George Thurston
Encyclopedia
Sir George Thurston KBE
(1869 - 22 January 1950) was a leading British naval architect in the early half of the 20th century.
and Newcastle-on-Tyne and worked on mercantile shipbuilding. He later worked under Philip Watts
at Elswick shipyard
. He became the chief naval architect for Vickers, Limited from around the turn of the 20th century up to the early 1920s. Later he became the firm's naval director. He contributed to the designs of the Imperial Japanese Navy
battlecruiser
Kongō
and the dreadnought
battleship
Erin
. During the First World War he was responsible for the large and diverse volume of construction in the Vickers yard.
He changed his name by deed poll in 1915 to Thomas George Owens Thurston prior to attaining his knighthood. Although he took Owens as third Christian name, his descendents conjoined his original and new surnames to take the family name of Owens-Thurston.
In 1923, Thurston published a fifteen-page essay The Washington Conference and Naval Design in Brassey’s Naval & Shipping Annual, regarding the recent Washington Naval Conference
and associated Treaty:
In 1901, he married Ada King, who predeceased him in 1946. Together they had seven sons and one daughter, one of whom also predeceased him. Thurston died on 22 January 1950 at Torquay
, aged 80.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1869 - 22 January 1950) was a leading British naval architect in the early half of the 20th century.
Life and career
Born Thomas George Owens in 1869, he trained in naval architecture in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Newcastle-on-Tyne and worked on mercantile shipbuilding. He later worked under Philip Watts
Philip Watts (naval architect)
Sir Philip Watts, KCB FRS was a British naval architect, famous for his design of the revolutionary Elswick cruiser and the HMS Dreadnought.-Early life:...
at Elswick shipyard
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
. He became the chief naval architect for Vickers, Limited from around the turn of the 20th century up to the early 1920s. Later he became the firm's naval director. He contributed to the designs of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
Kongō
Japanese battleship Kongo
Kongō was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. She was the first battlecruiser of the Kongō class, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built. Her designer was the British naval engineer George Thurston, and she was laid down in 1911 at...
and the dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Erin
HMS Erin
HMS Erin was a dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy which was originally built in response to an order placed by the Ottoman government with the British Vickers company. She was intended, when accepted for service in the Ottoman Navy, to be named Reshadieh...
. During the First World War he was responsible for the large and diverse volume of construction in the Vickers yard.
He changed his name by deed poll in 1915 to Thomas George Owens Thurston prior to attaining his knighthood. Although he took Owens as third Christian name, his descendents conjoined his original and new surnames to take the family name of Owens-Thurston.
In 1923, Thurston published a fifteen-page essay The Washington Conference and Naval Design in Brassey’s Naval & Shipping Annual, regarding the recent Washington Naval Conference
Washington Naval Conference
The Washington Naval Conference also called the Washington Arms Conference, was a military conference called by President Warren G. Harding and held in Washington from 12 November 1921 to 6 February 1922. Conducted outside the auspices of the League of Nations, it was attended by nine nations...
and associated Treaty:
In 1901, he married Ada King, who predeceased him in 1946. Together they had seven sons and one daughter, one of whom also predeceased him. Thurston died on 22 January 1950 at Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, aged 80.