Edward Homer Jeffreys (1855-1934)
of 5 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W.
1934 Obituary [1]
EDWARD HOMER JEFFREYS had been on the roll of the Institution for no less than fifty-seven years, having been elected a Graduate in 1877 and transferred to Membership in 1882.
He was born in 1855 and was apprenticed to the late Mr. E. Wilson, of Dean's Yard, London, and was engaged from 1874 to 1876 on the construction of a railway between North Walsham and Cromer, now part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway.
After a short period under Mr. E. Fletcher, M.I.Mech.E., in the North Eastern Railway locomotive shops at York, he entered the Midland Railway works at Derby under Mr. S. W. Johnson, M.I.Mech.E. (Past-President).
Subsequently he joined Messrs. Kitson and Company, Airedale Foundry, Leeds, but left in 1880, in which year he commenced his association with the Monk Bridge Iron Company, Leeds, which he maintained throughout the remainder of his life. When the firm opened their London offices, Mr. Jeffreys took charge, and represented the company there for many years. The company was largely engaged in the manufacture of best Yorkshire iron for railway rolling stock. The firm also was early in the introduction of the Siemens-Martin acid process for steel manufacture and in 1887 became a limited liability company under the style of the Monk Bridge Iron and Steel Company. A few years later Mr. Jeffreys was elected to the board of directors, and in this capacity he travelled extensively abroad in the firm's interests, visiting Australia, South Africa, Canada, and South America.
Of late years he had retired from executive work for the company, but retained his seat on the board and kept in close touch with the business.
His death occurred on 10th June 1934, in his eightieth year.