George Bower (1827-1911)
George Bower,c1880
Born1827
Either Caistor or Carlton-le-Moorland, Lincolnshire
Died29 November 1911
NationalityEnglish
Occupation(s)Inventor, Foundry owner and Gas Equipment Manufacturer.
Known forBower–Barff process

George Bower (1827-1911), was the owner of the Vulcan Iron Works, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire and was a leading manufacturer of equipment for gasworks. He is also described as a waterworks engineer, and manufacturer of gas stoves and stationary steam engines. In 1855 he patented the National Gas Apparatus.[1] This was intended for sale to Country Houses and factories. By 1856 Bower started to concentrate on larger schemes for providing gasworks and established the Provincial Gaslight and Coke Company. In 1862 he patented George Bower's Bye-Pass Valves and Governor for Gas Works[2] He also worked on the development with Frederick Barth on the Bower–Barff process for the oxidisation of cast iron to form a rustless surface. This process is still widely used to-day.

Initially Bower was very successful with the construction of larger gasworks, but he lost money on a large scheme to provide gas lighting for Rio de Janeiro and in 1889 he was declared bankrupt,[3] but he appears to have come to an agreement with his creditors and continued to operate the Vulcan Iron Works with his son Anthony Bower.[4]

He died on 29 November 1911 at the age of 85. A newspaper obituary said, "He installed gas and water works in all poarts of the world, and was the inventor of many improvements in connexion with gas lighting.[5]

Plaque that reads 'George Bower 1826-1911 Industrialist & developer of gas appliances worldwide Lived at the Shrubbery 1861-1911'
Plaque for George Bower in St Neots

References

  1. ↑ Royal Letters Patent, No. 920, June, 1855.
  2. ↑ The Practical Mechanic's Journal, 1 July 1862, p.93 and Plate 289
  3. ↑ Bedfordshire Times and Independent - Saturday 09 April 1887
  4. ↑ Grace’s Guide to British Industry
  5. ↑ Mr. George Bower, obituary in the Times Newspaper, 30 November 1911


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