Walter Henry Gaunt (born in Bradford, Yorkshire, 13 January 1874 – 31 October 1951) was an English transport engineer who began his working life developing and building gas-powered trams. He was educated at

Manchester Grammar School The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) in Manchester, England, is the largest independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1515 as a Grammar school#free tuition, free grammar school next to Manchester C ...

before joining the Ashbury Company in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

as an apprentice. The works at Ashbury supplied the trams for Britain's first gas-powered tramway, the Blackpool, St Annes and Lytham tramway, operated by the

British Gas Traction Company The British Gas Traction Company was incorporated on 13 July 1896 with an initial capitalisation of £250,000. Its major shareholders were Russell Cummins and John Fletcher Moulton M.P. The company was set up to operate gas-powered trams, whi ...

. Gaunt transferred to the tramway company in 1896, and then became manager of a similar gas-powered scheme at

Trafford Park Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, opposite Salford Quays on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, southwest of Manchester city centre and north of Stretford. Until the l ...

in 1896. Following the financial collapse of the Gas Traction Company in 1898 Gaunt was appointed manager of Trafford Park's gas and electric tramways, a position he held until 1905, when the operation of the electric line was taken over by the corporations of Manchester and Salford. Gaunt then moved south to manage the world's first garden city, at

Letchworth Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is noted for being the first garden city. The population at the time of the 2011 census was 33,249. Letchworth ...

. During the First World War he worked for the Coal Mines Department of the Board of Trade as a distribution superintendent in charge of coal, gas, and electricity. He subsequently joined J. Lyons & Co. as a transport manager, and eventually rose to become a director of the company. In 1940 Gaunt became transport adviser to the

Ministry of Food An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

. Gaunt married Kate (''née'' Brooks Kearsley) in 1900. The couple had no children, and she died in 1941. He was a member 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 a vice-president of the Institute of Transport. He was awarded a

C.B.E. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in 1938. Gaunt is buried in

Letchworth Cemetery Letchworth Cemetery (properly the Icknield Way Cemetery) was the first burial ground for Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire. Letchworth's first cemetery and bordered by Icknield Way and Wilbury Hills Road, the cemetery is now closed for new ...

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaunt, Walter Henry 1874 births 1951 deaths Burials in Hertfordshire