Cosby Smallpeice

Who is Cosby Smallpeice?

Cosby Donald Philipps Smallpeice was an English engineer involved in design of precision and production lathes, and pneumatic tools and hoists. He created the company Martonair, and on its flotation in 1966 he founded The Smallpeice Trust to provide opportunities for engineering students. Much of the history of Cosby Smallpeice is covered in a publication by The Smallpeice Trust titled "A Smallpeice of History", which documents the history of the founder, the trust, and its ongoing training programmes.

Born the son of William and Cicely Smallpeice on March 23, 1896 in London he grew up in Felsted where he attended Felsted School. At the outbreak of War in 1914 he enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corps and attained the rank of captain by the time he was severely gassed in 1917. In the year he spent recovering he taught himself technical drawing and in 1919 entered the profession as C Smallpeice, General Engineer, having rented a corrugated iron shed in Sawbridgeworth with a 14 year old lad as assistant.