James Sidney Drewry (1882-1952), joint managing director of Shelvoke and Drewry
1882 November 19th. Born the son of Charles Stewart Drewry
1889 Admitted to Jessop Road School
1891 Living at 1 Market Place, Camberwell: Charles S. Drewry (age 49 born Notting Hill), Mechanical Engineer - Employer. With his wife Julia F. Drewry (age 41 born Edinburgh) and their eight children; Charles S. Drewry (age 14 born Plaistow), Shop Boy; Maud M. Drewry (age 12 born born Plaistow); Annie I. Drewry (age 10 born Bow); William C. Drewry (age 9 born Clapton); James S. Drewry (age 8 born Clapton); Harold V. Drewry (age 7 born Walworth); Julia T. Drewry (age 4 born Buckhurst Hill); and Alfred V. Drewry (age 3 born East Dulwich).[1]
1901 Living at 34, Kestrel Avenue, Lambeth: Charles S. Drewry (age 58 born Notting Hill), Mechanical Engineer and Employer. With his wife Julia F. Drewry (age 52 born Edinburgh) and their children; James S. Drewry (age 18 born London Ashton), Mechanical Engineer; Vincent H. Drewry (age 17 born London Walworth Road), Shorthand Clerk; Julia T. Drewry (age 14 born Buckhurst Hill); Alfred V. F. Drewry (age 13 born Finsbury Park). Also his wife's nieces Teresa J. Wood (age 13 born Lambeth) and Jessie M. Wood (age 11 born Lambeth).[2]
1901-04 Cape to Cairo Railway Construction
1904-08 Dir. Drewry Car Co., manufacturing railway cars
1908-11 with B.S.A. Co.
1910 Married at Teddington to Mabel May Hyde. He is resident at 138 Oakwood Road, Birmingham.
1911 Living at 138 Oakwood Road, Sparkhill. Birmingham: James Sidney Drewry (age 28 born London), Manager of Motor manufactory. With his wife Mary Drewry (age 22 born Kingston) and a cousin.[3]
1911-22 Chief Engineer Lacre Motor Co.
1911 Birth of daughter Barbara Cecelia Drewry (1937 Married to Thomas Donald Easton)
1913 Birth of daughter Christine Hilda May Drewry (Unmarried)
1914 Patent 18514. Lacre Motor Car Co and J. S. Drewry: Apparatus for proportioning, vaporizing, and carburetting fuel for internal-combustion engines.[4]
1916 Patent. Lifting Jacks.[5]
1922 'James S. Drewry (40), engineer, 5, Baldock Road, Letchworth, was summoned for driving a motor-car to the danger of the public at Hitchin on November 21st. Mr. T. Ottaway and Mr. George Passingham appeared respectively for the prosecution and defence. According to the evidence, the defendant's car and a Hitchin motorcyclist attempted to pass the Shell Mex lorry at the same time, the car striking the handlebars of the motor-cyclist, with the result that the latter struck a perambulator on which was a musical instrument and was in charge of a one-legged man. The defendant, who said knew nothing about the motor-cyclist striking his car, contended that there was plenty of room for both the motorcyclist and himself to pass the lorry.'[6]
1952 December 14th. Died
1953 Obituary [7]
We have learned with regret of the death of Mr. James Sidney Drewry, M.I.Mech.E., which occurred at Letchworth, Herts, on December 14th last.
Mr. Drewry, who was seventy, began his career in his family's cycle business at Herne Hill, and subsequently joined the De Dion Company as a junior engineer.
Later, he did a great deal of work in the design and production of road and rail cars, and for several years was joint managing director of Shelvoke and Drewry, Ltd., from which office he retired in 1936.