Joseph W Reed was born in Northumberland in 1858 and was well known as an enginering and marine
expert.
He was awarded the Patents Honours Medal for engine design and was responsible for the design of
the first triple expansion engine in the Royal Navy.
He was the manager of the engineering department of Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow.
Here he reorganised and almost rebuilt the engine works.
He designed and patented the 'Reed Express Water Tube Boilers'. Around 170 of these boilers were
fitted in destroyers, gunboats and cruisers for the British Navy.
He also designed and patented a system of forced lubrication for torpedo boat engines which were
used in the Latin River Class destroyers. This system was a great success.
Mr Reed was a member of:-
Lloyds Register Technical Committee
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Naval Architects
The Institute of Metals
Council of the North East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders.
He retired in 1914 but during the First World War returned to duty. As Engineering
Manager of William Doxford & Sons of Sunderland he supervised and organised the department
for war work including building destroyers and other vessels.
He was author of Development of the Modern Engine 1908 and many other technical articles.
He also invented and patented an automatic feed apparatus, automatic blow-off apparatus and a
system of forced lubrication.
He died in 1932, aged 74, at his home "Fairfield" in South Boldon.
