Sir John Dewrance GBE FKC (13 March 18587 October 1937) was a British inventor and mechanical engineer.

Early life

John Dewrance was born in 1858 at

Peckham Peckham () is a district in southeast London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon p ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, the only son of pioneering locomotive engineer John Dewrance and his wife Elizabeth. Dewrance was educated at

Charterhouse School (God having given, I gave) , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , president ...

before entering

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

, where he is said to have "paid special attention to chemistry".

Career

In 1879 Dewrence took over the running of Dewrance & Co. Ltd from his father. The following year he took over the research laboratory and staff of Professor Frederick Barff, where he experimented on protecting iron from rust. Dewrance built a formidable body of research early in his career, focussing particularly on lubrication, metallurgy and corrosion; this was reflected in his stints as Chairman of the Alloys Research Committee, Research Advisory Committee, Cutting Tools Research Committee as well as the Finance and House Committee of the

Institute of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 member ...

. Dewrance went on to enjoy exceptional success as an inventor and mechanical engineer, taking out a total of 114 patents relating to steam fittings and boiler mountings. In 1889 he was elected Chairman of Babcock and Wilcox Ltd, and in 1914 Chairman of Deal and Walmer Coalfield Ltd and Kent Coal Concessions Ltd, holding all of these positions until his retirement in July 1937. Dewrance was engaged on Government contracts during the First World War, serving on committees of the

Ministry of Munitions The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort. The position was created in response to the Shell Crisis of ...

, the

Ministry of Labour The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...

and the

Treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or in p ...

. He was first knighted in 1920. Other major appointments for Dewrance included a tenure as President of the

Engineering and Allied Employers' National Federation Make UK, formerly the Engineering Employers' Federation, represents manufacturers in the United Kingdom. Purpose Make UK provides businesses with advice, guidance and support in employment law, employee relations, health, safety, climate and envi ...

between 1920 and 1926, President of the

Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 member ...

and Master of the

Armourers' and Brasiers' Company The Worshipful Company of Armourers and brass, Brasiers is one of the livery company, livery companies of the City of London. The Armourers' Guild was established in 1322; it received a royal charter in 1453. Other companies, including the Arm ...

in 1923,

High Sheriff of Kent The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (prior to 1974 the office previously known as sheriff)."Sheriffs appointed for a county or Greater London shall be known as high sheriffs, and any reference in any enactment or instrum ...

in 1925, and President of the

Institute of Metals The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a UK engineering institution whose activities encompass the whole materials cycle, from exploration and extraction, through characterisation, processing, forming, finishing and applicatio ...

between 1926 and 1928. Dewrance was made a

Fellow of King's College King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

in 1929, where he also sat on the Council until his retirement.

Personal life

Dewrance married Isabella Ann, granddaughter of inventor and mining engineer

Richard Trevithick Richard Trevithick (13 April 1771 – 22 April 1833) was a British inventor and mining engineer. The son of a mining captain, and born in the mining heartland of Cornwall, Trevithick was immersed in mining and engineering from an early age. He w ...

, in 1882. They had a son and a daughter. Dewrance enjoyed riding, shooting and deerstalking in his personal life, and was involved with the

Primrose League The Primrose League was an organisation for spreading Conservative principles in Great Britain. It was founded in 1883. At a late point in its existence, its declared aims (published in the ''Primrose League Gazette'', vol. 83, no. 2, March/April ...

. He was appointed KBE in 1920 and GBE in 1928.

Legacy

Dewrance & Co. Ltd became a wholly owned subsidiary of

Babcock & Wilcox Ltd Babcock International Group plc is a British aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering services company based in London, England. It specialises in managing complex assets and infrastructure. Although the company has civil contracts, its main b ...

following Dewrance's death in 1937. By sheer coincidence, the former Dewrance & Co. headquarters on

Great Dover Street Great Dover Street is a road in Southwark, south London, England. At the northwest end it joins Marshalsea Road and Borough High Street and there is a junction with Long Lane; Borough Underground station is at this location. At the southeast ...

now forms part of a King's College hall of residence. The Sir John Dewrance prize is awarded to the two best mechanical engineering students each year at

City, University of London City, University of London, is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, and a member institution of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute, and became a university when The City Univ ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dewrance, John 1858 births 1937 deaths People educated at Charterhouse School Alumni of King's College London English mechanical engineers