Biography
Sankey was born in County Tipperary in 1853 as sohn of General W. Sankey, C.B. He received his first education in Switzerland and back in Ireland at the Mr. Rippon’s School at Woolwich. Here from 1871 to 1873 he attended the Royal Military Academy, and from 1874 to 1876 the School of Military Engineering in Chatham.
In the last years of his studies Sankey started as research-assistant of the Royal Commission on Railway Accidents making calculations and experiments on railway-brakes and trails. After graduation he started at the British Army, first on the War Office on architectural design, then leading a drawing office of 16 draughtsman in Manchester. In Gibraltar he was superintended at the construction of barracks for a Military Telegraphs station. From 1879 to 1882 he was instructor at the Royal Military College, Kingston, Canada, and from 1882 to 1889 back in England working for the Ordnance Survey Establishment at Southampton.
From 1889 to 1904 he was board member of Willans and Robinson Ltd. engineers, become the lead engineer and steam engine designer in 1892 after Mr. Willans died. Later he designed the new plant Victory Works at Rugby. From 1904 to 1909 he was a consulting engineer at steam and internal-combustion engineering industry. And from 1909 until his death in 1926 he was board member at Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Company, Ltd, and in the board of some other companies.
In World War I Sankey volunteered serving as staff officer at the department of the Director of Fortifications and Works. He was decorated with the Order of the Bath (CB) and the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his service in World War I.
He was also President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Read more about this topic: Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey
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