Motor Engineer

[leemeetee]

Hi all....I am looking for a little bit of clarity on a 1911 Census Return for Ireland (Wexford town). The occupation for the gentleman in question is 'Motor Enginer' (sic).
I am pretty certain that this is not the same as a 'car mechanic' but given the fact Wexford had numerous foundries at that time, could this job be connected to this type of industry?
All advice welcome.

[Maggsie]

check what it says in the 1901 Census but I would yes.
Maggsie

[hanes teulu]

"Motor Engineers" advertising in Wexford in the early 1900s were "Thomson Brothers, the Quay" founded 1868.

This doesn't specify the address but I believe it's the same firm and covers more than just the motor car - Free press (Wexford), 9 Jan 1909

[hanes teulu]

In this 1916 advert it mentions adding a " ... motor engineering department ..." - so, perhaps, motor engineer was used in relation to the motor car?.

[purlin]

Yes most definitely Motor Engineer = Car Mechanic.

[MollyC]

There is a letter in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph of 1 Sept 1915 making the case for a reciprocal tax on imported (American) cars, which gives a long list of occupations required to manufacture a car at that time.  No doubt some individuals did several of the tasks.  The writer, Mabel Stringer, was a book-keeper in 1911, employed in her father's foundry which specialised in the manufacture of crankshafts.  It appears the cars were manufactured as individual items, so a foundry was capable of producing the whole product.  The history of the business can be found here:  https://wincocars.co.uk/

[leemeetee]

Thanks to you all for taking the time to answer....will gratefully follow your leads.

[youngtug]

A foundry produces metal castings, would not think it would be capable of producing a car

[MollyC]

See the website reference.  Car manufacture then was nothing like the factory production we are accustomed to.  Nine businesses in Sheffield produced cars, but it did not last beyond about 1930.  They had other work which prospered better.  (Mabel Stringer became managing director and retired in 1955.)