H. A. Humphrey

Caricature of Humphrey by Wallace Hester published 1905 in the Men of the Day series in Vanity Fair.

Herbert Alfred Humphrey MInstCE MIMechE MIEE FCGI (2 December 1868 – 9 March 1951) was a British engineer, inventor of the Humphrey pump.

Early life and education Humphrey was born in Gospel Oak, London, to Louisa (née Frost, 1831–1911) and John Charles Humphrey (1833–1903). His mother had been a dressmaker before marriage, and his father was a clerk at the London Metropolitan Board of Works and later London County Council. Edith Humphrey, thought to be the first British woman to obtain a doctorate in chemistry, was his younger sister. He trained at the Finsbury Technical College and the Central Institution (which later became the City and Guilds College).

Career and the invention of the Humphrey pump After graduating from college, Humphrey was employed for four years by Heenan & Froude at their Newton Heath iron works before joining Brunner Mond in Northwich as the engineering manager of their refined bicarbonate and crystal department. In 1901, at the age of 33, Humphrey set up his own engineering consultancy in London. The consultancy was set up with the support of Ludwig Mond and performed research work for Brunner Mond, specifically to find industrial and commercial uses for Mond gas. After the war, Humphrey returned to consultancy and was associated with Imperial Chemical Industries until his retirement in 1941.