1896-1897: Edward Windsor Richards

Edward Windsor Richards (1831-1921)

23rd President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Born at Dowlais, Wales in August 1831, Richards was educated at Monmouth and Christ’s Hospital. He served an apprenticeship in the works of Rhymney Iron Co., where his father was the general manager. It was here that his attention was first drawn to the economy of utilizing the waste heat in blast-furnace gases.

He was then employed as assistant and then chief engineer of the Tredegar Iron Works. In 1871 he was appointed the general manager of the Ebbw Vale Works, where he was responsible for planning and laying out the Bessemer Steel Department.

Four years later he was appointed General Manager of Bolckow, Vaughan and Co’s iron works at Middlesbrough, where he was responsible for the design and erection of the Cleveland Steel Works at Eston. These works included three hæmatite blast-furnaces, and Richards’ early efforts at the works contributed to the success of the Gilchrist-Thomas Basic process of making steel from phosphoric ore.

After 13 years at Eston, he left for Low Moor Works, where he worked at the manufacture of wrought iron. This was at a time when wrought iron’s popularity was seriously affected by the basic steel he had helped to develop.

He retired in 1898, but continued to advise the firms he was associated with. He was President of the IMechE in 1896 and 1897, and was President of the Iron and Steel Institute, of which he was an Original Member, in 1894.

He died on 12 November 1921.

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