An Updated Short History of the British Diving Apparatus Manufacturers

18 The International Journal of Diving History The International Journal of Diving History 19 Fig. 1. Some key persons from the firm of Siebe Gorman. 1a. (Christian) Augustus Siebe An Updated Short History of the British Diving Apparatus (1788-1872). Company founder. Manufacturers, Siebe Gorman and Heinke 1b. William Augustus Gorman (formerly O’Gorman; 1834-1904). by Michael Burchett, HDS, and Robert Burchett, HDS. Joint partner with Henry H. Siebe (1830-1885) at Siebe & Gorman (later Siebe Gorman & Co.). PART 1. THE SIEBE GORMAN COMPANY 1c. Sir Robert Henry Davis Introduction 1a. 1b. 1c. (1870-1965). Managing Director This account endeavours to produce a short, updated history of the Siebe Gorman and Heinke of Siebe Gorman & Co. manufacturing companies using past and present sources of literature. It does not attempt to include every aspect of the two company histories, but concentrates on key events with an emphasis on 1d. Henry Albert Fleuss the manufacture of diving apparatus. However, an understanding of their histories is not complete (1851-1933). Designer of the first without some knowledge of the social history and values of the period. Victorian and Edwardian practical ‘self-contained breathing society engendered moral values such as hard work, thrift, obedience and loyalty within a class-ridden apparatus’. system, in which poverty, harsh working conditions and basic education were normal for the working 1e. Professor John Scott Haldane classes. With intelligence and application, people could ‘better themselves’ and gain respect in an age of (1860-1936). Diving physiologist innovation, when Britain led the industrial world. who produced the first naval The businesses of Augustus Siebe and ‘Siebe, Gorman’ (in one form or another) survived for over 170 ‘Decompression Dive Tables’. years (1819-1999). Yet throughout their long history, there were only a few key individuals involved in 1f. Capt. G.C.C. Damant RN owning and running them. They include Christian ‘Augustus’ Siebe, Henry Herapath Siebe, William who helped J.S. Haldane with deep Augustus O’Gorman, Robert Henry Davis (Fig. 1) and to a lesser extent, Albert Vickers. The family diving experiments and was the firm of ‘Heinke’ was founded at about the same time as ‘A. Siebe’. In common with Augustus Siebe, the 1d. 1e. 1f. first Inspector of Diving. founder, Gotthilf Frederick Heinke, was also an immigrant. Frederick Heinke moulded his company into a ‘family firm’ but later family rifts jeopardized the company’s future. There was always competition between the two manufacturing companies, but Heinke was mostly over-shadowed by its much larger practical, working products. He traded under the name of Augustus Siebe (A. Siebe) and chose to drop rival. Eventually the Heinke Company was taken over by Siebe, Gorman & Co. Ltd. after over 100 his first name. In 1819 he married Susannah Gliddon (1796-1856) from Sherwell in Devon. Apart years of trading as a manufacturer of diving apparatus. from the development and manufacturing of diving apparatus, (for which he is most remembered) he also produced a breech-loading firearm (1819), paper-making machinery, measuring machinery, a screw The Company: ‘A. Siebe’ (1819-1870) tap for thread cutting (for which he was awarded the Vulcan medal in 1823), a patented rotary water- The early development and manufacture of ‘standard’ diving apparatus is inextricably linked to the pump (1828) and improved refrigeration machinery (1850). company of Siebe Gorman. The company arose from the pioneering exploits of the gifted engineer, In 1828, Siebe moved to new premises at 5 Denmark Street, London, which he initially rented, Christian Augustus Siebe (1788-1872). He was born in Saxony, educated in Berlin and apprenticed to a before purchasing the leasehold in 1831 (Fig. 2a). He lived ‘over the shop’ and worked at this address brass founder. In 1812 he fought as an Artillery Lieutenant at the Battle of Leipzig against the invading for the rest of his life. He raised several children there, including one daughter, and in due course French and narrowly escaped death. In 1816 (following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815), some of his sons worked in the family business. Unfortunately, by 1868 Augustus Siebe was forced Siebe emigrated to England, and settled in London. He quickly obtained successive employment as a to retire because of old age and failing health. He had already out-lived four of his sons, and the only watchmaker, gunmaker and instrument maker. For business reasons, he applied for, and was granted, one remaining (his second son, Henry Herapath Siebe, 1830-1887) still survived. In 1870, Augustus British citizenship in 1856, some 46 years after he entered the country. decided to bequeath his business jointly and equally to his son Henry, and his son-in-law, William In 1819, Christian Augustus (Fig. 1a) started his own business as a manufacturing engineer at 145 Augustus Gorman (formerly O’Gorman, 1834-1904), an Irish sea captain who had married Mary High Holborn (London), and his mechanical gifts enabled him to turn theoretical problems into Siebe (1830-1869), his daughter. In time, they also raised a daughter and son (Augustus Gorman) who worked in the company for a short period. 20 The International Journal of Diving History The International Journal of Diving History 21 Fig 2. Company premises. Fig 3. Development of the ‘standard’ diving dress apparatus. Fig. 2a. Premises at Five Fig. 2b. Old works in Mason Street, Lambeth, London (later re-named Boniface Denmark Street, Soho, Street. 1876-1941). London (1828-1870). Augustus Siebe had bought the freehold of 5 Denmark Street, Soho in 1868. By the following year he had retired ‘upstairs’ and handed over the business to the new partnership of Henry H. Siebe and William A. Gorman. In 1870 the business started trading under the new name of ‘Siebe & Gorman’. Augustus Siebe died of bronchitis at his 5 Denmark Street home on 15th April 1872 (aged 84) and was buried at the West Norwood Cemetery. Fig. 3a. Charles Deane’s Fig. 3b. Deane’s Fig. 3c. Augustus Siebe’s first Fig. 3d. The improved ‘smoke helmet’ (1823), ‘diving helmet’ and the ‘Closed’ dress diving apparatus ‘standard’ 12-bolt diving Development of the Diving Dress which was adapted for ‘Open’ dress diving with 12 equally spaced dress apparatus with Augustus Siebe had manufactured several of Charles Anthony Deane’s (1796-1848) patented (1823) diving trials. apparatus (1832). thumb-screws and a wide modified seals, valves, corselet (circa1840). fittings separate bonnet smoke helmets and bellows (Fig. 3a) for used in a Deptford shipyard. Over the next two years, Charles and narrow corselet. Deane and his brother John (1800-1884) developed an ‘Open’ diving helmet, by modifying Charles’ After about 1870, this patented smoke helmet. In 1830, they contacted Augustus Siebe again with their idea of commissioning basic design remains an improved, ‘Open Helmet Diving Dress’ with attached canvas jacket and a more powerful forced air relatively unchanged. pump for diving use (Fig. 3b). These were made for the Deane brothers and proved useful for shallow water work, even though the diver needed to remain in an upright working position to prevent flooding Deane brothers, George Edwards and Charles Pasley. Small modifications and improvements were of the dress. In 1838, George Edwards (1804-1893), a Lowestoft harbour engineer, altruistically gave subsequently made to valves and communication systems, but the basic ‘Standard’ diving dress with the Siebe his ideas for design improvements to the Deane brothers ‘Open’ diving dress apparatus. By 12 bolt helmet remained relatively unchanged from 1870, until its slow decline from the mid-1950s clamping the diving dress to the helmet using a loose flange arrangement, the ‘Open’ diving dress (Fig. 3d). It is interesting to note that the serial production numbers of ‘standard’ dress helmets had could be converted into a flexible ‘Closed’ diving dress. Wrist ties were later replaced with proper already reached the half way stage about the middle of the 1920s. rubber wrist seals. This would allow the diver to remain dry and work in any position. In 1839, Siebe manufactured the first ‘Closed’ diving dress, using 12 equally spaced bolts to clamp the full dress to ‘Siebe & Gorman’ (1870-1879) the breastplate (Fig. 3c). From 1840 to 1844 Colonel Charles Pasley and his team of Royal Engineers In 1876 the firm of ‘Siebe & Gorman’ moved their business operation to a new premises at 17 Mason used this ‘Closed’ diving dress with great success to clear the wreck of HMS Royal George in The Solent, Street, Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, London (later re-named Boniface Street by London County off Portsmouth (Fig. 4). Colonel Pasley suggested a further improvement of allowing the helmet’s Council). It was a former cork making factory, but it had 8,000sq.ft. of space which would allow for ‘bonnet’ and breastplate to be separated using an ‘interrupted thread’. Thus the basic ‘Standard’ Diving rapid company expansion. It eventually employed 30 men and included a non-ferrous foundry and Dress with a 12 bolt helmet was realised by Siebe, with major suggestions and design inputs from the blacksmith’s and coppersmith’s shops. The company traded from this address for the next 10 years. 22 The International Journal of Diving History The International Journal of Diving History 23 shareholders. They were looking for new innovations which would expand their marine engineering and armaments empire. Albert Vickers (Chairman of Vickers Ltd.) took over the firm in 1904, a severe disappointment to the ambitions of Robert Davis. However, because of his extensive experience, Davis was made Managing Director. The take-over changed Davis’s business outlook, and he filed many subsequent patents in his own name, which would be out of the control of the new company.

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