits that he met with his death. His firm also represented the interests in Europe of the Wellman, Seaver Morgan Company of Cleveland, Ohio, and he was well known as consulting engineer for the iron and steel industries both at home and abroad.
Mr. Head was elected a member of the Institution in 1898.
1905 Obituary [5]
1905 Obituary [6]