Sir Edwin Airey (7 February 1878''

1939 England and Wales Register The National Registration Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 91) was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. The initial National Registration Bill was introduced to Parliament as an emergency measure at the start of the World War II, Second World ...

'' – 14 March 1955) was a British civil engineer and industrialist responsible for the Airey

prefabricated house Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. Some research ...

s constructed in the UK after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Life

Airey was born in 1878, the son of William Airey.W. M. Ormerod (2000) ''The Lord Lieutenants and High Sheriffs of Yorkshire'', 1066–2000 Wharncliffe Books His older brother, John Robinson Airey (1868–1937) became a prominent mathematician.John Robinson Airey biography
/ref>''Manchester Guardian'' 21 June 1923 p. 6 "The Lord Mayorality of Leeds" He attended Leeds Central High School and the

Yorkshire College The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed Y ...

, and in 1904 married Edith Greaves: they had one son and four daughters.A. C. Fox-Davies (1929) ''Armorial Families'' p 18''Engineering World'' (1925) p 56 "Distinguished English Constructor Pays America Visit" He took over his father's building business, W. M. Airey & Sons. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he was a transport advisor to the

Ministry of Food Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...

. He and his company were very much involved with construction for the

Ministry of Munitions The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort. The position was created in response to the Shell Crisis o ...

, and then the Ministry of Health afterwards. It was for this and his work in social welfare that he was knighted in the King's

Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are ...

in 1922.''London Gazette'' 32716, 2 June 1922, p. 4318 Airey Houses Prior Mede Harthill - geograph

During the Second World War the company produced huts for American troops stationed in the UK. This led to the development of concrete slab units which could be quickly assembled into houses to replace those destroyed during the war. Prototypes were put up in

Seacroft Seacroft is an outer-city suburb/township consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the LS14 LS postcode area, Leeds postcode area, around east of Leeds city cen ...

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

in 1945, followed by hundreds in the London County Council area.Building Research Station (1965) Special Report 36 ''Prefabrication'' pp. 182–3 A total of 20,000

Airey house An Airey house is a type of prefabricated house built in United Kingdom following the Second World War. Overview Designed by Sir Edwin Airey to the Ministry of Works Emergency Factory Made housing programme, it features a frame of prefabric ...

s were ordered: they were two storey semi-detached houses, initially to be used as two flats, then to be converted into single family homes once the post-war housing crisis was over.''Manchester Guardian'', 9 March 1945, p 6 "20,000 Prefabricated Houses Ordered" They were intended to be permanent dwellings rather than temporary ones. He lived in

Oakwood Grange ''Roundhay Garden Scene'' is a short silent motion picture filmed by French inventor Louis Le Prince at Oakwood Grange in Roundhay, Leeds, in Yorkshire on 14 October 1888. It is believed to be the oldest surviving film. The camera used wa ...

where

Louis Le Prince Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince (28 August 1841 – disappeared 16 September 1890, Presumption of death, declared dead 16 September 1897) was a French artist and the inventor of an early film, motion-picture camera, and director of ''Roundhay Ga ...

filmed the

Roundhay Garden Scene ''Roundhay Garden Scene'' is a short film, short silent film, silent motion picture filmed by French inventor Louis Le Prince at Oakwood, Leeds, Oakwood Grange in Roundhay, Leeds, in Yorkshire on 14 October 1888. It is believed to be the olde ...

in 1888, credited as the first motion picture.Internet Movie Database
Roundhay Garden Scene Airey contributed to sports in Yorkshire in several ways. He was chairman of the Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Company, and was responsible for the development of

Headingley Stadium Headingley Stadium is a stadium complex in Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, and England. Linked by a two-sided stand housing common facilities, it comprises two separate grounds: Headingley Cricket Ground (home of Yorkshire County Cricket Clu ...

and its establishment of a major cricketing venue. Airey was an active member of the Conservative Party and became

Lord Mayor of Leeds The Lord Mayor of Leeds (until 1897 known as the Mayor of Leeds) is a ceremonial post held by a member of Leeds City Council, elected annually by the council. By charter from Charles I of England, King Charles I in 1626, the leader of the gov ...

1923–1924.www.leeds.gov.uk
Lord Mayors & Aldermen of Leeds since 1626 Other high offices included

High Sheriff of Yorkshire The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere o ...

1944–1945;''Manchester Guardian'' 27 March 1944 p. 6 "The New Sheriffs" Chairman of the

Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in England. Founded in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union following 22 clubs resigning from the Rugby Football Union, it changed its name in 1922 to the Rugby Footb ...

1951–1952,www.therfl.co.uk
Past Chairmen of the Council Chairman of the Yorkshire Branch of the

Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers is a British professional body for structural engineers. In 2021, it had 29,900 members operating in 112 countries. It provides professional accreditation and publishes a magazine, '' The Structural Eng ...

1944–1945.''The Structural Engineer'' (1944) p. 343 He died 14 March 1955.''The Times'', 15 March 1955

References

External links

www.leodis.org
Picture of Sir Edwin Airey accompanying Princess Mary at Headingley Cricket Ground, 1927
www.leodis.org
Picture of Edwin Airey with Princess Mary at Headingley Cricket Ground, 1927
www.britishpathe.com
Sir Edwin Airey, Lord Mayor of Leeds, opens the National Rose Show at

Roundhay Park Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is a large urban park situated on the north-east edge of the city, bordered by the suburb of Roundhay to the west, Oakwood, Leeds, Oakwood to the south and the A6120 road, A6120 outer ring road t ...

15 July 1920 {{DEFAULTSORT:Airey, Sir Edwin 20th-century English businesspeople British construction businesspeople 1878 births 1955 deaths Lord mayors of Leeds High sheriffs of Yorkshire British structural engineers Knights Bachelor 20th-century British engineers