Manchester Memoirs, Vol. Ixiii. (1920) No. 5 



v.— HENRY WILDE. 



Professor VV. W. Haldane Gee, B.Sc, M.Sc.Tech., A.M.I.E.E. 



Henry Wilde, the eldest child of a working mechanic, was 

 born in Manchester in 1833. When Henry was sixteen he was 

 left without parents, and had the charge of a younger brother, 

 Joseph, and a sister. The brothers were apprenticed to an 

 engineering firm. Henry soon showed considerable skill, and 

 before he was of age he obtained a position of some responsi- 

 bility in the works. His leisure hours were devoted to study, 

 especially of electricity ; and he constructed electrical machines and 

 made experiments with electrical kites and the electro-deposition 

 of metals. He soon realised the great possibilities of the indus- 

 trial applications of electricity, and decided in 1856, when he 

 was twenty-three, to set up in business as a telegraph and 

 lightning-conductor engineer. He first had an office in Cross 

 Street, Manchester; but in 1861 he removed to 2, Winter's 

 Buildings, St. Ann's Church Yard. 



An important fact in the life of Henry Wilde was the friend- 

 ship of his brother-in-law, Mr. George Clifif Lowe, silversmith, of 

 26, St. Ann's Street, Manchester. They became partners, and 

 the firm of Wilde and Co. was established, with a works in Mill 

 Street, Ancoats. 



Lightning Conductor Expert. 



In 1 861 his attention was directed to the danger of having 

 lightning conductors near water and gas pipes, especially when the 

 pipes were made of lead, a metal that may be easily fused by side 

 flashes. He advised that in all cases lightning conductors should 

 be metallically connected with the pipes, which is now the general 

 practice. Wilde established a local reputation as a lightning 

 conductor expert, and in a Lancashire factory town was known 

 as ■' t'thunder an' leetnin' mon." 



Telegraphy. 

 At the time that Wilde commenced business, commercial 

 telegraphy was fast developing, and he saw tiiat an alphabetic 

 system was likely to be adopted by works and business houses. 

 He devoted five years to the design and manufacture of suitable 

 transmitters and receivers worked by magnetos, and succeeded 

 in producing an ingenious system, which was a rival to that of 

 Sir Charles Wheatstone. The Universal Private Telegraph Com- 

 pany, which used the Wheatstone system, brought an action 

 against Wilde for infringement of its patents; but the action 

 was dismissed with costs. 



Ju}ie joth, 1^20. 



