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Private Telegraph Companies November 2010 Private Telegraph Companies The development of the telegraph system in the United Kingdom closely followed the growth of the railways with telegraph offices often being located at stations. A close relationship also existed between the two sets of companies with a great deal of crossover of names in the lists of shareholders and directors. The Government allowed the network to develop under private ownership and did not intervene significantly in its running. This was in sharp contrast to the telegraph system on the Continent which had been under state ownership since its inception. Electric Telegraph Company, main hall, c1848 (TCE 361/ARC 76) By 1868 there were five major Following this the number of telegraph companies operating submarine cables operated by the inland network, all of which private companies grew. were open to criticism BT Archives holds the records regarding errors, delays and of the companies which were high prices. Frank Ives subsequently taken over by the Scudamore campaigned on Post Office, while those that behalf of the Post Office for went on to form Cable & them to be nationalised citing Wireless are held at Porthcurno how unfavourably they Telegraph Museum. compared with those on the Continent. Despite These records were transferred protestations from the to BT Archives from the Post companies a series of Acts of Office in 1992. They were Parliament were passed and previously catalogued as part of the telegraph system came POST 81, but have been re- under control of the Post Office catalogued to reflect the in 1870. provenance of these companies and improve access The first successful submarine to these collections. Each (under sea) telegraph cable company now has its own was laid in 1851 between reference code. England and France. Private Telegraph Companies Page 1 of 7 Discover more about BT’s astonishing heritage at www.bt.com/btdigitalarchives and www.bt.com/archives Inland private Company were made for companies were established by telegraph companies transmitting Greenwich Mean the EITC to lay submarine Time signals. cables from Weymouth to the The telegraph has been Channel Islands and from referred to as the ‘Victorian International Telegraph Cumberland to the Isle of Man. internet’ and from 1840s until Company (1853-55) The Channel Islands Telegraph 1860s it was a boom industry BT Archives ref: TGC Company (CITC) actively just like the early years of the The International Telegraph operated as a subsidiary of the internet. During this period Company was formed by the EITC until 1862 when repeated many telegraph companies Electric Telegraph Company in technical problems with the were formed in the UK, not all 1852. The ETC obtained a cable placed a strain on the of them were operational. It concession from the Dutch CITC’s resources and it was was common for them to merge Government in 1852 to lay ultimately unable to raise the with other companies and wires from Orfordness, on the funds to undertake the subsequently change their east coast of England, to necessary repairs. However, names. Scheveningham in Holland and the CITC continued to exist as an operating company until it A summary of the main inland then to The Hague. However, was taken over by the Post companies, whose records are the Dutch Government objected Office in 1870. held by BT Archives, is given to the Holland line of new submarine telegraph cable below, and a chart showing British Electric Telegraph relationships between the being made by the ETC, and so Company (1850-53) companies can be found on the International Telegraph BT Archives ref: TGB page 5. Company was formed to work with the Dutch Government. The British Electric Telegraph Electric Telegraph Company was formed by an This new company was Company (1846-55) Act of Parliament in 1850, and managed by the ETC using BT Archives ref: TGA used the patents of Henry and ETC staff and laid two cables in Edward Highton. It was The Electric Telegraph 1853 and 1854 from intended to rival the monopoly Company (ETC), the first Orfordness to Scheveningham. of the Electric Telegraph electric telegraph company in Company and had the Electric and International Britain, was established by an opportunity to do so due to the Telegraph Company (1855- Act of Parliament in 1846. It expanding railway system. was set up by William Fothergill 70) Cooke and Joseph Lewis BT Archives ref: TGE British Telegraph Company (1853-57) Ricardo using Cooke and In July 1855 the Electric BT Archives ref: TGL Charles Wheatstone’s patents. Telegraph Consolidation Act The ETC's major growth period enabled the ETC and ITC to In 1853 the British Electric coincided with the expansion of formally merge, becoming the Telegraph Company merged the railways in the 1840s by Electric and International with the European and providing electric Telegraph Company (EITC). American Electric Printing communication to the railways' By 1868 it was the largest Telegraph Company (1851-54) signal operators. The company telegraph company in the to form the British Telegraph grew rapidly with the realisation country. The company was Company. Its purpose was to of the electric telegraph's against nationalisation, lay down submarine and other potential for the transmission of however, the Telegraph Acts telegraph cables to link London news. In 1852 arrangements were passed and in 1870 it was and Dublin and major towns in between the ETC, the taken over by the Post Office. Great Britain, Ireland and Astronomer Royal and the Europe. In 1858 and 1859 independent South Eastern Railway Private Telegraph Companies Page 2 of 7 Discover more about BT’s astonishing heritage at www.bt.com/btdigitalarchives and www.bt.com/archives English and Irish Magnetic survival of the UKETC and the not consider private wires, but Telegraph Company (1852- company was successful before the 1868 Select 57) despite attempts to hinder it by Committee the UPTC BT Archives ref: TGN the already established successfully argued that its The English and Irish Magnetic companies. It was taken over business would be seriously Telegraph Company was by the Post Office in 1870. damaged by being in founded by Royal Charter in competition with a nationalised 1852 to work the patents of London District Telegraph industry. It was subsequently William Thomas Henley and Company, also known as the taken over by the Post Office in London and Provincial David George Foster. It was 1870. Telegraph Company (1859- previously known as the 70) The road to Magnetic Telegraph Company BT Archives ref: TGG (1851-52). nationalisation The London District Telegraph The Telegraph Act 1864 gave British and Irish Magnetic Company (LDTC) was Telegraph Company (1857- established in 1859, to develop the Postmaster General certain 70) telegraphic communication wayleave rights over public BT Archives ref: TGF within a radius of four miles roads and streets, and started more active state involvement In April 1857 the British from Charing Cross (London), in the telegraph network. Telegraph Company merged with provision to extend to 20 Wayleave payments were with the English and Irish miles. It employed a roof-to- made to railways, canals and Magnetic Telegraph Company roof wiring system, instead of turnpike trusts for the right of to form the British and Irish installing underground cables. way for telegraph lines. Magnetic Telegraph Company. For a short time in 1867 it It was subsequently taken over became the London and 1866 was a turning point in the by the Post Office in 1870. Provincial Telegraph Company development of the telegraph and was taken over by the Post system. A great storm in United Kingdom Electric Office in 1870. The impact of January caused widespread Telegraph Company (1851- the LDTC and the UKETC was damage to the network. This 70) to increase competition on the year also saw the start of BT Archives ref: TGH network. This led to lower consolidation rather than The United Kingdom Electric tariffs which in turn created expansion as the intention of Telegraph Company (UKETC) greater demand for telegraphic the Post Office to purchase the was established by Act of facilities. lines became known, reducing Parliament in 1851, but did not the incentive for the private start active operation until July Universal Private Telegraph companies to expand. Company (1861-70) 1860. Its intention was to BT Archives ref: TGJ In 1868 a Bill was introduced introduce a system based on with the intention of bringing the the penny post to convey The Universal Private telegraph system under the messages at a uniform rate of Telegraph Company (UPTC) control of the Post Office. By one shilling per message of was established by an Act of this time the network consisted twenty words. By the time it Parliament in June 1861, but of over 91,000 miles of wire, started operating other did not become fully operational transmitting 6 million inland telegraph companies were well until 1863. It undertook to messages annually. The established and it would have construct and maintain lines of telegraph companies were been difficult for a new private wire between places of leading opponents to the Bill company to compete at their business or between who saw the strong railway rates. The use of the one residences and businesses. interest in Parliament as their shilling rate was crucial to the Initially nationalisation plans did best chance of getting the bill Private Telegraph Companies Page 3 of 7 Discover more about BT’s astonishing heritage at www.bt.com/btdigitalarchives and www.bt.com/archives rejected. taking place on 5 February. their records are not held by BT Following nationalisation of the Archives. The Bill itself showed little telegraph service in 1870, the understanding of the Submarine Telegraph Post Office went on to rapidly importance of the railway Company (1851-89) expand the UK telegraph interest, but the Government BT Archives ref: TGD network, particularly in more was determined to proceed with rural areas which had The Submarine Telegraph it.
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