John Denham

In 1930 the south west chapel in the nave of Westminster Abbey was designated as the Warrior's chapel, set up to remember all those who died in the Great War (later in 1944 it was dedicated to St George). Most of the money for this conversion and the new furnishings was given anonymously, at the request of the donor. But in 1932, after his death and just before completion of the work, it was revealed the donor was Mr John Denham, a former mining engineer and inspector of Johannesburg, South Africa. He had been a student at Finsbury College in 1880. After experiments to improve the electric arc lamp he supervised the erection of many lighting plants in England and on the continent. For his firm he took charge of the electrical work at the Brussels Exhibition in 1888. Then he was appointed electrical engineer to the Cape Government Railway. During the Boer War he was consulting engineer to the Royal Engineers and from 1911 to 1923 he was advisor to the Mines Department in Johannesburg. He then retired and lived on the Isle of Man. 

A small brass plaque on the screen of this chapel records his gift:

THIS SCREEN WAS GIVEN BY JOHN DENHAM A.DNI. [Anno Domini] 1932

The chapel was dedicated on 24th June 1932 by Edward, Prince of Wales and was designed by J. Ninian Comper