Donald Enock c1895
Vera Cargill Enock (née Clulee) (1882-1976). |
Date of marriage: Thursday, 2nd November, 1905.
Place of marriage: St. Cyprian's Church, 603 Umbilo Road, Glenwood, Durban, South Africa.
1868-1871 - 13, Balsall Heath Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England.
Approximate location.
1872-1874 - 62 (now 121) "Florence Villa", Pershore Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
1875-1877 - Middleton Villas, Middleton Hall Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, England.
Demolished in the 1960s/1970s.
1877-1879 - 10, Noel Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
1879-1883 - "1, Park Place" (now 104), Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, England.
1883-1888 - "Hill Crest" (No. 28), Lickey Square, Lickey Rednal, Worcestershire, England.
1889-1890 - "Inglewood", Lower Contour Road, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
1891 - "Coombeside", Castle Road, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
1891 - Ridgway Terrace, Ridge Hill, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
Boarding with George Nowell Philip, future managaing director of Philip & Son.
1895 - New Road, Darmouth
1899 - "Kingston Lodge", Victoria Road, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
Demolished by 1936.
1905-1910 - Durban, Natal, South Africa.
1910-1912 - Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
?-1932 - Frere Road/Grimsby Road, Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa.
General Education
1877-1882 - King Edwards School, New Street, Birmingham, England.
"Plus extra tuition in Spanish, French and Mechanical Drawing."
Technical Education
1882-1890 - Birmingham Mechanical Institute.
"This was continuous and simultaneous with latter half of school life and apprenticeship - approx 1882 to 1890, during which I passed the S. Kensington exams then necessary in machine design, mech drawing, applied mechanices and elementary science."
Apprenticeship
January 1883 - December 1887 - Atlas Engine Co., Atlas Works, Oozells Street, Ladywood, Birmingham, England.
"Apprenticed to the Atlas Engine Co., Birmingham, S. P (?) manager, I went through all shops, 1885 to 1891, and from 1891 to 1894 was with them as improver, working especially on refrigeration plants - being sent out on erection and latterly in charge."
January 1888 - February 1889 - Birmingham Refrigeration Co. Ltd, Birmingham, England.
Draughtsman.
March 1889 - July 1890 - Messrs. Alldays and Onions, Great Western Works, Sydenham Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, England.
Second Draughtsman.
August 1890 - February 1891 - Atlas Engine Co., Atlas Works, Oozells Street, Ladywood, Birmingham, England.
"Superintended, August 1890 to February 1891, special experiments on feed and air pumps for small-speed engines for a flying machine which Mr. Alexander Liwentaal, a Swiss engineer, was constructing."
January 1883 - December 1887 – Thomas Piggott and Co. (latterly Atlas Engine Co.), Oozels Street, Birmingham, England
Manufacturers of ice making machinery.
Role: Served in the drawing office and the Atlas works.
January 1888 – February 1889 – Birmingham Refrigeration Co., 303, Broad Street, Birmingham, England
Manufacturers of ice making and refrigeration machines.
Role: Draughtsman.
March 1889 – July 1890 – Alldays and Onions Pneumatic Engineering Co.
“Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering Company Limited Birmingham illustrated catalogue giving particulars of the principal articles made by this firm amongst which may be mentioned bellows of all sorts and sizes for domestic and manufacturing purposes forges of various kinds smiths hearths anvils and tools Root's blowers power hammers Paragon grindstone troughs and fittings emery grinding machines vice benches water boshes swage blocks bench drilling machines tire bending machines screw stocks taps and dies screwing machines water cranes and a special catalogue giving illustrations and information as to the several patterns of cycles cycling accessories now made at these works.” – The Ironmonger Universal Engineer and Metal Trades Advertiser, Foreign Edition – June 14th, 1890
Role: Second Draughtsman.
August 1889 – February 1891 – Own Account
“Superintended special experiments on feed and air pumps for small high-speed engines for a Swiss engineer Alexander Liwentaal, for a flying machine which the latter was constructing.”
Liwentaal is considered by some aviation historians to be the second person in England, after George Cayley's coachman, to fly a heavier-than-air flying machine.
Liwentaal relocated to Dartmouth from London c1891 and soon after joining Simpson, Strickland & Co. he was granted use of a quiet shed in the corner of a disused yard where he spent his spare time building a flying machine.
In March 1894, Liwentaal performed three test flights; the second of which the machine was reported to have risen two metres above ground and flew between 60 to 80 metres before the wind turned it over. A steeper location was selected for the third test, and the machine was said to travel down the hill at a tremendous pace, but although it shook and quivered as though trying to rise, it failed to leave the ground except for a few inches and ploughed full tilt into a thorny hedge. The machine was subsequently written off and the project was abandoned.
Apart from Donald’s account of experimental testing of feed and air pumps, no further evidence has been uncovered to confirm whether Liwentaal was developing an engine for use with his flying machine.
Perhaps Donald was one of the hundreds of curious faces that watched as the machine sailed up the Dart, or maybe even helped move the machine from the river to its test site and watched Liwentaal take to the air.
March 1891 – April 1894 – Philip & Son, Sandquay, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
Shipbuilders and engineers.
Role: Fitter and later works manager of engineering portion of business.
May 1894 – October 1898 – Enock Bros., Coombe Works, Sandquay, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
Steam Launch Builders, Engineers and Motor Car Builders.
Role: Partner along with Eric Cuthbert Enock
Business acquired by Messrs. W. Ball & Co. of Torquay in 1899.
“From May 1894, to the present time, he has been partner in the firm of Enock Bros., Dartmouth, and during the last two years has almost solely engaged with experiments on water tube boilers and noiseless petrol burners for light high speed machinery.” – Donald’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers proposal dated 1898
Known Vessels
Truro Belle
Type: Steamer
Built: 1895
Owner: Mr C. Rusden
Yum Yum
Type: Yacht
Built: 1896
Material of Build: Steel
Owner: Claude Grahame-White (1908-1915)
Fireflash
Type: Yacht
Built: 1898
Material of Build: Steel
Owners: Duke of Leeds (1898-1904), Arthur Reynall-Pack (1906-1928), George J. Marvin (1929-1933), Hugh P. Fry (1934-1939), Acquired by His Majesty’s Government (1947), E. W. J. Edwards (1949-1951)
1898-1901 – Transvaalsche Koelkamers Beperkt (Transvaal Cold Storage Co. Ltd) of Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Delagoa Bay, South Africa
Role: Chief Engineer
“At the beginning of April 1898 I severed my connection with the firm Messrs. Enock Brothers, Dartmouth, and on 28 April 1898 took the position of Chief Engineer to the Transvaalsche Koelkamers Beperkt of South Africa, who are erecting three large refrigerating works, for ice making and cold storage, at Durban, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. I supervised the whole of the plans, and made the constructional drawings for the buildings, and designed all mechanical details for same, including special elevators for carcases, methods of freezing, railway tracks, &c, and designed the installations of separate condensing plants, and water cooling towers. I also carried out experiments, with regard to the values of charcoal v. silicate of cotton for insulation. For some months past I have been in the United States, making tests of steam and water consumption of machinery for these plants, also cooling tests of the water towers. Whilst in the States I was elected a Member of the American Institute of Engineers, and I am next week going to Durban to superintend the erection of the first plant there.” – 1900 Transference application to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
1902-1905 – Business on own account, South Africa
"Designed, contracted for and erected cold stores for Durban Borough Market, Arctic Co., Canterbury Co. - total value £16,400. Also installed a Parsons Turbines for Natal govt., and portion of coaling plant for National Harbour till 1905." - Donald’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers proposal dated 1926
1905-1908 - South African General Electric Co.
“In drawing office and erecting plants.”
1909-1915 - Johnson & Fletcher Ltd, Rhodesia, South Africa.
"In entire charge of drawing office and workshops; designing and constructing on their behalf, the B.S.A Governments' oil Factory, bacon factory and creameries and mining machinery and pumping plants."
1916-1922 – Business on own account, South Africa
"Designed, manufactured and installed special crushing and grading machines for asbestos mines, for Mr. Ackerman, government mining engineer, and rebuilt and overhauled the 50 bag per hour maize mill of the Farmers Co-op. Also constructed a double set of 6" [?] pumps in series and pipe line for B.S.A Co. cities estate."
1923-1925 - Pietermaritzburg-Glencoe Railway, South Africa
"Jan 1923 to March 1925, supervising engineers in charge steel masts and bridgings (35 white steel erectors 100 natives) for the Pietermaritzburg-Glencoe railway electrification."
October 1925-1932 - Van Breda and Enock, Caledon, Cape Town, South Africa.
"Entered into partnership with Charles E. Van Breda as Van Breda & Enock. Consulting and contracting civil and mechanical engineers."
"In charge of mechanical portion of business and of drawing office, designing and tendering on and constructing small water schemes, pumping plants, refrigeration schemes, and lighting and sewerage schemes for various small townships."
"Have heard from Don, acknowledging my letters about the dear dad's death. He takes it "philosophically," perhaps he does not feel it as I do. Dear old dad! Donald very bitter against Guy over some old patent question I gather and intends to "show him up". I have written him tonight advising him to let it rest: that life is too short."
"Too sad - I heard the death of Donald, a letter came to Eric's son Ronald & cable, and Guy wrote me about it, as did Eric: my heart has been very heavy since, poor Don, and how I prayed for him continually - perhaps it helped him, surely it did dear God. I can scarcely feel it true. Well, he is with the dear Dad and Mother, all at rest in paradise." - Taken from Charles Reginald Enock's diaries which are held by the Imperial War Museum.
"My father's engineering life took us to many parts of southern Africa, including Durban, Cape Town, Bulawayo and Salisbury." - Kenneth Cargill Enock
“My father never spoke about his dad much, largely I believe because he didn’t know him well. I understand that Donald visited the home infrequently, enough to initiate the advent of another child, sent occasional support to Vera, and roamed freely in Africa on a variety of different engineering pursuits. The dates you have seem to correlate with the legend I have in my memory, which places Vera in Rhodesia within 15 years of the first colonisation (1890ish) by Cecil Rhodes so it was a wild frontier environment. At this time she would have had Peggy, her first child. She travelled all the way from Norton to Nottingham Road in Natal for the birth of my father [Kenneth Cargill Enock], much of it by wagon. She lived on a farm near Norton owned by Trevor Fletcher (there might nave been some connection there through Vera’s family) and was supported largely by him in the role of housekeeper and mother figure to his two boys, Peter and Martin, the latter for whom I was named. Donald visited there on occasion.
We all believed that Donald came to SA at the request of a brother to assist with a refrigeration plant in Natal. Your details are very interesting and perhaps he was recruited on his own merits. He was reputed to have had some association with the construction of the Victoria Falls Bridge as well –on the numerous occasions I visited the Falls we often referred to it as Grandad’s bridge. I was going to inherit from my father Donald’s personal sidearm – a 0.32 calibre automatic Browning or Beretta with holster and spare magazines by recollection. He used to sleep with it under his pillow while out in the bush and on one occasion was awakened by an intruder. In the pitch black of his mud hut he fired in the general direction of the departing thief and shot off 2 of his fingers. Which made it a relatively simple job of identification of the culprit the following day!” - Martin Enock
Donald was a member of the United Grand Lodge of England Freemason (Torbay Lodge) between 1895 and 1897.
Page updated 26th January, 2025.
