John Joseph PLATTS, born 11 April 1840 in Odessa, South Russia, eldest son of Joseph PLATTS and Sarah Haines TANDY.
Married Eliza Ann KNOTT 22 January 1869 at St. George's, Kendall, Westmorland.
Two Children:
Theodore Sergius Algernon PLATTS, born 07 April 1869
Victoria Mary Ludinovo PLATTS, born 31 July 1875
Obituary - John Joseph Platts
(Transcribed from a handwritten copy of the original in the writing of his grand-daughter, Theodora M Bates - nee Platts)
Hyndford House,
Inglemere Road,
Forest Hill,
London, S.E.
John Platts & Co.
Engineers & Contractors,
Odessa, South Russia.
Telegraphic addresses:
Cockchafer, London
John Platts, Odessa.
Obituary
John Joseph Platts, eldest son of the late Joseph Platts, Chief Consulting Engineer to the Russian Imperial Admiralty at St. Petersburg, was born in Odessa in 1840. He was at school for some time in Russia. At the outbreak of the Crimean War the family left Russia for England, and here he completed his education and received his first lessons in engineering from his Grandfather, the late John Tandy, one of Boulton & Wates’ Engineers. He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Ravenhide Talhold & Co. of London, after which he obtained a knowledge of Railway and Locomotive Engineering at Shildon, Durham, under the late William Bouch, Locomotive Manager to the old Stockton & Darlington Railway, with whom he remained a number of years in charge of the erecting department.
In 1866 he was appointed Manager of Heprow, Gilkes & Co. Phoenix Foundry at Shildon, and subsequently had charge of that firm’s extension outdoor works at Middlesboro’ which included the erection of ironworks, plant and blast furnaces. He then accepted the management of the Bridgewater Ironworks at Bridgewater, during which employ he was invited by the late General Maltzoff to take the management of his extensive Iron and Locomotive Works at Brianov and Ludinovo. Here his knowledge of the Russian language was of the greatest assistance to him in his many duties. He remained with General Maltzoff for a period of seven years, after which on his return to England he became Manager of the Avonside Engine Works at Bristol, where he remained a short time, leaving England again to take up his duties of Engineer-in-Chief to the Odessa Waterworks Company in Odessa. He was shortly afterwards appointed Manager to the Company and combined with these duties also those of Engineer to the Company. In this position he remained for a period of twenty years filling up a post which was amde extremely arduous owing to the antagonism of the Municipal Authorities to the Company. At the wish of the Directors and greatly owing to his diplomacy, the purchase of the Waterworks by the Municipality from the English Company was successfully negotiated. For a few years after this transfer he remained in the employ of the Odessa Municipality and superintended the extension of the Waterworks according to plans and designs prepared by him and approved by the Municipality. After the completion of these extensions, which cost nearly £600,000, he resigned his position and retired to England. He was much interested in Sanitation and during his service with the Municipality of Odessa, much was done acting on his advice and with his professional assistance to improve the sanitary conditions of the City. He acted as Consulting Engineer to the Municipality in the designing and erection of the new Municipal Hospital, in the construction of the Kushcuff Lunatic Asylum, the Odessa Municipal Laundry and Bakery, and a number of Municipal enterprises of a nature to improve the health of the City. He introduced the principle of Bacterial Filtration of Sewage into Russia and was the author of a number of papers which he read before the Russian Imperial Technical Society.
He died at his residence near London on June 21st, 1908, aged 68 years.
Birth Reference
Odessa (City) Birth Records 184x published by Odessa Digital Library http://pixel.cs.vt.edu/library/stpete/odessa/link/ode184xb.txt
Census Data
1861 Census for Shildon, Durham
Ref. 3708 folio 106 page 26
Redworth Road, East Thickley,
John J Platts, boarder, unmarried, aged 20, engine fitter, born Russia, Odessa
He was in the home of another engine fitter, Robert Martin (34) born Portsmouth, his wife Jane (30) born Bishop Auckland, and baby daughter Margarita aged 1, born in New Shildon.
1881 Census for Westbury-on-Trym, Gloucestershire
1881 Census - As Enumerated County: Gloucestershire
Westbury-on-Trym Roll 2502 Folio 93 Page 23
No. 16 West Park
PLATTS, John J. Head married 40 M Engineer RUS Odessa ...B.S.
PLATTS, Eliza wife married 40 F ..... LAN Bilton
PLATTS, Theodore Son --- 11 M Scholar SOM Belton
PLATTS, Victoria Daug ---- 5 F Scholar RUS .... B.S.
PLATTS, Sarah Moth. widow 61 F ---- WAR ------
PLATTS, Louisa Sister U 27 F ------ Russia ----B.S.
THOMAS, Alice Serv. U 19 F Domestic serv. GLS Iron Acton
MATHIN, Alice Serv. U 19 F Domestic serv. GLS Bristol
1879 Bristol & West of England Bank
Lloyds Bank Archives searched for evidence of a transfer of money to William James PLATTS in Australia. No record of the transfer was found but they were able to confirm an address for John Joseph PLATTS in 1879:-
Southampton House, West Park, Clifton, Bristol.
(See 1881 Census:- No. 16 West Park)
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