No 204 Mar 2015 1 www.sihg.org.uk

Emma Corke, right, presented the Margary Award to Glenys and Alan Crocker of SIHG for their display and demonstration of papermaking.

Participants at the Surrey Archaeological Society Annual Symposium 2015 tried their hand at papermaking.

Ancient Voices - Prehistoric Technology Watch SIHG Weaving Expert Glenys Crocker on TV If you go to www.bbc.co.uk/programmes then type “ancient voices” in the programme search field, it comes up straight away. You can then watch it until about 14 April 2015, whether online or, if you have downloaded it, on your computer away from the internet.

Contents 1 Margary Award for Papermaking display and Demonstration 2 Notices 3 Venues, Times & Contacts 4 Harry Ferguson and the Agricultural Revolution by Ed Marshall 5 Sir Joseph Swan by Bob Bryson 6 200th Anniversary of Davy’s and Stephenson’s safety lamps 7 Transport Trust: Heritage Directory, People Index & Red Wheel Plaques 8 150 Years of Underground Design by Mark Ovenden Newsletter 204 March 2015 2 SIHG Newsletter No 204 March 2015 DIARY Enquires to Programme Co-ordinator Bob Bryson: [email protected]. 40th series at Guildford of SIHG Industrial Archaeology Lectures alternate Tuesdays, 19:30-21:30, will start in the Autumn Education Centre, The Cathedral, Guildford (map: www.sihg.org.uk). Non-member £40 full fee, SyAS/SIHG member £35. Single lectures at £5, payable on the night, are open to all. Thursday Mornings Lectures at Leatherhead, 10:00-12:00, Room G6 The Institute, 67 High Street Leatherhead KT22 8AH Non-member full fee £50 SIHG member £45. (Please note that attendance is for the full course only.)

Reports & Notices Details of meetings are reported in good faith, but information may become out of date. Please check before attending.

SIHG Visits, Details & Updates at www.sihg.org.uk

Exhibitions

until 31 May 2015 at Historic Dockyard, Chatham: HMS Victory, The Untold Story.

until 12 April 2015 at London Canal Museum - The Story of the British Army’s Use of Canals in Belgium in WW1 Waterways on the Western Front

Until 31 December 2015 at STEAM, Reading - The Role of the GWR and its Employees during WW1 A Railway at War - Exhibition

Proposed Working Party at Vale End Pumping Station, Albury: Volunteers wanted, please contact Alan Crocker

SIHG Membership Renewal for 2015-16 is now due Please make your cheque payable to ‘Surrey Archaeological Society’ and send it to Castle Arch, Guildford GU1 3SX Membership Form enclosed. You may also pay by Standing Order.

SIHG Conservation Award to Farnham Pottery and AGM Saturday 11 July 2015 at 14:00 Talk & tour of the Pottery (& Refreshments!) More details in the May Newsletter

SERIAC 2015 The South East Regional Industrial Archaeology Conference Saturday 25 April 2015 at Ashburton Hall, Queen Elizabeth II Court, Sussex St, Winchester SO23 8UJ. The Programme/Application Form is available on the SIHG website. Newsletter 204 March 2015 3 Venues, Times & Contacts Please check venues and times carefully.

Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre: 10:00-17:00; £11/ Newcomen Society Portsmouth: 18:30; free; P1-11, Portland £10; Amberley Railway Station BN18 9L; Building, Universityof Portsmouth, Saint James’s Street , www.amberleymuseum.co.uk; 01798 831370. Portsmouth PO1; http://newcomen.com. Ancient Technology Centre : 10:00-16:00; £6; Damerham Portsmouth Historic Dockyard : 10:00-17:30, site ticket, Road, Cranborne, Dorset BH21 5RP; (behind school); annual £28/£26 HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ; 01725 517618, www.ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk, www.historicdockyard.co.uk; 02392 728060. Brooklands: open Summer 10:00-17:00, Winter 10:00-16:00; Railway and Canal Historical Society :18:30, free? £11/£9.90; Brooklands Rd, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 The Rugby Tavern, Rugby Street, London WC1N 3ES; 0QN; www.brooklandsmuseum.com; 01932 857381. www.rchs.org.uk. BIAG, Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group: 19:30; Rural Life Centre: open Summer Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00, £2.50; Garden Room, Watlington House, Watlington Winter Wed/Sun 10:00-16:00; £8.50/£7.50; Old Kiln Mu- Street, Reading RG1 4RG ; www.biag.org.uk. seum, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey GU10 2DL; Brunel Museum: Walks from Bermondsey Tube; just turn up www.rural-life.org.uk; 01252 795571. Wed 16:30, Sun 10:45; £9/£7. SIAS, Sussex Industrial Archaeological Society : Boat & train from Embankment tube station (not pier) for www.sussexias.co.uk. Brunel sites along the Thames; just turn up Tue/Thu/Sat Streatham Society: 20:00, free; ‘Woodlawns’, 16 Leigham 10:45; £9/£7 (+ transport costs). Museum: Railway Ave- Court Road, Streatham, London SW16 2PJ; nue, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF; 020 7231 3840. www.streathamsociety.org.uk; 020 8764 8314. Bursledon Brickworks: Open days £5/£4, Thu £3/£2; Coal Subterranea Britannica: www.subbrit.org.uk. Park Lane, Swanwick, Southampton SO31 7GW; Twyford Waterworks: 11:00-16:00, £5/£4; Hazeley Road, www.bursledonbrickworks.org.uk; 01489 576248. Twyford, Hampshire SO21 1QA; Chatham Historic Dockyard: 10:00-18:00, £17.50/£15; Chatham, www.twyfordwaterworks.co.uk; 01962 714716. Kent ME4 4TZ; www.thedockyard.co.uk; 01634 823800. Upminster Windmill: some Sat/Sun 14:00-17:00, free/ Crofton Beam Engines : 10:30-17:00; £8/£7; Crofton, Marl- donation; The Mill Field, St. Mary's Lane. Upminster, borough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW Essex, RM14 2QL; Croydon Airport Visitor Centre: open Sun, 11:00-16:00, www.upminsterwindmill.co.uk; 0300 030 1803. free; Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon CR0 0XZ. Walking Tours of Guildford: Meet at Tunsgate Arch, High Cuffley Industrial Heritage Society: 20:00, £4; Northaw Street, Guildford; 14:30; Village Hall, 5 Northaw Road West, Northaw EN6 4NW; free, just turn up; www.guildfordwalks.org.uk. www.cihs.org.uk. Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, 10:30-18:00, : 10:30-17:00; £10.00/£9.50; Didcot £11.50/£10.50; Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 Parkway railway station, Didcot, OX11 7NJ; 0EU; www.wealddown.co.uk; 01243 811348. www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk; 01235-817200. Westcott Local History Group: 20:00, £1; Westcott Reading Docklands History Group: 18:00, £2; Museum of London Room, Institute Rd, Westcott, RH4 3NP; Docklands, No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, Hertsmere www.westcotthistory.org.uk. Rd, Canary Wharf, London E14 4AL; www.docklandshistorygroup.org.uk; 01689 851982. GLIAS, Greater London Industrial History Society: 18:30; Swedenborgian Lecture Theatre, Barter Street by King- sway Underground Station; www.glias.org.uk. Greenwich Industrial History: 19:30, £1; Old Bakehouse, Diary April 2015 rear of Age Exchange Centre, opp Blackheath Stn, Bennett 25 Sat SERIAC. SE Regional IA Conference, Park, 11 Blackheath Village, SE3 9LA; no parking. Guildford Museum: Castle Arch, Guildford, Surrey GU1 Winchester, see page 2. 3SX; Mons to Sats, 11:00-17:00 + Bank Holiday Mon- days; www.guildford.gov.uk/museum, 01483 444751. Diary May 2015 HIAS, Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society: 19:45, free; Underhill Centre, St. John's Road, Hedge End, Hants SO30 4AF; www.hias.org.uk; 01962 855200. 12 Tue Walking Tours of Guildford: Made in IWA, Inland Waterways Association: Guildford; meet Tunsgate Arch, High Street, www.waterways.org.uk; 0203 612 9624. Guildford at 14:30, led by Hugh Anscombe; free. Kempton Steam Museum: 10:30-16:00, £7/£6; Snakey Lane, off hihg section of A316, Hanworth, Middx; entrance TW13 7ND; www.kemptonsteam.org; 01932 765328. KAS, Kent Archaeological Society: www.kentarchaeology.org.uk. London Canal Museum: Open 10:00-16:30; Talks 19:30, £4/ £3; 12/13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT; www.canalmuseum.org.uk; 0207 713 0836. London Museum of Water and Steam: Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middx TW8 0EN; www.waterandsteam.org.uk; National Mills Weekend 2015 020 8568 4757. Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May , Watermill & House : £9.50/£8.00; 14:00-17:30; Sats, Suns & Bank Hols; Mapledurham, Reading RG4 7TR: Surrey Windmills Surrey Watermills www.mapledurham.co.uk; 0118 972 3350. Buckland Windmill, nr Reigate Cobham Watermill Museum of London Docklands: Mon-Sun: 10:00-18:00; no.1 Lowfield Heath Windmill, Painshill ParkWaterwheel, Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL; Charlwood Cobham www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands, Outwood Windmill Shalford Watermill [email protected], 020 7001 9844. Reigate Heath Windmill Haxted Watermill, National Trust: Wey Navigations Office and Dapdune Wharf, Edenbridge Wharf Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4RR; www.nationaltrust.org.uk, 01483 561389. www.nationalmillsweekend.co.uk Newcomen Society London: 17:45, free; Fellows’ Room, Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD; http://newcomen.com. Newsletter 204 March 2015 4

SIHG Meeting 3at Guildford February 2015 The talk continued with the life of Harry Ferguson who Harry Ferguson and the Agricultural Revolution was an Irish engineer and inventor, born in 1884, the fourth child of strict Plymouth Brethren parents. Although by Ed Marshall, Newcomen Society he was of slight build, he had to do heavy manual labour report by Celia Gregory on the family farm after leaving school at 14. By age 18, he was about to emigrate to Canada when his brother Joe offered him an apprenticeship in his car and cycle business in Belfast. This suited Harry admirably as he discovered an aptitude for tuning engines and modifying them. He raced both cars and motorcycles in the 1920s and was known as ‘The Mad Mechanic’. Beforehand, in 1909, he had built and flown his own aircraft, the first Irishman to do so. By 1913 Harry was married with his own business and a partner in Willie Sands, who was the practical one. Harry was more interested in concepts. He was also a born sales- man, and he decided to import and sell American tractors. An early version of Fowler’s ploughing system One 26 hp American tractor (weighing over 2 tons) needed a fixed link to attach a plough, which was dangerous for The talk began with an outline of early agriculture and then the tractor when the plough hit a submerged rock. Another gave a resume of the life of Harry Ferguson. was the American Ford Eros, a lightweight tractor which did not compact soil, but its manufacture was scrapped in When settled communities fostered agriculture in place of 1916. Harry invented a new plough design with 3 mount- hunting, it became necessary to develop tools to till the soil. ing points for stability and a hydraulic pump for the lever In c. 2000 BC, the Egyptians used the ard, a wooden spike to raise the plough. He contacted Henry Ford as a manu- drawn by oxen, which employed a hoe action. In medieval facturer with no success. He then adjusted the hydraulic times the ploughshare was metal, turning one furrow, but link to raise and lower the plough automatically. This is still drawn by oxen. Eventually horses were used for the Ferguson System, used on all tractors in the world agriculture in place of the heavier oxen, and ploughs could today. turn more than one furrow. Steam mechanization for ploughing became available in the 1850s. David Brown was the partner with whom Harry made the first grey Ferguson Brown tractor, followed by the TE 20 tractor which was easy to drive but more expensive than the American Fordson. In 1938, having fallen out with David Brown, Harry approached Henry Ford again, and so impressed him that a handshake deal sealed the agreement to build the Ford-Ferguson 9N tractor. The talk then detailed the ups and downs of the business, including the launch in 1950 of Harry Ferguson Research, which was sold in 1952 to Massey Harris for shares, Harry being made chairman. He left the firm in 1954, needing some project to occupy himself with, so until 1960 he built a Formula I racing car, Project 99,with an enhanced Cov- entry Climax engine. At Silverstone in 1961, Stirling Moss drove it to victory as the Jensen Motors FF Interceptor, just a few months after Harry had died. ¤ Ferguson’s design with 3 mounting points and hydraulic control In 1856, Fowler’s double engine plough was patented, where two self-moving engines drew a plough backwards and forwards across a field, efficient on large level fields but costly to own, so they were mainly used by contractors. In 1914, Ward and Dale of Sleaford cultivated 65,000 acres with 55 steam engines. Although a self-mobile steam tractor was manufactured in America, it was so heavy that it compacted the soil. Other early tractor de- signs were not popular with farmers, who preferred to use horses. Unfortunately the start of World War I in 1914 resulted in so many of their horses being commandeered for the Army that the loss was a great trial. It became imperative to use tractors on the land to enable much more food to be grown in the UK, as imports were being lost to subma- rine action and food stocks were becoming perilously low. The Government set up the War Agricultural Committee which could lease tractors to farmers to save their capital. Demonstrations of ploughing using the tractors were also arranged. These were treated as mere entertainment, fail- ing to convince farmers to use the tractors as they were cumbersome. A better design was needed. Newsletter 204 March 2015 5 Sir Joseph Swan by Bob Bryson

original lamp. In 1880 Mosley Street in Newcastle was the first street in Britain to be lit by electric bulbs. As previously mentioned Swan’s home in Gateshead was the first private house to be lit electrically closely followed by Lord Armstrong’s mansion at Cragside in November 1880. In 1881 Swan came up with an improved filament that was made by squirting collodion, which he was familiar with from his photography work, into a coagulating so- lution and carbonising the resulting threads. Gas powered ‘limelight’ was first used at the Covent Garden Theatre in 1837 and became popular in theatres by the 1860s-1870s. Although Humphrey Davy had first demonstrated the electric arc light in 1807 such lights were too harsh and powerful to find extensive applica- tion in buildings. From about 1890 arc lights were how- Sir Joseph Swan, 1828-1914 ever used in specialist applications such as cinema projectors and theatre spot lights where they replaced limelight. As a child I had my hair cut in a terraced house in The Savoy Theatre was the first public building to be lit Gateshead which still had gas light fittings, as well as a by Swan incandescent electric lamps in 1881. Inci- very early Swan electric light bulb that at the time still dentally during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s worked. Obviously therefore I always thought of local Lolanthe the following year the costumes of the fairies man Swan as the inventor of the electric light and never on stage had small bulbs sewn into then powered by thought much of Thomas Edison’s claim. Recently how- small batteries hidden behind the fairies’ hair, giving ever I have read about the history of the electric light in rise to the term fairy lights! the “Professional Engineering” magazine (Dec 2014 page 75) and listened to John Otten give a talk on In 1880 both Swan and Edison had obtained U.S. Pa- “Death of a Light Bulb” at one of our Thursday morning tents, but the patent granted to Edison was invalidated lectures in Leatherhead (15 Jan 2015). John’s talk was by the US patents office in June 1883. Edison then predominately about how the introduction of LEDs and attempted to take Swan to court in the UK for patent other energy saving light bulbs has led virtually to the infringement. Edison lost and as part of the settlement end of the incandescent light bulb. The start of his talk Swan was made a partner in Edison’s British electric was however concerned with the birth of the light bulb and it is about this that I thought I would write. Joseph Swan was one of many people credited with the invention of the incandescent light bulb and his house ‘Underhill’ in Kell’s Lane Gateshead (a few hundred yards from my hairdressers) was the first in the world to be lit by light bulbs. Swan was born in Sunderland in 1828 and attended lectures at the Sunderland Atheneum. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a local pharmacist before joining a chemical firm belonging to his brother in law, John Mawson. Swan eventually became a partner in the firm and Mawson, Swan and Morgan were still a well known Newcastle store in my youth. The firm started out pro- ducing collodion (a solution of nitro-cellulose in a mix- ture of alcohol and ether) used in the ‘wet plate’ photo- graphic process. Swan spent a number of years searching for an easier ‘dry plate’ method using gelatine and silver bromide which he patented in 1871. In 1879 be came up with bromide paper. Altogether Swan took out over 70 patents to do with photography. This experimental work Swan’s first incandescent electric lamp, was to prove useful to Swan in his work on the electric publicly shown in Newcastle light because most heated electric filaments burned out in December 1878 very quickly. It was only in the first half of the 1870s, when better vacuum pumps came along, that Swan was works. The company, ‘The Edison and Swan United able to develop a carbon filament which, when sealed in Electric Company’, later known as Ediswan, was set up a vacuum, did not quickly oxidise and burn out. in 1883. Swan first demonstrated the light bulb at a lecture to the Both Swan and Edison had exhibited at the Paris exhibi- Chemical Society in Newcastle upon Tyne on tion of 1881, but it was Swan who was honoured by the 18 December 1878, but he did not receive a patent until French President with the ‘Chevalier de la Legion 27 November 1880 after making improvements to the (Continued on page 6) Newsletter 204 March 2015 6

(Continued from page 5) Sir Joseph Swan d'Honneur’. Probably Edison’s greatest achievement "There are no inventions without a pedigree, meaning was the development of a sufficiently robust power sup- that nothing is developed in complete isolation, an in- ply which enabled electric lighting to be installed across ventor always draws on the work of others that have American towns and cities. Edison was also a prolific gone before.” ¤ inventor and was a founder of General Electric. If anything, what I have learnt about Swan supports the claim that he invented the first effective incandescent electric light; however as Swan himself is reported as saying:

200th Anniversary Safety Lamps In 1815 both Humphry Davy and George Stephenson invented safety lamps for use in coalmines. Davy’s lamp was championed by the scientific establishment, while Stephenson’s version had some popularity in the North. Disputes over priority became quite acrimo- nious at times. The wire gauze of the Davy lamp or the capillary tubes at the base of Stephenson’s original lamp prevents the spread of flame to the outside. However, the presence of methane tinged the flame blue to provide a warning of danger. ¤ JS

Many thanks to all who have sent in contributions.

Please send in reports or photos of holiday visits or thoughts on local, national or international Industrial Archaeology by 10 May 2015 for the May 2015 SIHG Newsletter! Newsletter 204 March 2015 7 Transport Trust Heritage Directory: People Index & Red Wheel Plaques www.transporttrust.com noted by Robin Turier and viewed by Jan Spencer

To quote from the homepage of the Transport Trust website: “The Transport Trust is the only national charity established to promote and encourage the preservation and restoration of Britain’s unique transport heritage in all its forms - by air, land (road and rail) and water (sea and inland). This country’s growth and prosperity has been inextricably linked with the movement of people and cargo. We take it as our mission to ensure the story of our heritage does not slip into oblivion. The People Index commemorates key figures who have contributed to our heritage. The Heritage Directory indexes more than 800 sites of historic significance in the heritage of transport in the UK, Since April 2009, several Red Wheels have been awarded nationwide to commemorate Britain’s rich and globally important leg- acy in the development of transport.” Red Wheel Plaques in the South East

Barnes Wallis birthplace, Ripley. start of the ‘PLUTO’ pipeline. Bath Spa Station, 1841; focal point of IK Brunel's Mussel Manor and Shellbeach Aerodrome, Sheppey Great Western Railway. Rewley Road Station, now in Buckingham Brooklands, Weybridge; World’s first purpose-built Railway Centre; sole surviving example of motor racing circuit, 1907-1939. Joseph Paxton’s use of cast iron, timber and glass. Bucklers Hard, 18th century shipbuilding centre. River Wey Navigation, opened 1653. Caen Hill Locks, Devizes. Royal Gunpowder mills, Waltham Cross. Calshot Seaplane Base, 1913-1961; Salomons Motor Stables, Tunbridge Wells. Seaplane and Flying Boat station. Shorts Building, Shortstown, Beds; HQ of Short Brothers Camden Roundhouse; rare early railway engine shed, (1917-1921) and the Royal Airship Works (1924 Operated 1847-1855. -1938) where HM Airship R101 was designed. Dennis Bros Motor Factory, Guildford, 1901; Southampton Terminus Station,1839-1966; Britain's first purpose-built motor vehicle designed by Sir William Tite. factory; production ceased here in 1911. Spa Road Station, Bermondsey; London's first Didcot Railway Centre railway terminus, opened 1836. Duxford Airfield Victoria Coach Station, London; Art Deco style purpose- Edstone Aqueduct, Stratford on Avon built coach station, the largest in Britain, 1932. Hovercraft Museum, Lee-on-Solent Hythe Ferry & Pier Railway; ancient ferry crossing, first recorded in 1575. Lepe Beach; ‘Mulberry Harbour’ construction and

The deadline for submitting copy for the next Newsletter is 10 May 2015. Submissions are accepted in typescript, on a disc, or by email to [email protected]. Anything related to IA will be considered.Priority will be given to Surrey-based or topical articles. Contributions will be published as soon as space is available. Readers are advised that the views of contributors are not necessarily the views of SIHG. Website: www.sihg.org.uk

Surrey Industrial History Group Officers Chairman, Lectures Organiser & Sales: Robert Bryson [email protected] Secretary: Hugh Anscombe [email protected] Treasurer: (vacant) ([email protected]) Vice Chairman & Membership Secretary: Pam Taylor [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Jan Spencer [email protected]

SIHG is a group of the Surrey Archaeological Society, Registered Charity No 272098 Castle Arch Guildford Surrey GU1 3SX, Group President: Prof AG Crocker FSA

Published by Surrey Industrial History Group, printed by YesPrint 3 Leafy Oak Workshops Cobbetts Lane Yateley GU17 9LW © SIHG 2015 ISSN 1355-8188 Newsletter 204 March 2015 8

SIHG Guildford Lecture 18 November 2014 150 Years of London Underground Design by Mark Ovenden report by Robin Turier

The subtitle of the lecture was “Changing London’s Edward Johnston, a calligrapher, Joined UERL in 1916. Look”; showing it was not going to be about civil, He designed a new font, resulting in clear and uniform mechanical or electrical engineering. The speaker has signage around stations, though not immune to the been interested in railways since the Beeching closures whims of sign-writers! and his book “Metro Maps of the World” was published The speaker referred to the 1920s extensions to Morden in 2003. and Cockfosters with stations designed by Charles The talk started with an illustration of the Metropolitan Holden, and to the massive reconstruction of Piccadilly Railway’s stations which opened with the railway in Circus Station. 1863. After this date, the introduction of structural steel- The railway companies realized maps were essential to work gave architects more scope in station design. In encourage use of the system. The revolutionary change 1890 the City & South London was the first deep level, occurred in 1933 with the publication of the first electrically worked, tube line. A prominent feature of diagrammatic map designed by Harry Beck. This re- each station was a large dome, needed to house the lift mains the basis of all subsequent London Underground mechanism. maps and has been used as a model by Metro systems In 1902 the Underground Electric Railways of London worldwide. Company (UERL) was established to develop new tube Also in 1933, the London Passenger Transport Board railways. Their architect, Leslie Green, produced a took over the underground railways, together with trams, distinctive design for station surface buildings. By 1907 buses and trolleybuses in the London region. It adopted a corporate identity was beginning to emerge but sign- both the UERL roundel and Johnston font, for use age was a mess. The speaker described the evolution of throughout its network. Today, Transport for London the roundel design, with illustrations. The Metropolitan and uses the roundel for all its areas of responsibility. East London lines used diamond shapes as trademarks. It was a very enjoyable talk. ¤ I found out after the talk that UERL also took over the Metropolitan District, Central London Electric and City & South London Railways.

The Metropolitan line used a diamond as its trademark.

Above photo Robin Turier. Below: Harry Beck’s map, detail.

Roundel, now used throughout Transport for London.