William Ford Robinson Stanley
Personal information
Nationality	English
Birth date	2 February 1829(1829-02-02)
Birth place	Islington, London, United Kingdom
Date of death	14 August 1909 (aged 80)
Place of death	South Norwood, London, United Kingdom
Spouse	Eliza Ann Savory
Work

William Ford Robinson Stanley (1829-1909) was a British inventor, engineer and philanthropist. He founded Stanley Trades School, renamed as Stanley Technical School (now Harris Academy South Norwood).

He was also an architect, painter, musician and photographer.^[1]

Contents 1 Personal life 2 Professional life 3 Stanley's Will 4 Membership of professional bodies and societies 5 Selected Inventions and patents 6 Selected works 6.1 Books 6.2 Articles 7 Legacy 8 Notes and References 9 Further Reading 10 External links

[edit] Personal life

William Stanley was born on Monday 2nd February 1829^[2] in Islington, London^{[1][3][4][akpan 1]} and was baptised on Wednesday 4th March 1829 at St Mary’s Church, Islington.^{[3][5][akpan 1]}

At the age of 10 he started going regularly to a day school run by a Mr Peil until he was 12. From the age of 12 until he was 14, his maternal uncle William Ford Hickman paid for his education at a different school.^{[akpan 2]} Despite having limited formal learning, he taught himself mathematics, mechanics, astronomy, music, French, geology, chemistry, architecture and theology.^{[4][5][akpan 3]} He attended lessons in technical drawing at the London Mechanics’ Institution (now called Birkbeck College). He enrolled in 1843, attending engineering and phrenology lessons.^{[5][akpan 4]}

While living in Buntingford (between 1849 and 1854), he created a Literary Society with a local chemist. They charged a subscription of 5 shillings a year. This was spent on books to form a library which grew to 300 volumes. They had many guest speakers, and on one occasion Lord Lytton came to address the Society on Pompeii (being the author of The Last Days of Pompeii).^{[akpan 5]} Being "intensely interested" in architecture, he submitted a design for a competition in The Builder magazine, but did not win this.^{[akpan 5]} At this time, Stanley fell in love with a local girl, Bessie Sutton, but her family refused to let them marry. Bessie married a well-to-do farmer, but she died soon after.^{[akpan 6]}

On his birthday in 1857, he married Eliza Ann Savory.^{[1][3][4][akpan 7]} They lived "above the shop", as they could only afford to rent four rooms in the same street as his shop.^{[akpan 7]}. Five years later, the couple moved to Kentish Town.^{[akpan 8]}, later moving to South Norwood in the mid 1860s.^{[1][4][akpan 9]} The couple adopted Stanley's niece Eliza Ann and another child, Maud Martin, whose father and brother drowned at sea.^{[1][3][akpan 10]}

He stopped using the name Robinson and changed his signature as a consequence of being robbed of his cheque book during the early days of his business.^[3]

Following his election as a Fellow of the Geologists' Association, he went on an expedition to the Ardennes and the River Meuse.^{[akpan 11]} He enjoyed foreign travel, and visited Egypt and Palestine in 1889, and Switzerland in 1893.^{[3][akpan 12]}

In 1891, three of Stanley's oil paintings were exhibited at the Marlborough Gallery.^[2][3]. As well as painting, he also composed partsongs.^[3], as well as indulging in other forms of art - in May 1904, a carved inlaid tray Stanley had made was shown at the Stanley Art Exhibition Club.^{[akpan 13]}

Stanley became a magistrate, and sat on the Croydon Bench on Mondays and Saturdays.^{[akpan 13]} When he retired from the Bench, one of his colleagues commented that there would be "no more £10 notes put in the poor-box".^{[akpan 14]}

In July 1907 he was given the freedom of the borough of Croydon.^[1][4]

He died on 14 August 1909 of a heart attack^{[akpan 15]}, aged 80. His funeral was held on 19 August, and "local flags were flown at half mast, shops closed and local people drew their curtains as a mark of respect as a cortege of 15 carriages drew past."^{[1][akpan 15]} The first 14 carriages were filled with family and dignitaries, whilst the 15th carried the domestic staff from Cumberlow.^{[akpan 15]} The cortege went to Elmers End Cemetery in Beckenham at walking pace and was met at the gates of the Cemetery by scholars from the School and members of staff from the firm.^{[akpan 16]} He was buried in the part of the Cemetery reserved for those who attended St. John's Church, Upper Norwood.^{[akpan 17]} His tomb has a fine portrait carved in stone.^{[akpan 17]} When his widow died in 1913, she was placed in the tomb beside Stanley.^{[akpan 17]}

There were obituaries in several national and local newspapers and journals, including The Times, The Norwood Herald, The Norwood News, The Engineer, The Electrical Review, The Electrician, Engineering and The Journal of the Geological Society of London.^{[akpan 18]}

During the last 15 years of his life, Stanley gave over £80,000 to education projects. Most of his estate, valued at £59,000, was bequeathed to trade schools and students in south London.^[4]

On Saturday 22 August 2009, a memorial service in his honour was held at his grave in Beckenham Cemetery to mark the centenary of his death.^[6]

[edit] Professional life

In 1843, at the age of 14, Stanley's father insisted that he leave school and help him in his trade.^{[akpan 19]} Stanley worked in his father's unsuccessful building business, becoming adept at working with metal and wood^[3], later to obtain employment as a plumber/drainage contractor^{[3][akpan 20]} and joiner in London.

He joined his father in 1849 at an engineering works at Whitechapel, working as a Pattern Maker's Improver^{[akpan 20]} where he invented the steel-wheel spider spokes.^{[akpan 20]} His father discouraged him from seeking a patent for this invention.^{[3][akpan 20]} For the following five years, he was in partnership with his maternal uncle (A Mr Warren), a builder, at Buntingford.^{[2][akpan 20]}

Stanley acted upon a remark made by his father in 1854 about the high cost and poor quality of English drawing instruments compared to those imported from France and Switzerland,^{[3][akpan 21]} renting a shop and parlour at 3 Great Turnstile^{[akpan 21]}, Holborn, with £100 capital, and started a business as a metal and ivory worker and maker of mathematical and drawing instruments, at first in wood and later in metal.^{[akpan 21]} He invented a new T-square which improved the standard one and became universally used.^{[akpan 21]} A cousin, Henry Robinson, joined him with a capital of £150^{[akpan 21]}, but died in 1859.^{[3][2][akpan 7]}

He produced a Panoptic Stereoscope in 1855, which was financially successful.^[3] Stereoscopes had sold for 5 shillings each - Stanley discovered a simpler method to make them, which enable him to sell them for 1 shilling.^{[akpan 6]} He was able to take an additional shops at 3-4 Great Turnstile and 286 High Holborn, as well as a skilled assistant.^{[2][akpan 6]} He did not patent the Panoptic, so it was soon copied around the world, but he had sold enough to provide enough capital to manufacture scientific instruments.^{[akpan 6]}

In 1861 he invented a straight line dividing machine for which he won first prize in the 1862 International Exhibition in London.^{[1][3][2][4][akpan 7][7]}

He brought out the first catalogue of his products in 1864.^{[akpan 8]} By the 5th edition, Stanley was able to list important customers such as several government departments, the Army, the Royal Navy, railways at home and abroad, and London University.^{[akpan 22]}

From 1865, he worked on improving the elegance and stability of surveying instruments, especially the theodolite, whose construction he simplified.^[2][3] It had a rotating telescope for measuring horizontal and vertical angles and able to take sihts on prominent objects at a distance. The number of component parts were reduced to less than half of the 226 used in the previous version, making it lighter, cheaper and more accurate.^{[akpan 23]}

In South Norwood, he designed and built his two homes Stanleybury and Cumberlow Lodge (at 74 and 76 Albert Road respectively)^{[1][2] [6][akpan 9]}

He designed and set up a factory in 1875 or 1876 (called The Stanley Works, it was listed in the 1876 Croydon Directories as Stanley Mathematical Instruments)^{[akpan 9]} in Belgrave Road^[8] near Norwood Junction railway station^[1][6], which produced a variety of instruments for civil, military, and mining engineers, prospectors and explorers, architects, meteorologists and artists, including various Technical drawing tools.^[4] The firm moved out of the factory in the 1920s, with the factory being occupied by a joinery firm until, following a fire, it was converted into residential use in 2000.^[8]

By 1881, Stanley was employing 80 people and producing 3,000 technical items, as detailed in his catalogue.^{[1][akpan 22]} A few years later, in 1885, Stanley was given a gold medal at the International Inventors Exhibition at Wembley.^{[1][akpan 24]}

The rapid growth of his business led to the opening of branches at Lincoln's Inn, at London Bridge and at South Norwood.^[2][3]

His 1890 catalogue shows that the company were selling Magic Lanterns, with a variety of slides including such subjects as the Siege of Paris, the travels of Dr Livingstone and Dante's Inferno, as well as improving stories for children such as Mother's Last Words and The Drunkard's Children,^{[akpan 22]} while in the catalogue for 1891, Stanley refers to the company having 17 branches, with over 130 workmen.^{[akpan 25]}

On 20 April 1900 his company was floated on the stock market, becoming a limited company under the name of William Ford Stanley and Co Ltd. Around 25,000 shares in his company sold at £5 each^[1], giving an authorised capital of £120,000.^{[2][4][akpan 26]} Stanley retired from the company (although still acting as Chairman of the Board and Managing Director), leaving Henry Thomas Tallack (a business partner) and his brother Joseph to run the day-to-day operations.^{[akpan 26]}

Stanley decided in 1901 to build and set up Stanley Technical Trade School, the first of its kind in the country. The school was designed to educate boys between the ages of 12 and 15 in general studies, as well as trade. It was made to Stanley’s own design and included an astronomy tower.^[2][4] It was opened in 1907.^[1][2] When it was presented to the public in 1907, it had an endowment valued at £50,000.^[2]

By 1903 (when the company reached it golden jubilee), it claimed to be the "largest business of its kind in the world".^{[akpan 27]}

[edit] Stanley's Will

Stanley's will was signed on 20 March 1908.^{[akpan 28]}

The will was probated on 26th October 1909.^[3] When he died, his wealth was £58,905 18s. 4d.^[3]

His wife was provided for, and each nephew, niece, great-nephew and great-niece were mentioned by name, and left money and shares. His brother's wife, his niece and his adopted daughter all received shares. Every servant received £5, as did each teacher in the school. Every factory employee received £2. Several individuals received monthly incomes of £1 or £2 a month.^{[akpan 28]}

Croydon General Hospital, the Croydon Natural History Society, The British Home and Hospital for Incurables, Croydon Police Court Relief Fund and Croydon Society for the Protection of Women and Children all received shares, as did the Croydon Corporation, although these were to be used for the purchase of books annually to be used as prizes for students in Croydon.^{[akpan 28]}

[edit] Membership of professional bodies and societies

• 1862 Royal Society of Arts (fellow)^[3][9]

• 1876 Royal Meteorological Society (Life Fellow)^{[3][9][akpan 11]}
  • Papers read by Stanley to the Society:
    • 1876: Clocks^{[akpan 11]}
    • 1882: The Mechanical Conditions of Storms, Hurricanes and Cyclones^{[akpan 11]}
    • 1884: Certain effects which may have been produced from the eruptions of Krakatoa and Mount St. Augustin^{[akpan 11]}
    • 1885: Improvement in Radiation Thermometers^{[akpan 11]}
    • 1886: Three years' work with the chrono-barometer and chrono-thermometer^{[akpan 11]}

• 1882 Physical Society of London (member)^{[2][3][akpan 11]}
  • Papers read by Stanley to the Society:
    • 1882: Forms of Movements in Fluids^{[akpan 11]}

• 1884 Geological Society of London (fellow)^[2][3][9]
  • Papers read by Stanley to the Society:
    • 1883: Earth Subsidence and Elvation (the year before he became a fellow)^{[akpan 11]}

• 1886 Anthropological Institute (fellow)^[10]

• 1894 Royal Astronomical Society (fellow)^[2][9]

• 1900 British Astronomical Association (member)^[3]

[edit] Selected Inventions and patents

78 patents are attributed to Stanley (sometimes the number is quoted as 79, as in 1885 a proposed patent application for a Tooth Injector was never followed through)^{[akpan 29]} Many of the patents Stanley applied for were improvements on techniques or other patents.^{[akpan 30]}

• 1849: Wire bicycle ('spider-wheel') spokes^[2][11]
• 1861: Application of aluminium to the manufacture of mathematical instruments (patented in December) ^{[2][akpan 8]}
• 1863: Drawing instrument for drawing circles or arcs from 2 to 200 feet (0.61 to 61 m) radius (UK patent 226).^{[akpan 24]}
• 1865: Improvements in straight line dividing engines and tools for regulating distances (UK patent 1,245 granted 1 December 1865)^[7]
• 1867: Meteorometer - to record simultaneously wind direction and pressure, temperature, humidity and rainfall. (UK patent 3,335).^{[2][5][akpan 24]}
• 1883: Integrating anemometer^{[2][5][12][akpan 30]}
• 1885: Buffer for the prevention of collisions on land and water (UK patent 12,593 granted 28 October 1885; US patent 345,552 granted 13 July 1886)^{[13][akpan 30]}
• 1885: Actinometer^{[akpan 30]}
• 1885: Barometer and snow gauge^{[akpan 30]}
• 1886: Improvements in Chandeliers and Pendants (to allow the workings used in raising and lowering lamps to be concealed)^{[akpan 30]}
• 1886: Machine for automatically measuring people's height (one of the first 'penny in the slot' machines)^{[2][5][akpan 30]} (caricatured in Moonshine^{[14][akpan 30]} and Scraps magazine ^[15]) (UK patent 4,726 granted 5 April 1886; US patent 404,317 granted 28 May 1889)^[16]
• 1886: Portable Saw (UK patent 10,586 granted 18 August 1886; US patent 432, 337 granted 15 Jult 1890)^[17]
• 1886: William's Pantograph^{[18][akpan 30]}
• 1887: Spirometer for determining lung capacity.^[5] (caricatured by H Furniss in the Yorkshire Evening Post)^{[19][akpan 30]}
• 1888: Pen Extractor (UK patent 17,078 granted 23 November 1888; US patent 479,959 granted 2 August 1892)^{[20][akpan 30]}
• 1889: Improvements in Mining Stadiometers, Theodolites and Tacheometers^{[akpan 30]}
• 1892: Improvements in Tribrach Arrangments for Instruments of Precision^{[akpan 30]}
• 1894: Improvements in Planimeters^{[akpan 30]}
• 1899: Machine for cutting Brazilian Quartz lenses for spectacles^{[akpan 30]}
• 1900: Improved Rotary engine (UK patent granted 1900; US patent 707,174 granted 19 August 1902)^{[21][akpan 30]}
• 1908: Improved Appliance for Mending Surveyors' Band Chains (UK patent granted 29 January 1908)^{[akpan 31]} (this was Stanley's last patent)

[edit] Selected works

[edit] Books

• 1866 A Descriptive Treatise on Mathematical Instruments (which became the standard authority, in its 7th edition by 1900)^{[2][akpan 8][akpan 32]}

• 1867 Proposition for a New Reform Bill to Fairly Represent the Interests of the People (Simpkin, Marshall & Co., London)^[2] (Proposing a simple form of Proportional representation)^{[akpan 32]}

• 1869 Electric disc and experiments, by a positive conductor (William Ford Stanley, patentee, London)

• 1872 Photography Made Easy: A Manual for beginners (Gregory, printers)^{[2][akpan 32]}

• 1875 Stanley's Pretty Figure Book Arithmetic^[2] (reprinted 1881)^{[akpan 32]}

• 1881 Experimental Researches into the Properties and Motions of Fluids: With theoretical deductions therefrom (E. & F.N. Spon) (this work was commended by Darwin and Tyndall. A supplemental work on sound motions in fluids was unfinished)^{[2][akpan 32]}

• 1890 (with Tallack, H.T.) Surveying and levelling instruments theoretically and practically described: for construction, qualities, selection, preservation, adjustments, and uses; with other apparatus and appliances used by civil engineers and surveyors in the field (E. & F.N. Spon, London) - in its 4th edition by 1914^{[2][akpan 32]}

• 1895 Notes on the Nebular Theory in Relation to Stellar, Solar, Planetary, Cometary, and Geological Phenomena (William Ford Stanley, London)^{[2][akpan 32]}

• 1896 Joe Smith and his Waxworks^[2] (Fictional portrayal of the life of travelling fair people, but with an underlying message about the treatment of children)^{[akpan 32]}

• 1900 Mathematical drawing and measuring instruments: their construction, uses, qualities, selection, preservation, and suggestions for improvements, with hints upon drawing, colouring, calculating, sun printing, lettering, &c (E. & F.N. Spon, London)^[22]

• 1903 The Case of The. Fox: a Political Utopia^[2][23] (Stanley's prediction of life in 1950, including predictions of the Channel Tunnel, a unified Europe, a simplified currency, amongst others)^{[akpan 32][akpan 33]}

• 1905 "Turn to the Right." Or, a Plea for a Simple Life. A comedy in four acts (Coventry & Son) - A play performed in the Stanley Halls in May 1905^{[akpan 32]}

[edit] Articles

• 1877 Barometrical and Thermometrical Clocks for Registering Mean Atmospheric Pressure and Temperature (Journal of the Meteorological Society, Volume 3)^{[akpan 32]}

• 1882 Mechanical conditions of storms, hurricanes, and cyclones (Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society)^[24]

• 1885 A suggestion for the improvement of radiation thermometers (Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, London), Volume 11, Issue 54, pp. 124-127^{[akpan 32]}

• 1886 On three years' work with the chrono-barometer and chrono-thermometer, 1882-84 (Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, London), Volume 12, Issue 58, pp. 115-120^{[akpan 32]}

• 1886 A Simple Snow-gauge (Journal of the Meteorological Society, London), Volume 12^{[akpan 32]}

• 1887 The Structure of the Human Race (Nature, Alexander MacMillan, Cambridge), Volume 36^{[akpan 32]}

• 1891 Note on a New Spirometer (Journal of the Anthropological Institute, London), Volume 20^{[akpan 32]}

[edit] Legacy

• W.F. Stanley and Co. - the company continued to expand after Stanley's death, moving to a factory in New Eltham (The Stanley Scientific Instrument Works) in 1916.^{[akpan 34]} During World War I, the factory was requisitioned by the government.^{[akpan 35]} Between the Wars, it continued to expand its position in the market place for quality surveying instruments, although it was requisitioned by the British Government during World War II.^{[akpan 35]} After the Second World War, the company continued to expand, participating in many large project - for example, RMS Queen Mary and Royal Navy ships used the company's compasses and other navigational instruments.^{[akpan 35]} The company went into liquidation in July 1999 - the main factors were not investing the proceeds of the sale of the factory land to buying new machinery, the high value of the pound affecting export orders, and the loss of Ministry of Defence orders following the end of the Cold War.^{[akpan 36]}

• Stanley Halls (in South Norwood) were opened on 2 February 1903^{[akpan 37]} by Charles Ritchie, 1st Baron Ritchie of Dundee^{[akpan 38]} at a cost of £13,000^{[akpan 37]} (as Stanley Public Hall) to provide the local community with a public space for plays, concerts and lectures. In 1904 a clock tower and a hall were added.^{[1][2][6][25][26]}{
  • In 1993, a blue plaque was installed on a wall of Stanley Halls by English Heritage. The plaque reads W.F.R. STANLEY (1829-1909) Inventor, Manufacturer and Philanthropist, founded and designed these halls and technical school.^[27][28]

• Stanley Trades School, renamed as Stanley Technical School (now Harris Academy South Norwood)^[6][25]
  • On 23 November 2006, Lady Harris (wife of Philip Harris, Baron Harris of Peckham, founder of the Harris Federation) and David Cameron (at the time, the leader of the Conservative Party and the Leader of the Opposition) placed a time capsule to recognise the contribution of Stanley to South Norwood. The capsule included a letter from Cameron, a copy of the speech given by William Stanley, on the opening of the Stanley Technical Trade School on March 26th 1907, 2 reference books (William Stanley the Man; William Stanley’s School), as well as artefacts from both Stanley Technical High School for Boys and the Harris Federation of schools.^[29][30]

• The William F. Stanley Trust (originally The Stanley Foundation) was set up as a charitable Trust to assist with the management of the Stanley Trades School.^[31]

• A cast-iron clock tower in South Norwood at the junction of Station Road and the High Street (which was erected in 1907 to mark the golden wedding anniversary of William and Eliza Stanley)^{[4][5][6][25]}

• Cumberlow Lodge in South Norwood was Stanley's home.^[6] It was originally Pascall’s large brickfield dating from the early part of the 19th century, and subsequently a dairy farm. When it closed the 6 acres (0.024 km²) of land was purchased by Stanley (in the 1878) for the building of Cumberlow.^{[8][akpan 39]} It was knocked down in 2006 ^[32] before it could become a listed building.^[33][34] It was written into his will that the building should only be used as a children's home^{[1][akpan 40]}, and it was used for this purpose for over a century.^{[4][akpan 40]} In 1963, ownership was transferred to the London Borough of Lambeth and child murderer Mary Bell was housed there for a short time, until the local residents protested and she was removed to Wales.^{[akpan 40]}

• On 18 December 1998, the Weatherspoons pub chain opened The William Stanley on the High Street in South Norwood.^{[35][akpan 41]} It is a 19th Century style of building, with a portrait of Stanley inside, as well as pictures of other Norwood notables (Lillie Langtry, H. Tinsley (another scientific instrument maker), Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and John Brock).^{[akpan 41]}

[edit] Notes and References

• Akpan, Eloïse The Story of William Stanley — A Self-made Man. (Eloïse Akpan, London, 2000) ISBN 0-9538577-0-0.

[edit] Further Reading

The following are also listed in the Dictionary of National Biography (Owen 1912) and Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (McConnell 2004) entries as references for Stanley:

Other sources of information about Stanley:

[edit] External links

• William F Stanley Trust page
• W.F. Stanley page (includes photographs of Stanley instruments)

Persondata
NAME	Stanley, William Ford
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Engineer, Inventor
DATE OF BIRTH	2 February 1829
PLACE OF BIRTH	Islington, London, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH	14 August 1909
PLACE OF DEATH	South Norwood, London, United Kingdom