This page contains short biographies of selected individuals who make appearances in the pages of this site. I have launched it in an incomplete state for navigational purposes. I have tried to characterise individuals so that they can be readily found on genealogical websites. It is a small subset of a database of over a thousand entries, and will be occasionally expanded when I get time. Suggestions and corrections welcome.
William Savidge Akerman (b 4/2/1850, Bridgwater, Somerset: d 11/1/1937, Burnham on Sea, Somerset). Grandson of John Board. Joined the company as MD in 1871 and introduced true PC production. Remained MD until his death.
Edward James Board Akerman (b 27/1/1886, Burnham on Sea, Somerset: d 9/4/1974, Salisbury, Wiltshire). Son of W S Akerman: joined Boards 1910: took over as MD on the death of his father.
George Knox Anderson (b 6/11/1854, Faversham, Kent: d 19/3/1941, Canterbury, Kent). See the page on Hilton, Anderson & Brooks.
Harold Hilton Drew Anderson (b 13/3/1867, Westminster, Middlesex: d 7/12/1947, Folkestone, Kent). See the page on Hilton, Anderson & Brooks.
Herbert William Anderson (b 15/10/1858, Lewisham, Kent: d 8/12/1949, Folkestone, Kent). See the page on Hilton, Anderson & Brooks.
John Andrew Anderson (b 30/12/1828, Greenwich, Kent: d 21/12/1912, Faversham, Kent). See the page on Hilton, Anderson & Brooks.
William Curling Anderson (b 4/11/1832, Greenwich, Kent: d 25/3/1907, Sydenham, Kent). See the page on Hilton, Anderson & Brooks.
James Aspdin (b 23/8/1813, Leeds, WR: d 1873, Wakefield, WR). Elder son of Joseph Aspdin. Ran the Ings Road plant until it closed in 1894.
Joseph Aspdin (b 1778, Hunslet, WR: d 20/3/1855, Wakefield, WR). Patented "Portland Cement" in 1824. See page on cement.
William Aspdin (b 23/9/1815, Leeds, WR: d 11/4/1864, Itzehoe, Schleswig Holstein). Younger son of Joseph Aspdin. Developed his father's product into Portland Cement as the term is understood today, in the early 1840s. See page on cement.
Henry Kelway Gwyer Bamber (b 5/2/1864, Pinner, Middlesex: d 20/9/1924, Gravesend, Kent). His father, Henry K Bamber, was an analytical chemist. Educated at UCL and the Royal School of Mines, he then worked in his father's laboratory. In 1887 he became chemist at Dovercourt, and became chemist at Bevans in 1894. He became manager in 1896. With the formation of APCM in 1900 he was made one of the eleven managing directors. He became closely associated with H O O'Hagan. He was a key contributor to the development of the first British Standard for Portland cement in 1904. He organised the purchase and development of APCM's Bamberton plant in Britich Columbia. He continued as managing director after the 1919 reorganisation, but was ousted in the boardroom coup of 1924. He chaired the first International Cement Congress in that year. He had an obituary in Engineering (26/9/1924).
Albert Batchelor (b 7/7/1869, Frindsbury, Kent: d 15/1/1960, Penzance, Cornwall). Second son of George Batchelor, became manager of Crown 1900-1907. On leaving, he undertook not to work in the cement industry, but became manager of Martin Earles 1908-1911. In 1912, he established the Rochester plant, and continued to run it until the plant was taken over by Rugby in 1936.
Arthur Batchelor (b 21/6/1874, Frindsbury, Kent: d 29/9/1952, Seaford, E Sussex). Third son of George Batchelor, established a boat building business in Rochester in 1895. In partnership with E A Glover, established Lewes in 1902.
Eric Batchelor (b 23/4/1905, Brighton, E Sussex: d 1/8/1949, Weybridge, Surrey). Son of Arthur Batchelor. 1922-5 BA engineering Cambridge. 1925-8 apprentice Vickers Armstrong, Barrow. 1928-1939 Horace Boot & Partners. 1939 Manager South Ferriby. 1943 Director Eastwoods.
George Batchelor (b 6/10/1841, Chatham, Kent: d 16/8/1930, Rochester, Kent). Son of a bricklayer, worked for George Burge at Crown from 1853, and became manager 1876-1900. Developed the Batchelor kiln 1876.
Norman Molyneux Benton (b 29/11/1885, Hednesford, Staffordshire: d 8/6/1968, Cranleigh, Surrey). Son of W E Benton. Joint Chairman of Chinnor 1908-1940, and sole chairman until he retired in 1947.
William Elijah Benton (b 16/11/1855, Walsall, Staffordshire: d 13/12/1940, Chinnor, Oxfordshire) was a mining engineer. He bought the Springfield Park brickworks in Acton, Middx., and branched out as a lime merchant, setting up a lime plant at Chinnor with five beehive kilns, commencing in 1908. This followed the construction of the Acton-High Wycombe railway in 1903, allowing direct rail communication between the two sites. After WWI, in partnership with his son Norman Molyneux Benton, a cement plant was constructed and started up in 1921. This had the distinction of being the last plant to be commissioned with intermittent kilns, when most existing cement plants were demolishing their static kilns. He remained joint chairman of the company until his death.
Bertram Blount (born Blunt 26/2/1867, City of London: d 9/4/1921, Kensington, Middlesex) was a consultant chemist and drafted the first (1904) BSI cement specification. After King's College school, he studied analytical chemistry under C L Bloxam, then in 1886 he became an assistant to W Harry Stanger. From 1889 he and Stanger collaborated with Stokes (to no good effect) on the development of rotary kilns. He later became a partner in the consultancy. In 1898, he and Stanger led the British group viewing US rotary kiln operations, and he advised White's to adopt the obsolescent Hurry & Seaman model. After Stanger's death in 1903, he set up on his own. He provided technical input to the hopeless Collos slag cement project. His book describes the technology as it stood around the time of WWI and is authoritative (although not necessarily correct). Literally until his dying day, he maintained that cement should be made by complete liquifaction in a blast furnace. It may safely be said that, in the development of cement technology, none of his contributions were useful, and most were deleterious. He was a member of the editorial board of The Engineer, and many of its articles on cement are in his florid and prolix style. He had obituaries in Nature (5/5/1921 p 306) and The Analyst (XLVI #544).
Charles Edward Blyth (b 20/12/1870, Stockton, Warwickshire: d 3/6/1940, Leamington Hastings, Warwickshire), son of T P Blyth, became a director of Nelsons in 1894. He married Alfred Herbert's sister, Fanny, in 1901. He invented the Atritor. He was an active participant in BPCRA and was one of the few outside Blue Circle to benefit from it.
George Blackstone Blyth (b 9/4/1868, Hampstead, Middlesex: d 13/7/1950, Butlers Marston, Warwickshire), son of T P Blyth, became a director of Nelsons in 1894. Managing Director 1896-1944.
Harold Francis Blyth (b 10/1/1869, Galle, Sri Lanka: d 3/3/1960, Hove, E Sussex), son of T P Blyth, became a director of Nelsons in 1894.
Thomas Philip Blyth (b 1832, Poplar, Middlesex: d 17/6/1896, Birdingbury, Warwickshire) was a London lime merchant taken into partnership with the Nelsons of Stockton in 1870. Three of his sons became directors of the company in 1894. Managing Director of Nelsons from 1886 until his death.
John Board (b 1802, Bridgwater, Somerset: d 24/1/1861, Bridgwater, Somerset). Founder of John Board & Co.
Horace Boot (b 0, : d 0, ).
Edmund Wright Brooks (b 29/9/1834, Melksham, Wiltshire: d 22/6/1928, Grays, Essex). See the page on Hilton, Anderson & Brooks.
Herbert Edmund Brooks (b 8/5/1860, Surbiton, Surrey: d 13/3/1931, Stifford, Essex). See the page on Hilton, Anderson & Brooks.
William Alden Brown (b 9/1/1865, Weybridge, Surrey: d 8/8/1935, Pluckley, Kent) was a mechanical engineer and manufacturing practitioner with an unusually wide range of experience. After 17 years of Government work installing munitions, he joined APCM in 1903 and worked on the Thamesside rotary kiln installations. During 1908-1910 he was manager of a Californian plant, then 1910-1913 oversaw the rebuild of Burham. He then oversaw the building of Aberthaw before returning to armaments work in 1915. After the war, he teamed up with Henry Pooley in cement manufacturing consultancy, and supervised the construction of a plant in Mozambique. His book dates from WWI, and gives an excellent historical perspective on developments to date. His technical understanding was decidedly modern and was way ahead of that of his contemporaries.
David Butler Butler (b 20/4/1865, Cranbrook, Kent: d 30/9/1948, Marden, Kent: Note 1) was son of a farmer, and worked as a clerk at Hollicks in 1881. He joined Henry Faija's consultancy in 1882. He was Manager at Folkestone from 1888 until its closure in 1891, then was chemist at Vectis 1891-1894. He returned to the Faija consultancy as its head on Faija's death in 1894. He collaborated with William Gilbert in plant designs. His books are authoritative on the traditional British manufacturing techniques and correctly anticipated their rapid annihilation by rotary kiln technology.
Charles Townshend Casebourne (b 28/6/1836, Caledon, Co. Tyrone: d 17/5/1897, Greatham, Co. Durham). His father was a civil engineer working on the Ulster Canal, and in 1845 moved to West Hartlepool for construction of the docks. 1862 established cement plant at West Hartlepool, moved to Cliff House in 1866. Went public in 1882, and remained chairman until his death. Obituary by ICE CXXX, p 321. Also Readman and Turley.
Rowland Telford Casebourne (b 5/1877, West Hartlepool: d 2/7/1916, France). Son of C T Casebourne. 1904-1914 Manager, Billingham. Died at the Battle of the Somme.
Charles Percival Elliott Cheffins (b 3/2/1865, Hampstead, Middlesex: d 30/12/1937, Chelsea, Middlesex) was son of C R Cheffins. Manager at Gillingham, 1890-1895, then manager at Swanscombe 1895-1905.
Charles Richard Cheffins (b 22/7/1833, Holborn, Middlesex: d 2/12/1902, Gillingham, Kent) was a chemist and civil engineer and one of the founders of Gillingham, managing it until 1890. Father of C P E Cheffins.
Octavian Julius Croft Corelli (b 8/1/1886, : d 0, ). 1914 Chemist at Aberthaw: 1915 manager. Later plants in Gwalior and Coimbatore.
Arthur Charles Davis (b 23/8/1876, Hoylake, Cheshire: d 27/10/1950, Barrington, Cambridgeshire). View his detailed biography on a separate page.
Bernard Davis (b 3/5/1908, : d 25/5/1983, ). 2nd son of ACD. Manager, Thamesside 1939.
Frederick William Davis (b 3/1874, Birkenhead, Cheshire: d 1961). View his detailed biography on a separate page.
Geoffrey George John Davis (b 23/5/1908, Cambridge: d 7/7/1993). View his detailed biography on a separate page.
Gilbert Davis (b 2/8/1901, Cambridge: d 14/3/1973). View his detailed biography on a separate page.
Edward John Vavasour Earle (b 17/9/1851, Hackney, Middlesex: d 15/11/1923, Camberwell, Surrey) was son of a travelling salesman. Early in his career he became a purveyor of high-end ladies' footwear. He gained Freedom of the City of London in 5/1892 as a Cordwainer. In 1895 he partnered with John Bean Martin and Harry Le Marchant (a friend in footware) to acquire the Wickham cement plant at Strood. Used company money to pursue various ventures, including a failed Italian copper mine, and the patents for Collos slag cement. Ousted from the company in 1909 following an auditors' investigation, he continued touting Collos until his bankruptcy, and died in poverty.
Benjamin Christmas Forder (b 20/12/1873, Buriton, Hampshire: d 9/4/1962, Bradford Abbas, Dorset). View his detailed biography in the Peterborough page.
Benjamin John Harfield Forder (b 3/11/1848, Winchester, Hampshire: d 2/10/1916, Blandford, Dorset). View his detailed biography in the Peterborough page.
Walter Forder (b 0, : d 0, ). MD of Dreadnought.
Alfred Francis (b 1806, Lambeth, Surrey: d 27/11/1871, , ). Second son of Charles Francis and partner in Charles Francis & Sons from 1840. The company was Francis Brothers from 1852. In 1865, he parted from his brother and re-formed Charles Francis & Sons based on the Nine Elms plant. In
Charles Francis (b 11/1777, Lambeth, Surrey: d 10/7/1863, Lambeth, Surrey). Founder of Francis & White at Nine Elms, making Roman cement. Charles Francis & Sons from 1836. Retired 1852.
Charles Larkin Francis (b 12/1801, Lambeth, Surrey: d 3/2/1873, Westminster, Middlesex). Son of Charles Francis and partner in Charles Francis & Sons from 1836. From 1840, he developed Medina cement as a competitor of Portland cement. The company was Francis Brothers from 1852. In 1865, he parted from his brother and formed Charles Francis, Son & Co. to run the Vectis plant. Died bankrupt and intestate.
Gerald Beaufry F Francis (b 1856, Lambeth, Surrey: d 3/3/1924, , ). Third son of Alfred Francis.
Percy Oldfield Francis (b 1847, Lambeth, Surrey: d 1/5/1927, , ). Eldest son of Alfred Francis.
William Holcombe Francis (b 31/8/1848, Lambeth, Surrey: d 1927, , ). Second son of Alfred Francis. Set up Empson, Holcombe & Co with R E Middleton and V D de Michele.
Douglas Haliburton Gibbs (b 29/9/1863, Sewardstone, Essex: d 17/10/1945, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire), son of W A Gibbs. He was chairman of the family cement firm 1884-1898. He was an ordinary director of APCM from 1900. While seeking trade in Mexico in 1911, he purchased the Tolteca plant (built 1909 by Louisville Cement Corp.) and became first managing director of the Tolteca Portland Cement Co. (La Tolteca Compania de Cemento Portland SA). Resigned from the Board of A/BPCM in 7/1924 "to facilitate concentration of management".
William Alfred Gibbs (b 23/10/1819, Islington, Middlesex: d 6/8/1900, Edmonton, Middlesex), together with his brother David Aspland Gibbs (1813-1898), was partner in a soap-making business at Wapping. He is credited with inventing "Gibbs Dentrifice" (Gibbs SR etc). The brothers founded the Thames plant at West Thurrock in 1872.
William Gilbert (b 1867, Billinghay, Kesteven: d 1938). View his detailed biography in the Peterborough page.
Arthur Glover (b 1839, : d 1910, ). Manager Swanscombe ?1875-?1895. Father of E A Glover.
Edward Arthur Glover (b 2/1871, Swanscombe, Kent: d 4/7/1938, Lewes, E Sussex). Son of Arthur Glover. Plant manager Quarry 1893-1901, manager Lewes 1902-1929.
Albert Younglove Gowen (b 8/5/1883, : d 6/1/1965, ). Following from involvement in the cement industry in the USA, Gowen formed the Alpha Company in the UK and in 1933/4 acquired Rodmell - this was followed by Oxford, Cliffe, Kirton Lindsey and Metropolitan. Instrumental in forming an effective Cement Makers Federation.1936 Director Anglo-Alpha Cement Company in South Africa - 1938 A/BPCM/Tunnel take over the Alpha Company - 1940 Director A/BPCM - 1947 Resigned.
Richard Greaves (b 0, : d 1870, ). Founder of Greaves, Bull & Lakin
Isaac Charles Johnson (b 28/1/1811, Battersea, Surrey: d 29/11/1911, Gravesend, Kent).
Arthur James Keeble (b 1857, Hounslow, Middlesex: d 1914, Wereham, Norfolk). View his detailed biography in the Peterborough page.
George Hedley Keeble (b 1854, Hounslow, Middlesex: d 1928, Peterborough). View his detailed biography in the Peterborough page.
George Vincent Maxted (b 30/8/1859, Eastling, Kent: d 27/10/1944, Barnet, Hertfordshire).
Charles Eastland de Michele (b 27/2/1809, : d 19/2/1898, ). Owner/editor Evening Post. 1849-66 British Consul in St Petersburg. 1868 partner in Francis & Co. 1871 Senior partner. 1886 MD.
Vitale Domenico de Michele (b 11/11/1848, : d 21/3/1906, ). Son of C E de Michele. Educated Westminster. 1864 Apprentice, Robert Stephenson, Newcastle. 1868 Manager, Nine Elms, Cliffe. 1871 partner. 1877 While remaining manager at Nine Elms, set up consultancy in Westminster with Reginald Empson Middleton.
Reginald Empson Middleton (b 1844, : d 1/7/1925, ). Educated ar Charterhouse, he became an apprentice at Robert Stephenson, Newcastle, in the company of V D de Michele, with whom he then moved to Cliffe. Set up Empson, Holcombe & Co. with William Holcombe Francis and V D de Michele.
Henry Osborne O'Hagan (b 13/3/1853, Blackburn, Lancashire: d 3/5/1930, Roquebrune, Alpes-Maritimes). View his detailed biography on a separate page.
Weetman Dickenson Pearson (b 15/7/1856, Kirkburton, WR: d 13/5/1927, Echt, Aberdeenshire). S Pearson & Son was a firm of building contractors formed in Yorkshire by Samuel Pearson (1814-1884). He took his son George Asquith Pearson (1834-1899) into partnership. George's son Weetman was privately educated and left school in 1872 to join the family firm as an apprentice. In 1875 he was sent to the USA to find business opportunities for the company. This led to a large amount of new work. In 1879 Samuel retired and passed his partnership to Weetman, at which point Weetman became the driving force of the firm, moving the headquarters to London in 1884. There followed massive expansion throughout Britain and overseas, with the firm specialising in large construction projects - railways, docks, bridges and tunnels, for example the Blackwall Tunnel (1892-97) and the first five of many rail tunnels under the Hudson and East Rivers in New York City (1888-1910).
Weetman became a baronet in 1894. He attempted and failed to get into parliament for Colchester in 1892, but won it as a Liberal in 1895, holding it until he was elevated to the Lords in 1910. He was on the radical wing of the Liberals, campaigning for votes for women, old age pensions and Home Rule for Ireland.
Projects such as the construction of the Grand Canal draining the valley in Mexico City led to close ties with Mexico, and expansion into oil prospecting. This eventually became very lucrative. In view of his patchy attendance in Parliament, Pearson became known as "the honourable member for Mexico". The Mexican oil business was sold to Shell - as Shell-Mex - in 1919. In Britain, the firm took on the construction of the naval dockyard at Dover, necessitating brief entry into the cement industry at Wouldham. During WWI he was co-opted as president of the Air Board. He was made a Viscount in 1917.
After the war, the company continued to expand into a vast horizontally integrated conglomerate, expanding particularly into publishing, which is the main activity of the successor company today. Weetman Pearson has a substantial entry in the Dictionary of National Biography, and a range of Wikipedia articles.
John Wynford Philipps (b 30/5/1860, Warminster, Wiltshire: d 28/3/1938). He was thirteenth baronet of his line and was adequately educated, getting a third from Keble. His prospects received a huge boost when he married into money. He had been Liberal MP for Mid Lanarkshire 1888-1894, and for Pembrokeshire 1898-1908, after which he was elevated to the Lords. As an MP, he has a minimal Wikipedia entry. From 1890, he was involved in a number of investment trusts, particularly interested in shipping and railways internationally. As a member of the 69 Old Broad Street Group of promoters, he provided the capital for the formation of BPCM and became its first chairman. He has a substantial entry in the Dictionary of National Biography
Henry Pooley (b 13/8/1892, Liscard, Cheshire; d 24/10/1964.) was initially apprenticed to the family firm making weighing machines before taking a degree in Engineering at Bristol. He joined forces with William Alden Brown in the construction of a cement plant in Mozambique (1922-1924). He then set up on his own, and set up Green Island (Hong Kong) in 1926. He was consultant for Coltness 1933-1935 and later set up Metropolitan, as well as many overseas projects. He continued Brown's association with Aberthaw and Rhoose, and specialised in dust precipitator installation.
Andrew Armstrong Short (b 26/4/1883, Newcastle on Tyne: d 23/12/1948, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire) was a draughtsman in many roles including 1908-1912 for Edgar Allen. 1919-1924 chief engineer at Rhoose and from 1924 manager at Chinnor. Became managing director in 1940.
Halley Stewart (b 18/1/1838, Barnet, Hertfordshire: d 26/1/1937, Harpenden, Hertfordshire). View his detailed biography in the Peterborough page.
Percy Malcolm Stewart (b 9/5/1872, Hastings, East Sussex: d 27/2/1951, Sandy, Bedfordshire). View his detailed biography in the Peterborough page.
Robert Curling Styles (b 21/11/1872, Swanscombe, Kent: d 29/10/1913, Chigwell, Essex) was the son of the farmer at Knockholt, and studied analytical chemistry, becoming works chemist at Swanscombe in the 1890s.
William Tingey (b 0, : d 0, ).
William Tingey Jr (b 0, : d 0, ). 1900 director APCM
Alfred Tolhurst (b 1834, Sedlescombe, East Sussex: d 12/1/1913, Edenbridge, Kent). Son of a farm labourer, he commenced work as a solicitor's clerk in Gravesend in 1850 and became a solicitor in 1865. He developed a large legal partnership, and put the profits into land and property. In 1893 he bought the Rosher quarry lands, initially selling ballast chalk. In 1896 he set up his cement plant, while still selling commercial chalk. He sold out to BPCM in 1911.
Philip Walmesley Tolhurst (b 13/12/1874, Northfleet, Kent: d 25/5/1922, Gravesend, Kent). Son of Alfred Tolhurst. A graduate civil engineer. Participated in the foundation of the Aberthaw company in 1912.
Adolphus Octavius Trechmann (b 1867, : d 30/1/1948, ). Youngest son of P O E Trechmann. Trechmann Weekes. 1911 director BPCM.
Carl Otto Trechmann (b 19/3/1851, : d 29/6/1917, ). Son of P O E Trechmann. Manager Warren.
Charles Taylor Trechmann (b 1885, : d 1964, ). Son of C O Trechmann
Otto Kramer Trechmann (b 1854, : d 14/1/1917, ). Son of P O E Trechmann. Clerk then Sales Manager Warren
Peter Otto Eduard Trechmann (b 1820, : d 0, ).
Thomas Hutchinson Tristram (b 24/9/1825, Eglingham, Northumberland: d 8/3/1912, Hampton, Middlesex). Member of the extinct College of Doctors of Law. Chancellor of dioceses of London, Chichester, Hereford, Ripon and Wakefield. Stood for parliament as Tory for Hartlepool 1880. Came third. 1882-1897 director of Casebournes. 1897-1912 Chairman.
Francis Thomas Tristram (b 19/10/1864, City of London: d 2/3/1953, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes). Son of T H Tristram. 1897-1914 MD of Casebournes.
Frederick Anthony White I (b 18/2/1842, Westminster, Middlesex: d 23/11/1933, Kensington, Middlesex). See Whites page.
George Frederick White (b 24/12/1816, Battersea, Surrey: d 11/8/1898, Wimborne, Dorset). See Whites page.
John Bazley White I (b 7/10/1784, Stepney, Middlesex: d 22/10/1867, Kidbooke, Kent). See Whites page.
John Bazley White II (b 23/4/1814, Battersea, Surrey: d 9/3/1893, Newton Abbot, Devon). See Whites page.
John Bazley White III (b 18/4/1848, Clapham, Surrey: d 9/2/1927, Hove, East Sussex). See Whites page.
Leedham White (b 8/7/1838, Westminster, Middlesex: d 26/1/1905, Kensington, Middlesex). See Whites page.
Tyndale White (b 1849, Newington, Surrey: d 27/11/1927, Ongar, Essex). See Whites page.
Note 1. The name is odd - his mother was not a Butler, but it is given thus both in the 1911 census and in his probate record.