The First Member Edward William Mayner (1862 - 1944) is generally regarded as "The Father of the IHVE". It was J Kemsley, Secretary of the Institute of Sanitary Engineers (of which body Mayner was a Member of Council) who put forward a proposal to foster the heating and ventilating trades (1896). Mayner was largely responsible for setting up the IHVE. He was probably the first member and the first practicing engineer to join. He never occupied the Presidential chair, preferring to hold the chair of an Exectutive Committee. It is almost certain that he recruited Walter Jones, David Nesbit, William Maguire, Louis Pearson, and George Crispin, all of whom came to be Chair after John Grundy, the first President. At the time, he was a member of the firm of Townsend, Tamplin & Makooski Ltd. of London and Redhill. Later he was Works Manager with William Dibben & Sons Ltd. of Southampton and subsequently carried on business in Christchurch Hampshire. His considerable efforts in the setting up of the Institution appear never to have been formally recognised during his lifetime. Confirmation of the comment that E W Mayner was the first member of the Institution, can be substantiated by the JIHVE minutes of the Summer Meeting held in Bournemouth in July 1938, when the Chairman announces to the meeting, "something rather unique had happened that morning - they had with them in the Conference Hall no less a person than the first member of the Institution Mr E W Mayner of Christchurch. Mr Mayner who was greeted with loud acclamation on rising to speak said it was a very great pleasure for him to be present. When they started this little affair some 40 years ago, they had no idea it would grow to such a great extent. He was also glad to notice that the rules and general arrangements formulated in those early days had been retained, which went to prove that the earlier members had laid a very good foundation, and wisdom and knowledge had been put into the building, if he might term it so.  It was a great joy to see some of the old friends who started with him, because they had a great struggle during the first two or three years of the Institution's existence. In the old days we got a new member now and again whereas today you can get as many as 70. He hoped the Institution would continue to prosper and get more members and build up the finest Institution in the world".

When E W Mayner attended this Summer Meeting he was 76 years of age. As this conference and summer meeting was held in Bournemouth he most likely found it very convenient to attend, as his home in Christchurch was no more than 5 miles away.

September  1944