Abstract
Born on the 22nd of July in Hadley, John Willoughby Meares studied for a Masters in Science at Winchester College, after which he took up electrical engineering. He began his training at Crompton and Co. as a premium pupil, starting at a branch of the firm at Llanelly in South Wales where storage batteries were manufactured.
Upon leaving Wales in early 1891, he went to the Arc Works at Chelmsford, Crompton’s main factory. The process of having real, physical training was everything to young engineers back then, and this was learnt either as an apprentice or as a premium pupil.
Meares made a great name and aspirational legacy for himself, and his thoughts and ideas can still be read about to this day in his various published pieces. Having worked on such remarkable projects and providing engineering innovation, Meares had a tremendous impact on the Electrical Engineering industry, much of which would not have been possible without him.
